Naseeruddin Shah, Bollywood’s acting powerhouse, recently spoke to ‘Tried & Used Productions’ about the BJP government’s attacks on Urdu language. Condemning the enmity displayed towards Urdu, he said that other than Pakistan, India is the only country where the language is spoken.
However, a comment given by the actor ignited the ire of Pakistani Twitter users. Shah said that in Pakistan, people speak more Punjabi than Urdu, and Sindhi is not spoken there at all.
We would like to point out that Sindhi is the official language of Sindh province and is taught as a compulsory language in all schools there.
Turns out, Naseeruddin Shah may know everything there is to know about acting, but he doesn’t have much general knowledge.
Many users had to question Naseeruddin’s confidence in saying that Sindhi isn’t spoken in Pakistan, when in reality it is the official language of the province, and is proudly spoken by locals.
Pakistan doesn't have a whole ass province named SINDH where Sindhi is spoken and TAUGHT in schools for you to say "of course not spoken in Pakistan" with such confidence. https://t.co/kFyk0wLiwL
Aliya Nazir, one half the successful fashion duo behind designer brand ‘Nickie Nina’, passed away on Sunday, media outlets reported.
Publisher and Editor of Diva Magazine Rahael Rao broke the news on social media, calling the death ‘devastating’ and remembering the Pakistani fashion giant as an ‘extraordinary friend’.
“I woke up this morning to the heartbreaking news of the passing of my dear old friend, #NickieNazir, from @nickieninaofficial. Nickie was not only warm and gracious but also an extraordinary friend to have. The memories we shared together are invaluable, and the void left by their absence will be deeply felt. Nickie, your presence will be dearly missed, and the impact you made on our lives will never be forgotten. Rest in peace, dear friend.”
Soon, models and actors in the entertainment industry came forward to offer condolences and remember the late fashion designer. Actress Sajal Aly, Areeba Habib and Sami Khan were among them.
Model Mushk Kaleem was among the celebrities who sent their condolences, calling this “incredibly sad”.
Actress and singer Hadiqa Kiani sent her condolences to the late designer’s family.
VJ and actress Anoushay Ashraf remembered the late designer as a humorous and smiling person:
“Rest in peace beautiful Nickie. Today, I choose to celebrate your short but wholesome life. You lived so much more than so many. Forever in our hearts. Smiling, humorous and beautiful. To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return. Wrapped in His eternal love and endless bounty, you’re home.”
Ushna Shah remembered the “Nickie Nina’ designer as a warm and kind person:
“This is so heartbreaking. She was such a warm and kind person. So beautiful, so graceful, so witty and so full of life. Inalilahewainaelerajiun- what terrible terrible news.”
Actress and former model Frieha Altaf mourned her late friend by sharing some past pictures with Nazir on vacation, and also sent love to her family.
Two divas are coming together for global domination!
Former One Direction star Zayn Malik and Bridgerton actress Simone Ashley are joining hands to star in the animated film ’10 Lives’. The film will also star veteran actor Bill Nighy and will be directed by Chris Jenkins.
The film is about Beckett, a spoiled and pampered cat who takes all the lives he was given for granted. After a careless mistake costs him his ninth life, he begs for a last chance, and is given the 10th life but with certain conditions.
Ashley had previously starred as Indira, one of the seven sisters in the live adaptation of ‘The Little Mermaid’. She is set to reprise her role as Kate Sharma in the upcoming third season of Bridgerton.
Speaking exclusively to Deadline about the upcoming season, Ashley revealed that this is finally where Kate and Anthony start coming together to build their family, which she was excited about:
“In Season 2, there was a lot of push and pull between Kate and Anthony, there were complications with the family, and then they find each other towards the end. I think everything is just starting. I’d like to see Kate just let go a bit more and play more in Season 3 and kind of swim in that circle of love together. I think they both deserve it.”
“She’s in charge of the household now and she’s got big boots to put on. I think she can do it,” the ‘Sex Education’ star gushed. “I want to keep that softness and vulnerability to Kate, for sure, and she can share that with Anthony. I’m just excited for her to have a home and to have a family. I’m excited to see her grow. I think I’d like to see Kate being much braver and less headstrong and more heart strong.”
Malik had sent fans in a frenzy when he announced the cover of the popular Jimi Hendrix song ‘Angel’.
Recently, the ‘Pillow Talk’ star took to Twitter to thank all of the fans who had kept supporting the singer during his break from social media, moving fans to tears.
“I would like to say thank you to everyone that has supported me throughout this amazing journey, especially to my fans who I owe my life to. Love and adore you and see everything you do for me.”
I would like to say thank you to everyone that has supported me throughout this amazing journey, especially to my fans who I owe my life to. Love and adore you and see everything you do for me. ❤️
Period dramas are all the rage now days, with Queen Charlotte becoming Netflix’s biggest hit this year, and more film adaptations like ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’, ‘Macbeth’ releasing in the last few years. But what we have yet to see, and are patiently waiting for, is Pakistani writers picking up their pen and writing a desi adaptation of a popular period book.
Because as we all know, there is literally no difference between societies during the Victorian era, and how women in Pakistan are treated today. We’re still told that marriage is our biggest accomplishment, restricted to our homes and only allowed to visit relatives rather than travel independently on our own.
So this idea flouted around the internet, when a twitter user Aimun asked how in the world has there not been a good Pakistani adaptation of Jane Austen’s popular novel ‘Persuasion’.
“So much discourse on Pakistani dramas but imagine a desi adaptation of Persuasion,” she wrote.
so much discourse on Pakistani dramas but imagine a desi adaptation of Persuasion 😭
If you’re living under a rock and have poor reading taste, let us treat you to some culture. Persuasion revolves around a woman, Anne, who is in her late twenties and living with her family. When she was 18, she had rejected the marriage proposal of her true love, Frederick Wentworth, because of her family’s elitist assumptions that he wasn’t fit to marry into their family, a decision that breaks her heart and because of which she decides to remain single. But years later, when Wentworth becomes rich and comes back in town in search for a bride, both of them chose to avoid each other, yet cannot deny that they’re in love with each other.
And like the rest of Twitter, we are down with the idea, infact we are pitching in our own idea about who we feel should direct, write and act in this adaptation.
Marina Khan is the perfect choice for directing the project.
Why? Because Marina Khan knows how to play powerful, independent and strong-minded women from dramas like ‘Tanhaiyaan’ and ‘Tum Se Kehna Tha’. So who better than her to take on Jane Austen and give the book the justice it deserves?
For screen writing: Sarah Majeed
For someone who wrote such a compelling and gorgeous drama like ‘Fairy Tale’, we would be anticipating the project with glee if she decided to take on this drama and rewrite it for the Pakistani audience.
For our broody and lovelorn Wentworth, we think no one but Ahad Raza Mir can capture the character.
As for the leading lady, we think Dur-e-Fishan Saleem would capture the tenderness and warmth of Anne so well.
When it comes to Anne’s father, Sir Walter Elliot, who would capture his snobbery and entitled attitude better than Behroze Sabzwari?
As for Anne’s confidant and best friend, Lady Elliot, who helps her navigate coming out of her shell and becoming brave enough to go after what she wants, we think Saba Qamar would do this character justice.
As for the villain, William Elliot, who aspires to marry Anne in order to steal her wealth, Bilal Abbas would be a great choice.
If you’re chronically online like us, then you’ve heard the phrase floating around on this internet a lot – “written by a woman”.
This phrase is used to describe a male character from a book or a drama who is not toxic or misogynistic. He does not pass degrading remarks about women; instead, he is kind and supportive towards them. Which means he was written by a woman.
There are a lot of beloved characters from our television screens that could fit this description, like the Hot Priest from ‘Fleabag’, Otis from ‘Sex Education’ and King George from ‘Queen Charlotte’. But in Pakistan, can we say that male characters written by women are non-problematic and wholesome?
There are female screenwriters like Nooran Makhdoom and Umera Ahmed who seem to be in a competition to see who can horrify their audience the most with the most unbearable male character.
However, very rarely, women screenwriters in Pakistan have written some of our favorite, wholesome and well-rounded male characters who won audiences with charm and attention to female characters.
Farjaad Bahadur from ‘Fairytale’
Farjaad starts off as a warning flag in ‘Fairytale’ as a grumpy businessman who is dismissive of people unimportant to him, sticks to a strict routine. That means when he and Umeed meet, he comes of as a jerk who dismisses her as ‘spoilt’ and not capable of meeting his standards. However, when he starts falling in love with Umeed, we come to see how much Farjaad is a green flag because of the way he immediately reforms to help empower and never wants to tame or control her. Mr I-can’t-come-to-my-own-birthday-because-I’m-working to following the love of his life around and giving her flowers. He drives to a police station in the middle of the night because Umeed is stuck there, then successfully gets her out of there without complaining? Settles arguments without gaslighting or demeaning Umeed, but instead takes her on a chai date?
Who were we before Sarah Majeed introduced this absolutely wholesome character in our lives? We’re glad we don’t know either.
2 Zain from ‘Tanhaiyaan’
No one can talk about the phrase ‘written by a woman’ without mentioning the beloved writer Haseena Moin, who set high standards for men with her beloved dramas like ‘Tanhaiyaan’ and ‘Ankahi’. A key token of her dramas were the strong, empowered women who took destiny in their own hands, refused to sit around and wail to be saved, and the men in their lives respected their power rather than shunning them. Zain from ‘Tanhaiyaan’ was a beloved male character because he respected Zara’s ambition, was caring and considerate to her sister Suniya, and chose not to impose his love on her but respectfully walk away until she was ready to love him back.
3 Maahir from ‘Doobara’
There is a settled notion within Pakistani dramas that a romance must take place between some balding dude who is a self-declared bad boy and some sheltered, naive girl who is barely in her twenties, who must shift between being a full-time therapist, punch bag and mommy to her lover. But rarely do we see this toxic trope switched and audiences are given a beautiful love story like Mehrunnisa and Mahir’s in ‘Dobara’.
Although he is younger than her, Maahir works hard to prove that despite the setback he receives from Mehrunnisa’s family, he is worthy to be her husband. He works hard to get a job, empowers Mehru to start taking life in her own hands and do the things she was always restricted from doing, never standing in the way of her dreams. Kudos to Sarwat Nazir for giving us this absolute gem of a character
4 Adam from ‘Hum Tum’
Saima Akram Chaudhry already won hearts with ‘Suno Chanda’, but we feel that it was ‘Hum Tum’ that was one of her best works and also her most feminist drama because of how it introduced us to empowered female characters, and men who are more ‘female-centric’. We have women who have impressive careers like working in psychology, chemistry and computer science, but it is the men like Adam (played by Ahad Raza Mir) who take care of the chores around the house, is attentive and kind to his little sister and his elder brother Sarmad is a successful chef, a trait mostly associated with women.
Powerhouse Pakistani director Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy keeps setting new milestones like becoming the first Pakistani to win two Oscars, then going on to helm a Marvel show about a Pakistani-Canadian girl with incredible powers, and now she is also marking the 10th anniversary of Gucci Chime, an initiative set up by fashion house Gucci, by directing a series of videos featuring celebrities like Idris Elba, Julia Roberts and even other activists on what they chime for.
Breaking the news on social media, Chinoy wrote:
“When we got everyone in their chairs and the cameras started rolling the conversations always ended with people saying we have to ensure that the world moves towards gender equality! In the fight for a more gender equal world who do you chime for? @gucci@gucciequilibrium“
The Gucci CHIME campaign was founded ten years ago in partnership with singer Beyonce and Pinault. Gucci hosted The Sound Of Change: Live in London which featured artists like Beyoncé, Florence Welch, John Legend and Jennifer Lopez. It was broadcast to one billion viewers and raised over $3.9 million to support girls and women worldwide.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter on why she chose to become an advisory member for Gucci Chime, the director revealed that she was inspired by the work the organisation had done to promote gender equality around the world:
“I joined Chime for Change in 2013 because of its mission to promote gender equality and empower women and girls around the world. My career as a social justice filmmaker aligned itself with Chime’s three key pillars of education, health and justice. I have seen firsthand how the money raised through Chime improves the lives of women and strengthens communities.
In my own home country of Pakistan, Chime helped build a girls school. I have seen the work put into key projects in Africa and South America, but what speaks to me the most is that Chime builds partnerships. It invests in women, not simply with funding, but also with advocacy, enabling them to then further champion other women. [Chime’s] model is unique and so many of the women they have championed now sit on its board. The work they have accomplished over the past decade reminds us of the importance of advocating for those striving to make a difference.”
Since the post was uploaded yesterday, Pakistani celebrities like Mahira Khan, Mehreen Syed and Azfar Rehman have offered congratulations to Chinoy for the presitigious win.
With super stars like Jennifer Lawrence and Margot Robbie and powerhouse directors like Greta Gerwig and Christopher Nolan bringing their art to cinemas, this summer is going to be anything but boring.
We have Pakistan’s first ever crime thriller, based on a serial killer no one has depicted on film, a gorgeous Disney adaptation of the beloved story ‘The Little Mermaid’ and yes, the woman ,the myth, the legend herself, Greta Gerwig, bringing the world to its knees with Barbie.
Here is our list of summer blockbusters that have us already booking our tickets with glee.
1 Kukri
Abu Aleeha thrilled audiences with ‘Daadal’ starring the powerhouse Sonya Hussein, depicting a boxer from Lyari who turns to the sport to avenge her sister’s honor. Now, he is bringing to screens the story of child serial killer Javed Iqbal. Starring Ayesha Omar and Yasir Hussain, the trailer has us excited because this is the first time such a story is being released in cinemas.
2 Barbie
Icon and savior Greta Gerwig made history when she released the trailer for the upcoming comedy film ‘Barbie’, impacting the film industry in a way never seen before. In this adaptation, Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling take on the roles of Barbie and Ken, taking us on a hilarious journey as Barbie steps out in to the new world in order to get to know who she is.
3 The Little Mermaid (2023)
If you’re looking for a good film to watch with family, this is the perfect one. Halle Bailey set our 90’s heart soaring when it was announced that she would be taking on the role of Ariel for ‘The Little Mermaid’. Featuring a star-studded cast with the likes of Jonah Hauer-King, Melissa McCarthy, Simone Ashley and Daved Diggs, the gorgeous special effects and the positive reviews have already gotten us excited.
4 Oppenheimer
If this list wasn’t up to your taste then wait for Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’. Featuring Cillian Murphy, the film is about Physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who is working with a team of scientists during the Manhattan Project, developing the atomic bomb.
Armie Hammer, who rose to fame with ‘Call Me By Your Name’ and left Hollywood after accusations of sexual assault, will not be charged, Los Angeles District Attorney has confirmed.
Hammer was accused of rape and sexual abuse by several women, with screenshots of graphic messages from the actor shared by the accusers. The actor has texted women “I am 100% a cannibal” and “I want to eat you.” The LAPD had announced that they were launching an official investigation on the former ‘The Social Network’ actor.
On Wednesday, a representative from the District Attorney’s Office said in a statement that there was insufficient evidence to charge Hammer with a crime, due to the complex relationship between him and the woman:
“In this case, those prosecutors conducted an extremely thorough review, but determined that at this time, there is insufficient evidence to charge Mr Hammer with a crime,” the statement read. “As prosecutors, we have an ethical responsibility to only charge cases that we can prove beyond a reasonable doubt … Due to the complexity of the relationship and inability to prove a non-consensual, forcible sexual encounter, we are unable to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.”
The woman, who went by the anonymous name House Of Effie on Instgram, had filed a case in 2021, claiming that Hammer had raped her in 2017, and had repeatedly slammed her head against the wall, bruising her face.
“During those four hours, I tried to get away, but he wouldn’t let me,” the woman said at the news conference. “I thought that he was going to kill me. He then left with no concern for my well-being.”
Effie has released a statement on Instagram addressing the announcement, revealing that it “cost me a great deal to have spoken out and filed a report against Armie’s abuse.”
“I felt a duty to speak out and file a report in order to try and hold Armie accountable for all the harm and trauma he had caused me and to protect other women from experiencing similar abuse. It has cost me a great deal to have spoken out and filed a report against Armie’s abuse. Since I came forward, I have received death threats, rape threats, incessant harassment. Many of Armie’s victims were afraid to come forward. My hope is that one day, rapists won’t get away with it.”
In 2022, a documentary called ‘The House Of Hammer’ was released on Discovery + which detailed the investigation of emotional and physical abuse the ‘Rebecca’ actor had inflicted over women, as well as an interview with his aunt, Casey, who had written a memoir about her family ‘Surviving My Birthright’, detailing the abuse and greed of the Hammer family.
Hollywood legend Al Pacino began trending on social media on Wednesday at incredible speed, making us all think, “Oh no!”
But then we saw why he was trending and were like “Oh no!”
Yup, Al Pacino joined the likes of Mick Jagger and Robert De Niro to announce that he and his 29 year old girlfriend Noor Alfallah, are expecting a child together.
The 83-year-old ‘Godfather’ actor, whose eldest child Julie is older than his current partner, began dating Alfallah in 2021 when the pandemic started. They were both spotted together last April at a diner.
Alfallah, who works as a music producer, previously dated Mick Jagger and Clint Eastwood.
And though the news is strange, it has unleashed a string of hilarious memes.
Nadia Jamil took to Twitter to share how her parents, famous businessman Abdul Jalil Jamil and Nusrat Jamil, met and came to fall in love.
The powerhouse actress, who lost her father after a long illness in May, wrote down her parents’ love story for her followers.
Ami was 16 & Abu was 18 when he saw walking up a path in Nathiagali. He was sitting under a pine tree. It was 1964. Years later we all went to visit the famous tree & he asked Ami to walk up the path again as he sat under the tree with us. And she did, giggling like a little girl pic.twitter.com/gpooc1qJeB
“And then they married…4 years after they met. Ma raised in an army family, Abu an old Delhi Saudagran Business family man. Ami down to Earth,practical, political, an activist who loves 2 dance. Abu a poet,philosopher,Sufi lover of Allah & nature! Both avid lovers of literature.”
And then they married…4 years after they met. Ma raised in an army family, Abu an old Delhi Saudagran Business family man. Ami down 2 Earth,practical,political,an activist who loves 2 dance,Abu a poet,philosopher,Sufi lover of Allah & nature! Both avid lovers of literature❤️ pic.twitter.com/MGZWaVbeWl
