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Category: Entertainment

  • Feeling old? ‘Ye Jawaani hai Deewani’ happened 10 years ago

    Feeling old? ‘Ye Jawaani hai Deewani’ happened 10 years ago

    The coming-of-age film ‘Ye Jawaani Hai Deewani’ was released on screens 10 years ago. The cult classic became a momunental part of the changing Bollywood industry. The film revolves around four friends, and shifts between their time as young graduates to ten years later when they become adults Ranbir Kapoor starred as the energetic and lively Kabir, who always dreamed of a career in journalism and flying around the world, while Deepika Padukone played the studious and quiet Naina, who has a secret crush on Kabir but fears telling him so.

    To mark the occasion, fans from around the world, especially the cast and crew, celebrated by sharing hilarious anecdotes and heart warming messages for fans.

    Director Ayan Mukerjee shared a video clip of memorable moments, and also sent out a heartfelt message for fans who had supported the film since its release:

    “YJHD – My second child, a piece of my heart and soul – 10 years old today! ❤️

    I think after all these years, I can confidently say that…
    Making this movie was one of the greatest joys of my life! And what we achieved with it – with all its perfections and imperfections – is a source of great eternal pride for me!

    Strangely, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani fully from beginning to end, since the day it released …
    (Always pushing towards the next milestone, and not looking back enough…!)

    But when I’m older and wiser – I think I will watch the movie atleast once a year – because a big part of who I was and how I looked at life – is forever captured in this movie !

    In the recent months, I have often had people recognise me and come up to me… and I’m thinking they will say something about Brahmāstra, and then they started talking about YJHD !

    So, putting out a whole lot of gratitude for Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani… and all the many people who connected deeply with the movie over the years ! ❤️

    Also sharing a Director’s Note I had written at the time, in my story which someone special from my team shared with me a few days ago… and it brought back all kinds of memories for me !”

    He even shared the director’s note on his Instagram stories where he had described the film as:

    Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani is a cocktail of all these encounters and obsessions… It is a story of the exhilarating and terrifying journey of four characters as they navigate through their youth; from their carefree laughter as they set off on a holiday together in their colleges days, until their bittersweet tears as they watch the first of their bunch get married. It is an effort to somehow capture the spirit of their lives, wrestle with it and give it to our audience in a bottle. So that it might make them feel happy and joyful and sad and nostalgic. And like the characters in the film, it might make them seek for what it is, in all of the above, that truly gives our lives meaning.”

    Mukerjee also posted never before seen pictures with Padukone and Kapoor:

    Actors like Padukone, and Kalki Kanmani celebrated the anniversary of the film with the ‘Bajirao Mastani’ actress taking to Instagram to share the trailer of the film with the caption: ‘A piece of my heart’

    While Kanmani, who played the outgoing and rough Aditi, recalled her experience by writing about how memorable working with the cast was:

    “How we’ve all grown and learnt since then and yet some things I can’t imagine any different, like @deepikapadukone will always be teaching us a dance step we can’t follow, @adityaroykapur will always be our big Lebowski, Ranbir will always play a prank that makes us squeal and @ayan_mukerji will always ask us uncomfortably personal questions that lead to the best conversations loved the memories we collected here, happy 10 years guys “

    Fans on social media have celebrated the occasion by sharing their favorite scenes from the film:

    Fans of the film even shared some of their favorite dialogues, like the scene between Naina and Kabir when she tells him to learn to take life as it is rather than keep chasing the next best thing.

  • Lyari rapper Eva B honored as first Pakistani woman to feature on Grammy’s Global Spin

    Only a year after ‘Kanna Yaari’ burst on our screens, there’s no stopping Eva B. The Lyari based rapper is setting milestones with her performance at the Grammy’s ‘Global Spin’ show with her song ‘Sunrise in Lyari’.

    The Global Spin is a platform where international artists are highlighted. Her track is described as ‘an infectious rap song about her roots in Karachi.” She had also exclusively written the song for the platform.

    Sharing the achievement on her Instagram page, the ‘Rozi’ rapper called this achievement a ‘testament to the power of dreams and the relentless pursuit of excellence.”

    “In this moment, I’m overwhelmed with a mix of awe, gratitude, and a burning desire to represent my roots. Being a Pakistani woman to hit the Grammy GlobalSpin stage is a testament to the power of dreams and the relentless pursuit of excellence. “

    Eva B had won hearts across Pakistan with her upbeat hit ‘Rozi’ which she sang for the ‘Ms Marvel’ soundtrack and later featured alongside with actress Sonya Hussyn for ‘Khoon Hai Karachi Ka’ for the crime thriller film ‘Daadal’

  • ‘People said I was making a mistake’: Director Abu Aleeha on casting Yasir Hussain for ‘Kukri’

    Director of the anticipated crime thriller ‘Kukri’, Ali Sajjad Shah aka Abu Aleeha, sat down for an interview with Geo Digital, where he opened up about his decision to cast actor Yasir Hussain for the film, revealing that initially people thought he was making a mistake with casting the actor:

    “They said I am committing suicide and Yasir can’t pull off this character, I received many calls from the people associated with our industry; however, the statements changed when the poster came out, and the very same people spoke to me again and said ‘Tum ne ye kiya bana diya hai!’”

    He further praised the ‘Badshah Begum’ actor for being one of the finest in the industry:

     “I have seen Yasir’s best work in the theatre, I know how far I can go with him. People have seen his work in dramas but that’s not his finest work.”

    Speaking on how Aleeha and Hussain built up the notorious serial killer Javed Iqbal’s character, who reportedly murdered and raped more than a 100 boys in Lahore giving himself up to the police, the director said that he and Hussain researched to get the accent right:

    “I took Yasir to many chai dhabbay in Androon–e –Lahore. There, I observed local people chatting in different Punjabi accents. I used to record their conversations and that’s how we picked one of the accents for Javed Iqbal. Later, Yasir practised it.”

    Aleeha also talked about why he had chosen to work on the serial killer, a topic that had intrigued audiences last year when the film was announced under the name ‘Javed Iqbal’. The ‘Taxali Gate’ director cited his stint working as a crime news reporter for ten years, which was when he heard about Javed Iqbal:

    “I’ve been working as a crime reporter for a private channel for 10 years. [I remember] a criminal was arrested in Lahore and accused of raping 100 children. It was around 1999 and since then, the character has been stuck in my mind.

    “Musharraf Sahab’s take over and Javed Iqbal were the two most sensational stories at that time.

    “The case was handed over to the honorary Supreme Court and Javed Iqbal was detained, where he committed suicide. 

    “I got a copy of the challan after a month, from a lawyer and decided to make a web series on the serial killer but no one took me seriously. Then, I published the first book about his crimes and it got a massive response.

    “The second edition I published was about the investigation and the back story of this notorious man; the book came out in eight editions and sold out in six months — which indicated that people are intrigued by the story.

    “Then I decided to make a film on Javed Iqbal.”

     

  • ‘Fashionable now to hate on Muslims’: Naseeruddin Shah slams Modi on Islamophobia

    Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah spoke to Indian Express about growing Islamaphobia under the rule of the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its influence on Bollywood.

    “Oh sure, these are worrying times absolutely,” the veteran actor said. “The kind of stuff that’s pure, undisguised propaganda is being lapped up and it’s a reflection of the zeitgeist of the times. Muslim hating is fashionable these days, even among educated people. It’s what the ruling party has very cleverly tapped into this nerve. We talk about secular this, democracy that, so why are you introducing religion into everything?.”

    The actor is well known for his out-spoken critique on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the spread of fascism in India, especially on the Indian Premier’s silence on growing hate speech in India.

    “I mean how spineless is the election commission of ours? Who doesn’t even dare utter a word. If there had been a Muslim leader who had said, ‘Allah Hu Akbar bol ke button dabao’, sh*t would have hit the fan. But here our Prime Minister goes ahead and says things like this and yet he loses. So, I have hope that this will wear off. But it’s definitely, at the moment, at its peak. It’s been a very clever card played by this government, and it has worked. Let’s see how long it continues to work.”

    Speaking on the rise of state propaganda films like ‘Mission Majnu’ and ‘Kashmir Files’, Shah said that the best thing that actors can do in these times is stay quiet and not participate in any propaganda, because artists these days are scared to raise their voice or fear their movies will be boycotted by the masses.

    Further addressing the role of art in influencing society, Shah urged all artists to raise the right questions, but also stressed on the need to come from a place of fearlessness. He further said that words and no action will not resolve the issue, but one has to practice what they preach.

  • ‘REINCARNATION’: Rahat’s son sounds just like Nusrat, leaving social media spooked

    Its been 26 years since Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan passed away, leaving the country in such deep mourning that it hasn’t ended yet.

    And though his nephew Rahat Fateh Ali Khan became a star in his own right, the Nusrat sized hole in our souls remained hollow.

    Until now.

    A viral video showing Rahat’s son Shahzaman, has taken social media by storm, astonishing users because of how similar the son sounds to the original maestro, Nusrat.

    A twitter user Dan Qayyum, shared the video, shot at a concert in the USA.

    Soon fans of the Qawalli singer from both Pakistan and India showered praises on young Shahnazam’s talent, proving that by the end of the day music does truly transcend borders!

    Shahnazam does not have an official Instagram account, but many users have spotted him in concert rehersals with his father, where he once even wrote a caption:

    What a great dad he is!
    Lets me occupy his seat as he takes mine.
    Knowing that i still have to earn this seat but still how willingly he wants to see me on this seat.
    How blessed I am to have a father & an Ustad like my dad❤️
    – Shahzaman Ali Khan “

    So does he sound exactly like Nusrat?

    You decide.

  • Here are all the winners from the IIFA awards

    Here are all the winners from the IIFA awards

    The most anticipated awards in Bollywood. the IIFA awards, took place in Dubai with a lot of celebration and joy. The creme de la creme of the Indian entertainment industry showed up dressed to the nines, including celebrities like Hrithik Roshan, Salman Khan and Farah Khan.

    There were entertaining performances with Hrithik Roshan shaking a leg with Vicky Kaushal on his 90’s hit ‘Ek Pal Ka Jeena’, Anil Kapoor’s captivating opening speech, Abhishek Bachchan and Kaushal driving audiences to hysterics with their infectious energy and charisma.

    Among the films that won accolades at the festive night, ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ reined as the star of the evening as Alia Bhatt walked home with the Best Actress award while Hrithik Roshan was awarded Best Actor for his performance in ‘Vikram Vedha’.

    Here is a complete list of the winners from last night:

    Best Actor: Hrithik Roshan for ‘Vikram Vedha’

    Best Actress: Alia Bhatt for ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’

    Best Actress In Supporting Role: Mouni Roy in ‘Brahmastra Part One: Shiva’

    Best Actor In Supporting Role: Anil Kapoor in ‘JugJugg Jiyo’

    Best Director: R Madhavan in ‘Rocketry: The Nambi Effect’

    Best Original Story: Jasmeet K Reen and Parveez Sheikh for ‘Darlings’

  • ‘I’m gonna be sick’: the final episode of Succession has people divided

    Warning: this article contains spoilers about the final episode of ‘Succession’. Don’t read if you haven’t seen it.

    Welp, it’s all over. On Sunday, the finale episode of the dark comedy ‘Succession’ aired on HBO, leaving fans blown away by the finale. For the past four years, the show explored the conflict within the Roy family, as patriarch Logan Roy decides to step down, leaving siblings Kendall, Siobhan and Roman to decide who should control the entertainment giant.

    After a conflicting season showing the death of the patriarch, more heartbreaking confessions, fights and plotting to grab control over the empire, in the end the winner was *drum roll*…

    Tom Wambsgans and his wife, Siobhan Roy.

    How did we come to this conclusion? The finale episode opens with the Roy siblings conflicted over the streaming giant GoJo’s aquisition of Waystar Royco, with Kendall (played by Jeremy Strong) wanting to kill the deal but Shiv (played by Sarah Snook) plotting with GoJo’s founder Luke Matsson (Alexander Skarsgard) to finalise the deal, in exchange for being made CEO.

    Before the deal is finalised, a heartbreaking feud takes place between the siblings, with Kendall begging Roman and Shiv to make him the CEO, as was promised to him as the eldest son of the family. Roman Roy (played by Kieran Culkin) instead mocks Kendall for having adopted children, and says that their father would have wanted Shiv to take the CEO position because she is the one pregnant with her biological child. Shiv also threatens to reveal Kendall’s crime for murdering a waiter in Season One.

    When the deal is finalised, Kendall walks to a river, looking horrified as he stares at the horizon. Roman visits a bar and orders a martini, while Shiv joins her husband in the backseat of the car, and both of them look incredibly tense which proves that they never loved each other.

    Twitter users had mixed opinions about whether the finale provided a satisfying conclusion or a butchering of its iconic characters.

    There were some users who felt that the show had effectively destroyed the relationship between the Roy siblings.

    Some also grieved for Kendall, who had been fighting since the start of the show to take control of the company, but then was stripped away from everything because of Shiv.

    Many felt that the show had destroyed Shiv by making her into a villain.

    https://twitter.com/femaIehysterias/status/1663013289821962240?s=20

    But for others, Shiv’s sacrifice ultimately made her the hero of the show, because her sacrifice prevented her brothers from following the same fate of their abusive father. Some users pointed out how Shiv sacrificed her power to help free her brothers from the hurt and abuse they endured, by resigning herself to the role of mother and wife to a man she did not love.

    https://twitter.com/agneswickfields/status/1663012479117451264?s=20

  • Hasnain Lehri denies claims of physically assaulting Nimra Jacob

    After a video showing an alleged altercation between models Hasnain Lehri and Nirma Jacob at the Texpo Fashion Week went viral on Saturday, Lehri has come up with a response.

    In the video, the female super model can be seen distraught after Lehri allegedly physically and verbally assaulted her, demanding that event organisers take her safety seriously.

    Several models and influential designers like Kamiar Rokni, Eman Suleman and Zara Peerzada have taken to social media to condemn the incident, and demanded that the abuser be held accountable for his actions.

    Now in a statement to Express Tribune, Lehri has denied that he physically assaulted Jacob:

    “I categorically deny all accusations of physical altercation and abuse. I come from a very respectful family, we aren’t the kind of people who would get into an issue as petty as this.”

    He went on to explain how the events had unfolded, which began when Jacob bumped in to him during the ramp walk:

    “During the crossing at the ramp, Jacob hit my shoulder. We went backstage and she walked towards me, asking me to learn how to walk on the ramp. This resulted in an argument and she brought my deceased father into the conversation.”

    He added that there were witnesses like organisers Tehmina Khaled, Tehmim and choreographer Nubain Ali, to whom Lehri had gone to raising concern, and they had told Lehri that Jacob was known for her unprofessional behavior with other models.

    Lehri revealed how the fight had started `”When the show was done, I packed my bag, readying to leave; Nubain approached me and asked me what the issue was. As Nubain and I were discussing, this is when [Jacob] returned and started the argument again,” Lehri went on. “She then told me to f–k off, and I said it back. That’s when she took out her phone and started recording me.”

    Lehri went on to reveal that he asked Jacob four times not to record her, after which he had snatched the phone from her hands:

    “This isn’t acceptable and I took her phone. That is all I did. I took the phone from her hand and kept it with me because she was recording me without my consent. She just wanted to show her side of the story. I wish I had taken out my phone and started recording how [Jacob] was misbehaving as well.”

    Lehri denied that he had raised his hand on Jacob, and said Jacob and her friends were trying to intimidate him:

    “With God as my witness, I can swear on the Holy Book that all I did was take her phone. I didn’t assault anyone, I didn’t physically abuse her. [Jacob’s] three friends teamed up against me. They will support her.”

    Addressing the fact that he refused to give back Jacob’s phone, and the arrival of the police, Lehri revealed that the police could see that he didn’t assault the female model, which is why they had let him go:

    “If I was in the wrong and the alleged physical assault did happen, why would the police let me leave? I was free to go. I respect my fraternity but [Jacob] is grossly manipulating the whole situation.”

  • Why did model Nimra Jacob say “Take our safety seriously” at fashion show? Here’s what we know about the alleged assault

    Why did model Nimra Jacob say “Take our safety seriously” at fashion show? Here’s what we know about the alleged assault

    A backstage video filmed at the Texpo Fashion Week, showing an alleged altercation between models Hasnain Lehri and Nimra Jacob has gone viral on social media.

    According to sources, female model Nimra Jacob had been assaulted by Lehri, after which she can be seen demanding from show organisers to take models’ safety seriously. At one point in the video, Lehri is seen being restrained by a few men present backstage.

    Since the video went viral, Jacob has addressed the incident on Instagram, demanding better treatment for models working in the fashion industry:


    “You cannot mistreat me. You can’t bully me. And you surely will not put your hands on me without consequences. We, in the fashion industry, have seen too much abuse, disrespect, and complete, utter negligence for our safety to tolerate it anymore. I have no space in my heart for forgiveness when it comes to abuse, harassment, bullying, assault, etc. Without any plausible cause, threats were made at me. I was verbally abused, and physically assaulted. My property was taken and used to blackmail me. My female colleagues were harmed in the process of trying to protect me.

    “This all happened at work,” the super model continued. “Where I made sure to bring it to the attention of the management that I was being threatened by the perpetuator before he even became violent. The management should have taken action the first time I mentioned concern for my safety. I’m lucky there were eye witnesses to this man’s horrific actions, there were people who witnesses it all. As traumatized as I am, I’m not standing alone.”

    “I refuse to let anyone abuse, threaten, intimidate, or belittle my colleagues or myself in any way.

    “Today I stand to let you know that I will call out these abusers, harassers, bullies for exactly who/what they are. Every single one of them. If we want the industry to be a safe space, we need to collectively take a stand and check disrespect at the door. We need to demand accountability for those who are supposed to ensure our safety at work. And demand zero tolerance for the perpetuators involved in spewing such violence and aggression at the workplace. I’m done with this toxic, abusive culture. No more! Enough is enough!”

    Soon other notable fashion figures like designer Kamiar Rokni condemned the incident as well as toxic male behavior on his Instagram account, stating that he was standing in solidarity with female models:

    “Toxic male behaviour needs to be addressed in the fashion industry. Violence against girls backstage at a fashion show is a new low. This cannot be allowed to happen again it is up to us to come together and make this a safe space for our girls. Our models are an invaluable part of our industry and we can’t stand around while they are abused.”

    Model Fatima Ahsan, who was also spotted in the viral video, took to Instagram to address the incident, and demanded that show organizers and sponsors make safer environments for their models:

    “So everyone’s been seeing videos from the show backstage and sending them to me, asking if I’m okay, thank you so much for your love and concern. I am fine. The incident took place with another model and could’ve happened to anyone. Luckily it didn’t escalate. But we live in a fragile country and today’s incident just reinforces how no one takes the woman’s side. We weren’t secure in the environment. And the men (except for 1 or 2), they either stood and watched or tried to brush our concerns under the table and get the women to retract. Later they said let them deal with it themselves, let’s leave. Yes, let’s leave the women by themselves in an already unsafe environment. No one in charge – none of the organisers – nobody took responsibility it was only the female models that came together and took a stand.

    To all the men, show organisers, and everyone innvolved. Do better. You just walked away from injustice and we’ll remember that.”

    Model Zara Peerzada called out the organisers who hire toxic men for their shows, and asked designers to stop being complicit:

    “Stop hiring violent males to walk your shows, be in your shoots. It’s not complicated. How about when you see abuse taking place you address and intervene? It’s not complicated. Stop doing empowerment campaigns for women to sell your clothes when you don’t have an ounce of respect for them or their safety. It’s not complicated. This is not an isolated incident.”

    Visual artist and designer Rehan Bashir called this a case that showed how “standards within the industry keep plummenting towards abysmal depths”, and expressed solidarity with female models

  • ‘Then stop singing Urdu ghazals solely’: Twitter is puzzled at Arooj Aftab’s problem with being called an ‘Urdu’ singer

    Arooj Aftab has everyone in a pickle with a tweet where she asked her followers to stop associating her with Pakistani music, or calling her an ‘Urdu singer’.

    The Grammy award winning singer had tweeted:

    “Pakistani singer arooj aftab…… Urdu singer arooj aftab….. arooj Aftab’s amazing Urdu singing… like. It’s fine I guess? But can a person of color musician ever just get to be without this tag to whatever someone else is presuming is our root or heritage.”

    Twitter users were confused by this because as some pointed out, she had built up fame in Western countries using Urdu ghazals like ‘Mohabbat’.

    One user had written:

    “Nobody calls you an urdu singer in pakistan. they call you that in majority english speaking countries, where your claim to fame was an urdu ghazal. your lyrics didn’t come to that audience naturally. they recognize you geographically. we all do that with foreign language music.”

    https://twitter.com/grey_carnations/status/1662426379726606340?s=20

    But Aftab had to clarify in her next tweets that she was not being anti-Pakistani, nor was she criticising her own roots, but her tweets were addressing the Western media who push her into a georgraphical context, which makes it easier for her to be gate-kept.

    “Oh f***k this tweet really awakened the “she’s anti Pakistani!!!” sentiment. Great. I’m not talking about erasing or disowning roots and heritage. while touring eu/uk at the moment, I feel like pushing back on being ONLY allowed to exist in a geographic and linguistic context. This makes it easy for them to other-ize, exclude us and overlook what is achieved, and to gate keep/ glass wall what is further achievable.”