Current Final

Category: Entertainment

  • ‘Jhoom’ has intrigued audiences with a fresh take on enemies-to-lovers story

    The highly anticipated drama ‘Jhoom’ hit television screens across the country last week with Zara Noor Abbas and Haroon Kadwani starring as male leads in the exhilarating ‘enemies to lovers story’ between an older woman and a young man.

    Maryam (played by Abbas) is a doctor who has dedicated her life to her younger brother’s upbringing, adopting a ‘take no crap’ attitude from men while working long shifts at the hospital. While Kadwani essays Arryan, a former car engineer who has anger issues that emerged after his mother left his family.

    The first few episodes have released on media platforms and fans are already in love with the chemistry between Abbas and Kadwani, applauding the makers of the show for choosing to tackle age gap marriages while deciding to make their female lead an older and financially independent woman.

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    Something Haute founder Aamna Isani called it ‘intriguing’:

    “Two episodes of Jhoom certainly have intrigued me. It’s fresh. And appears to be thought provoking beyond the obvious. #Jhoom.”

    Here’s to hoping that the drama keeps us captivated with a gorgeous story, and hopefully not go down the ‘Tere Bin’ route?

    Finger’s crossed.

  • ‘I stand by it’: Tere Bin writer Nooran Makhdoom defends controversial rape scene

    Trigger warning: victim blaming, discussions of marital rape, assault

    Pakistani drama ‘Tere Bin’ has been in the eye of a social media storm since yesterday a controversial scene from the drama serial went viral on Twitter. In the scene, the female lead Meerab (played by Yumna Zaidi) is raped by her husband Murtasim (played by Wahaj Ali) after she accuses him of attempting to start an affair with Haya.

    Social media users, who had already labelled the drama as problematic for past controversies like slaps, attempted suicide, stalking and poor story pacing, declared that they were dropping their support for the once-popular drama. But it turns out, the writer behind the drama Nooran Makhdoom, is not moved by the backlash, defending it as a ‘a demand of the serial’, in an interview with Arab News Pk.

    “It’s a situation which was the demand of the serial that will lead to the climax,” explained Makhdoom.

    She also went on to defend the story by saying she won’t be changing the script because of fans:

    “If the audience isn’t getting it, I can’t change it,” she said. “It’s just a drama. They should wait for the entire story to unfold instead of taking issue with every episode.”

    Makhdoom also pointed out that such a horrfiying trope is not being used for the first time, and that the entire production team or director had not objected to the scene:

    “It’s not like this has happened onscreen for the first time. It’s just that this project has received such wide recognition that people reacted strongly to the recent twist.”

    Makhdoom also shared with Arab News that she had not initially added the slap and the spit scene, which was added in before filming, but she took complete responsibility for writing the script:

    “If you speak of my social responsibility, I created a story and I stand by it,” she said. “And this is not an unusual occurrence; it has happened before.”

    This revelation has led to more backlash on social media, with hasthags like ‘Shame on Tere Bin makers’ and ‘Nooran’ trending on Twitter, and users calling for a boycott of the drama.

  • ‘Depression is something only rich people get’: Nawazuddin Siddiqui

    Nawazuddin Siddiqui gave an interview to Mashable India, where his comments about mental illness have triggered a debate on social media. According to Indian Express, the actor was quoted as saying that mental illnesses like depression and anxiety only happened to privileged people because they tend to glorify their emotions.

    The ‘Sacred Games’ actor revealed that while growing up, he would never have been able to tell his father that he was depressed or he would have been slapped:

    “I come from a place where, if I would tell my father that I am feeling depressed, he would give me one tight slap… Depression waha nahi tha, kisi ko bhi nahi hota waha depression, sab khush hai. But I learnt about anxiety, depression, bipolar after coming to the city.”

    “Ye shehro mein aake hoti hai, yaha pe har aadmi apne chhote emotions ko bhi bohot glorify karta hai.”

    The actor, who faced a recent controversy after his ex-wife accused him of kicking her and their children out of their house, went on to say that it was working class people who never get depressed because they work hard and make the most out of their conditions, unlike rich people.

    “If you ask a labourer, or someone who is sleeping on the footpath, what is depression. When it rains, they dance even then, usko gh***a depression nahi pata hota. Jab aapke paas paise aajate hai toh iss tareeke ki beemariya aati jaati hai.”

  • Trouble, Trouble, Trouble: Taylor Swift’s boyfriend Matty Healy faces backlash from fans for problematic history of islamophobia, racism, sexist jokes

    Trouble, Trouble, Trouble: Taylor Swift’s boyfriend Matty Healy faces backlash from fans for problematic history of islamophobia, racism, sexist jokes

    We knew you were trouble when you walked in like quite literally the receipts are right here.

    Taylor Swift made headlines when the ‘Anti Hero’ singer started dating the frontman of The 1975 band, Matty Healy, after splitting up from her longtime boyfriend, Joe Alwyn.

    However, the news was not received well by fans, who criticised Healy’s problematic history of making racist, sexist and Islamophobic jokes.
    Swift has been extremely vocal about her activism for gay rights and feminism, with songs like ‘Mad Woman’ discussing female rage and sexism, and ‘You Need To Calm Down’ from her Lover album empowering the transgender community.

    It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero? Not for Tay-Tay it seems.

    Fans began sharing clips and problematic posts Healy had posted in the past where he appeared to be mocking Islam. For instance, a fan shared a screenshot of his Instagram stories with a tweet:

    “You start dating a Muslim girl then BOOM”

    Another user shared a clip of ‘The City’ singer’s interview with Brut Mexico where he slammed religious people by saying they should be ashamed of themselves, addin that he had no rights as an athiest.

    “Religious people are always allowed to be offended: ‘Oh, we’re offended by this, I’m offended by that,’ I have to get up every day and read something abhorrent that’s happened in the name of religion.”

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    The ‘Medicine’ singer has been slammed for his controversial racist and sexist comments about rapper Ice Spice. During his appearance at The Adam Freidland Show, the episode was immediately pulled from Spotify and Apple after backlash, but is still available on Youtube.

    Healy had also courted controversy in January when videos emerged of him doing the Nazi salute on stage, a move that has enraged many Swifties

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    These recent controversies have led to many Swifties starting to retract their support for Swift, and even criticising her for working with problematic men but yet being quite vocal about social issues.

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    Fans even began using the hashtag #speakupnow to demand Swift addressed the problematic history of her boyfriend, and stand up for the rights she claims to be advocating.

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  • ‘Horrifying’: Twitter users slam ‘Tere Bin’ promo for depicting assault

    Trigger warning: discussions of marital rape, assault

    In the topsy-turvy world that is Pakistan right now, ‘Tere Bin’ is playing its part by keeping fans running around in circles. With the love-hate relationship between the main leads Murtasim (played by Wahaj Ali) and Meerab (Yumna Zaidi) switching from adorable to toxic to downright horrifying in the recent episode, fans have had enough.

    The recent episode of the drama tried to one-up itself to see how low it can go in disappointing its viewers, with once again the writers deciding to bring out the Murtasim caught cheating with Haya card, and ending the episode with Meerab’s assault.

    From the promo, viewers can definitely assume that Meerab has been assaulted by her husband and has chosen to leave him.

    Was it necessary that Murtasim, who is currently one of the most feminist male leads on our screens, be thrown under the bus just to churn up some views? Why did the writer even assume that after stalking, slapping and attempted suicide, this ‘love story’ had to hit its peak with the most heinous thing: domestic violence?

    Legal analyst Reema Omer criticised the scene on Twitter, writing:

    “TW: After months of justifying Murtasim slapping, shoving, dragging, asking Meerab to jump off the roof to prove her chastity + other toxic/violent behaviour, even #TereBin fan club is up in arms over the possible marital r*pe suggested by the promo Some silver lining, I guess.”

    Founder of ‘Something Haute, Aamna Isani wrote that she was shocked by the depiction of assault, and how could this possibly be a chance after this that Murtasim’s character would be redeemed.

    Users were tweeting that they were heartbroken at how the writer of the show has completely destroyed Murtasim’s character

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    Many were tweeting that this was the end of their support for the drama, given that there is no possible justification to depict marital rape and domestic abuse.

  • Shah Rukh Khan steps away from Don 3

    Excitement rose when Excel Entertainment confirmed that work on the film ‘Don 3’ had started, with Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan joining ‘Don 3’. Farhan Akhtar is set to write the script while Ritesh Sidhwani will produce.

    However, Bollywood news website E Times has now reported that King Khan has decided to step away from the project, after long discussions with Akhtar and Sidhwani. The report revealed that the ‘Pathaan’ actor wasn’t keen on reprising his iconic role because it did not fit in to the kind of cinema he wants to do at the moment. Furthermore, the actor felt that the film wouldn’t help him cater to a wide-set audience, which is why he decided to exit the production of ‘Don 3.

    This news is indeed heartbreaking for fans who had grown up loving the Don franchise but currently, Akhtar is looking for an actor from the new generation of Bollywood actors who can take on the ever-loved gangster. The original script, according to media reports, had planned on bringing three generations of actors together who had played the beloved villain, Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan- and a new actor who would be the next ‘Don’.

  • ‘With respect, it’s from Pakistan’: Goher Mumtaz, Asim Azhar correct Amitabh Bachchan about viral video

    ‘With respect, it’s from Pakistan’: Goher Mumtaz, Asim Azhar correct Amitabh Bachchan about viral video

    Amitabh Bachchan shared a video on Instagram, showing a little boy with amazing cricket skills. Senior Bachchan praised the boy’s skills, noting that this meant that the future of Indian cricket was in safe hands.

    Well, tiny problem. The boy in the video is not Indian. He’s Pakistani. The video comes from Instagram user Raza Mahar, who shared videos of his toddler nephew playing cricket. In his bio, he mentions that he is from Sindh, Pakistan.

    Pakistani singers Asim Azhar and Goher Mumtaz offered clarification to Bachchan by commenting underneath his Instagram post.

    Mumtaz had written:

    “@amitabhbachchan sir, this kid is from pakistan, saw this a while ago through a Pakistani page with his ID, but future of cricket is in our hands if we agree to play in each other’s country Inshallah …btw, greatest fan of yours “

    Azhar had written:

    “Dear sir, huge fan from !

    And like my friend @gohermumtazofficial mentioned this kid is from pakistan but you are definitely right on the part where the future is in safe hands for both the sides if we bring back the old days soon where we get to see both stars play on both sides “

  • ‘Mein tray le kar khara ho jaoon ga’: Vicky Kaushal refused to purchase expensive bar for wife Katrina Kaif

    Bollywood actor Vicky Kaushal and his iconic wife Katrina Kaif have been serving couple goals since their marriage. Although they are very private, small but significant revelations prove how these two are still head over heels in love with each other.

    According to Indian Express, Kaushal recently gave an interview while promoting his latest film ‘Zara Hatke Zara Bachke’ where he was asked about the dynamics he had with his wife at home. The actor revealed that unlike the ‘Ek Tha Tiger’ diva, he is more careful about spending on luxurious things.

    Kaushal narrated a funny discussion between the two about purchasing furniture. He was shocked by Kaif’s suggestion to buy a very pricey bar:

    “We have a lot of discussions about furniture at home. Like for example, Madam (Katrina) wants to have a bar at home. She sent me the bar she is thinking to buy, I saw that and thought ye bohot mehengi hai, main he tray leke kahada ho jauga but ye nahi aayega. This is worth my signing amount! So I said, no, this can’t happen.”

    A Twitter user shared the clip on their account and we agree with the rest, hum sab aik Vicky Kaushal deserve kartay hain.

    Kaushal was also asked a bizzare question about whether he would divorce Kaif if he found a better looking actress, to which the actor responded:

    “Sir, shaam ko ghar bhi jaana hai, aise tede-mede sawaal puch rahe ho, bachcha hu, abhi bada toh hone do! Itna khatarnaak sawaal pucha hai aapne.”

    After which he paused and said that he would be with Kaif for the next few lifetimes:

    “Sir, janmo-janmo tak.”

  • Prince Harry, Meghan Markle in ‘near catastrophic car chase’ in New York

    Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were in a “near catastrophic car chase at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi” after attending an event in New York, their representatives have said.

    According to People magazine, the spokesperson for the royals revealed that it was the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and Markle’s mother Doria, were being driven back to a friend’s private residence, where they staying during their visit to New York. Along the way, a dozen cars began chasing after them, running over red lights, and trying to take photographs of the couple and Doria in the car.

    “Last night, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Ms. Ragland were involved in a near catastrophic car chase at the hands of a ring of highly aggressive paparazzi. This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers. While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone’s safety.”

    The two were in New York to attend the Ms. Foundation 2023 Women of Vision Awards: Celebrating Generations of Progress and Power at the Zeigfield Ballroom in Manhattan. Markle had been honoured as this year’s Women of Vision Award.

    Prince Harry’s mother, the late Lady Diana, passed away in a car crash in 1997 in Paris, when paparazi were relentlessly chasing after her car.

    In a mental health documentary ‘The Me You Can’t See’ , Harry spoke about how trauma from watching his mother’s death is the reason why he chose to step back from his royal role, to prevent his wife Meghan from going down the same path:

    “My mother was chased to her death when she was in a relationship with someone who wasn’t white, and now look what’s happened. You’re talking about history repeating itself? They’re not going to stop until she dies.”

    It’s incredibly triggering to potentially lose another woman in my life,” Prince Harry added about Meghan.

  • Johnny Depp receives long, standing ovation at Cannes, social media users divided

    Johnny Depp showed up at the Cannes Film Festival a year after a highly publicised court trial with his ex-wife Amber Heard, for the screening of his French period film ‘Jeanne du Barry’, in which he played King Louis XV.

    In a viral clip, the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ actor was seen receiving a thunderous seven minute standing ovation at the premiere of the film.
    Social media users however remained divided on the actor’s comeback.

    Some users were praising how Depp made a powerful comeback after facing years of pushback, being dropped by some major roles, as well as the court trial with his ex-wife Heard, who accused him of domestic abuse and rape.

    Some were enraged at how the prestigious film festival refused to condemn abusers, which lead to the launch of the viral hashtag #cannesyounot, through which Twitter users criticised festival organisers for overlooking allegations of abuse on Depp.

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    In an article posted in ‘Liberation’ newspaper, 123 French film workers had criticised the festival’s decision to invite Depp:

    “By rolling out the red carpet to men and women who commit assaults, the festival demonstrates that violence in creative circles can be exercised with complete impunity,” they wrote.