Current Final

Category: Entertainment

  • ‘Crash Course in Romance’ should be on your watch list and here’s why!

    ‘Crash Course in Romance’ should be on your watch list and here’s why!

    At a time when both Bollywood and Lollywood seem to be contesting to out cringe the other by producing the most awkward movies anyone has ever seen, we’re here to provide you a K-drama recommendation that is currently among the top ten most popular shows on Netflix. Take a step back from the saas-bahu kay jhagray, the satti savitri verses the slutty savitri trope and take a deep dive with us in to this enemies to lovers K-drama that revolves around a blossoming relationship between a celebrity math teacher and a single mother.


    1 Food as a love language

    If you’re a food lover, and want to escape from reality to take a deep dive in to a different culture worlds, then this is the perfect show. The central bond that keeps the main characters together is their love for food. This is what has helped K-dramas establish their own space, an emphasis on how love can be found in the most simple things, like making food for someone. We have two broken characters who have suffered hardships because of finances, poor mental health and poverty, learn to come close to one another because of their shared love for a particular dish.

    2 The greenest of green flag enemies to lovers story out there.

    Unlike Pakistani dramas where apparently enemies to lovers means adding aik kilo badtameezi and do chamach thappar to make the most recoiling drama ever, K-dramas have been lauded for championing unproblematic, wholesome male leads who respect and empower the women around them. Choi Chi-Yeol is a celebrity math professor whose in popular demand among students all across Korea to ace math in high school, however his crippling anxiety and depression is giving him insomnia and an eating disorder. However, when he crosses paths with Haeng-Seon, a hard working single mother who runs a cafe to support her daughter’s education, they both help each other overcome their trauma and soon start falling for each other.

    3 Explores the cut-throat competition within private schools and mental health struggles of students

    Aside from the comedy and the light-hearted banter between the main leads, the show is not afraid to address the practice of private schooling, and how the mental health of students is impacted as they compete for the best grades and colleges. The drama is set in the backdrop of the upcoming CSATs in Korea, and how students are pressurized by their parents and teachers to work hard everyday to get the best results. Mostly, the show also reflects how the privilege’s of good education comes at a high cost, with the struggles of Nam Haeyi, who comes from a working class background, and struggles to get good grades like the rest of her peers because she is unable to afford expensive private tuitions offered by academies after school.

    4 Wholesome supporting characters

    One of the most endearing tropes that have kept setting k-dramas apart from any other form of entertainment is the emphasis over found families, that as we grow old we can pick and choose our own family members, rather than the ones we are linked to by blood. In this show, aside from the male leads, side characters like Haeng-Seon’s autistic brother Jae-Woo, are fleshed out to provide more depth to the story, and especially with the way he forms a bond with loner characters like Chi-Yeol, to help him learn about the bond of family for the first time.

    Crash Course in Romance plays every Saturday and Sunday on 8 pm on Netflix.

  • ‘Kuch Ankahi’ is the fresh breath of air the entertainment industry needed

    ‘Kuch Ankahi’ is the fresh breath of air the entertainment industry needed

    It isn’t an easy task to find authentic representation of women’s stories in Pakistani dramas. Limited creative freedom to explore sensitive social issues and a refusal by most script writers to recognize that making stories interesting with misogynist tropes won’t work is to blame. But Kuch Ankahi is a wonderful welcome for audiences craving good story telling. A slice of life centered around a family in Karachi where three sisters navigate their way through body shaming, pressure to marry, career ambitions and supporting each other thick and thin. There are multiple reasons why you should include this drama in your to-watch list right away!

    1 The similarity to the golden age of PTV dramas

    Many users have praised the show’s use of warm tones and feminist narratives that reflect some of the 80s and 90s classics on PTV like Tanhaiyaan, Dhoop Kinaray and Ankahi, which were written by Haseena Moin and featured strong women with incredible stories.

    2. Rejecting traditional masculinity

    Unlike how recent Pakistani dramas have championed toxic masculinity by romanticizing abusive relationships and toxic men, Kuch Ankahi depicts a world where men and women can exist in harmony. Men are shown doing basic chores, developing close friendships with women and even motivating them to pursue their dreams without adding a romantic element to it, because yes men and women can be platonic friends. The most wholesome example of this has to be the father Agha Jee, who is more than a best friend to his daughters and is quick to remind any man that his daughters are stronger than him.

    3. The subtle, yet powerful way the drama champions original storytelling

    In an industry where the popularity of a drama depends on following a repeated formulae, and consistently re-using misogynist tropes like the virgin and the whore, the gold digger, or the shallow man-hating feminist, Kuch Ankahi has carved its own space by encouraging audiences, especially the entertainment industry, to respect original story telling, and stop shutting out marginalized voices who deserve platforms for representation. A powerful scene that had circulated widely on social media showed a poster of the film Joyland hanging on a wall. Joyland was censored and widely criticized among conservative critics for featuring a relationship between a transgender woman and a man, but in this moment the drama sent out a solidarity note to storytellers in Pakistan who wanted to bring different perspectives to the screen but were denied the right to do so.

    4 Tackling social issues like body shaming, marriage pressure or women’s access to social media

    In the past shows like Dil Na Umeed To Nahi were sent notices by PEMRA for changing their content material, as the show tackled the lives of child sex workers and human trafficking. Kuch Ankahi refuses to back away from highlighting the pressures and stigma women face and executes them in a gentle but brilliant manner. Take for instance Parmeesh, the daughter of the Hindu woman Meena, who loves making videos on Tik Tok but is barred from using a mobile phone after her mother discovers her videos. Or Saima, the eldest daughter, who is consistently pressurized by her mother to marry Saif-ur-Rehman.

    5 Side characters aren’t just props, but are fleshed out with their own storyline

    Pakistani dramas usually categorize characters as either black or white, and keep characters other than the main leads to the background. In Kuch Ankahi, each character is fleshed out with their own background and original purpose, rather than becoming just another prop to the main character’s journey. An interesting example of this could be Saif-ul-Rehman, the man Saima is suppose to marry. Like a lot of sons, he is being forced by his mother to marry of her choice when he actually wishes to marry someone else.

    Kuch Ankahi airs every Saturday on 8 pm on ARY digital.

  • Netflix shares full list of globally trending shows and movies

    Netflix reveals the list of the top 25 movies and series trending globally.

    Here’s the list of the top 25 trending movies and series:

    Movies:

    1. Viking Wolf
    2. You People
    3. True Spirit
    4. Pamela, A Love Story
    5. Infiesto
    6. Bloodshot
    7. Sniper: Ghost Shooter
    8. The Hurricane Heist
    9. Vadh
    10. Nobody
    11. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
    12. An Action Hero
    13. Spider-Man: No Way Home
    14. F9
    15. The Prince & Me
    16. Narvik
    17. Mission Majnu
    18. Let Him Go
    19. Sniper: Ultimate Kill
    20. The Throwaways
    21. Last Seen Alive
    22. The Nanny Diaries
    23. All Quiet on the Western Front
    24. Raangi
    25. Crisis

    Series:

    1. Ginny & Georgia
    2. La chica de nieve
    3. Wednesday
    4. Lockwood & Co.
    5. Physical: 100
    6. Alchemy of Souls
    7. La Reina del Sur
    8. Til Money Do Us Part
    9. Vikings: Valhalla
    10. Crash Course In Romance
    11. Class
    12. Cunk on Earth
    13. Fauda
    14. The Unbroken Voice
    15. Chainsaw Man
    16. Freeridge
    17. Şahmaran
    18. Les Combattantes
    19. Pablo Escobar, The Drug Lord
    20. The Interest of Love
    21. Record of Ragnarok
    22. Café con aroma de mujer
    23. The Glory
    24. Kings of Jo’Burg
    25. Gunther’s Millions 
  • Gul-e-Rana, Nabeel Qureshi, Hira Mani and Mani attacked and robbed by mob while shooting in Karachi

    Gul-e-Rana, Nabeel Qureshi, Hira Mani and Mani attacked and robbed by mob while shooting in Karachi

    Film director Nabeel Qureshi took to Twitter to share that while shooting a scene near Jamsheed Quaters Martin Road in Karachi, they were attacked and robbed by a mob who stole their phones and equipment. Among the crew were veteran actress Gul-e-Rana, Hira Mani and her husband Mani.

    “We have been attacked by mob in PIB colony/ jamsheed quater martin road during shoot they got into the house we were shooting a hundred people they harassed women, beat the shit out of crew, stole mobiles, equipment.”

    The director went on to share that the actors were currently at the PIB police station to report all of their missing items. He further went on to demand that the Sindh Police take strict action, and also reached out to fellow actors to raise awareness about proper security.
    “We are sitting here in PIB police station, they attacked like anything honestly this never happened before in karachi, they were equipped with weapons, they stole mobiles wallet they do not care about ladies they raise their hands etc.”

    He continued by asking that Sindh Police and Sindh Rangers “take strict action against these ppl, to make example out of it @ManiSalmanKhi@HiraMani_real i request to my fraternity all the actors producers to make sure that this shouldn’t happened again to any of us!”

    “We are sitting here in PIB police station, they attacked like anything honestly this never happened before in karachi, they were equipped with weapons, they stole mobiles wallet they do not care about ladies they raise their hands etc.”

    “We want #sindhpolice & #sindhrangers to take strict action against these ppl, to make example out of it @ManiSalmanKhi@HiraMani_real i request to my fraternity all the actors producers to make sure that this shouldn’t happened again to any of us!”

    Other actors like Falak Shahzad Khan, who was also present at the scene of the crime, shared Qureshi’s post on Instagram, and said that he was attacked by the mob, along with Gul-e-Rana and Hira Mani.
    “We were at the shoot. …they attacked on the team. Got into the house.”

    Hira Mani also addressed the incident on Instagram, saying that it was an unfortunate incident to witness. She further wrote that she was grateful for her team members for fighting against the culprits.

    ‘It was a very unfortunate incident to witness today and I wish and pray no one faces that ever in their life.

    I want to thank my team members who fought till their last with the culprits to save us and are very bad condition in the hospital right now.

    Please take a moment to pray for their speedy recovery.”

    Other actors like Ahsan Khan and Mahira Khan have reached out to send their solidarity to the actors.

    Taking to his Instagram page, Ahsan Khan called for law enforcement to take swift action against the group that was responsible for attacking the crew.

    “In these days and times security is a must for areas like Jamsheed Quaters. I demand the law enforcement agencies to take swift action in this regard and bring the people responsible for this cowardly act to justice! What happened with Nabeel and his team is not ok and we should stand up for them!”

    Actor Mahira Khan had shared Nabeel’s post, and in the tweet she demanded authorities to investigate the perpetuators behind this incident.

    “I don’t believe this!! Who is responsible ? Who will answer for this?”

  • ‘Hum 2 Humaray 100’ dedicated an episode to teaching children about consent

    ‘Hum 2 Humaray 100’ dedicated an episode to teaching children about consent

    At a time when television is littered with misogyny and misrepresentation of women and their issues, it is heart warming to witness shows like ‘Hum 2 Hamaray 100’ take the lead in creating awareness about social issues.
    The show recently broadcast a poignant scene where they recognized the rights and responsilibities of children in Pakistan.
    A grown adult sits down with children in a room and teaches them about the good touch/ bad touch concept. She explains to the children that if any adult, aside from their parents touches them without their consent and makes them feel uncomfortable, then they must immediately tell their parents.
    The writer, Syed Zain Raza, shared the clip on his Instagram account, and in the caption he wrote that because of a rise in rape and sexual assualt cases in Pakistan, he felt it was necessary to teach children about body autonomy and learning to say ‘no’.

    “GOOD TOUCH / BAD TOUCH

    In this episode of Hum 2 Humaray 100 we tried to talk about an extremely important topic that is more prevalent than ever, but we rarely see conversations around it. Our children are unsafe in parks, schools, neighbourhoods, transit, and sometimes even their homes. This is why they need to know about good touch and bad touch. They need to know when they are in danger.

    If we don’t have these conversations with them in a positive way, then someone else will have them in a negative way. Children should be taught about bodily autonomy and what to do if they feel threatened, scared, and uncomfortable around an adult. They need to be told that they will not get in trouble for telling their parents and that it is never their fault.

    I was really glad that the channel allowed us to talk about this sensitive topic without any censoring and/or dictations. And most importantly, thank you to my director @angelinemalikofficial who allowed me to go ahead and write about all these topics with her full support! It is a boon to have a progressive and woke director in a time like this.”

    In the comments section, social media users applauded the show runners for addressing a sensitive topic in a gentle and uncensored manner, which would help more parents and children watching this show learn how to communicate with each other regarding matters of bodily autonomy.

    Activist and makeup artist Leena Ghani praised the writer for bringing such an important topic to mainstream channels and dealing with it in a sensitive way.

    “Such an important conversation about consent and done with so much sensitivity and care. Well done Zain. This is the kind of content and awareness we need,” she wrote.

    Another user recalled the impact this scene had on her mother, that she went on to give the same guidance about consent to her neices.
    “Mother was watching this scene on TV and it impacted her so much that right after that when nieces came she needed to explain this to them. Quite powerful “

  • In its first episode, Sar-e-Rah salutes female taxi drivers

    In its first episode, Sar-e-Rah salutes female taxi drivers

    Pakistani dramas aren’t the first place to turn to if we happen to be looking for entertainment, but it seems like the tide is finally turning. After the ever popular Kuch Ankahi, ARY’s new drama Sar-e-Rah, is exploring the issues faced by women in this society. In its first episode it welcomes female taxi drivers to public spaces.


    The drama explores the lives of four women and an intersex man, and the struggles they face in society. This episode opens with the life of Rabia, a woman who has been waiting for five years for her aunt and fiance Faraz to finalize her wedding date. When her father, the head of the family, suddenly has a heart attack and it begins impacting the family’s household expenditure, Rabia decides to follow his footsteps to become a taxi driver.


    The episode wasn’t afraid to explore the kind of push back and harassment women face at the hands of men when they venture in to public spaces. In one scene, a customer arrives as Rabia’s car and notices that a woman driving . He starts exclaiming “God’s wrath is upon us!” and walks away muttering that this was a sign of the Day of Judgement. Rabia’s family members, especially her fiance, taunt her with the age-old saying ‘Log Kya Kahengee’ if a woman is boldly stepping out in the streets to make an earning. To whom Rabia gives a powerful response by reminding them that no one is more honorable than a woman who chooses to look after her family by making an earning.

    Twitter users are already fans of Saba Qamar’s powerful acting, calling it a well needed show that has arrived at the right time.
    “I’m very excited about Sar e Rah and the engaging, progressive and uplifting narrative it has taken off with. So many issues are being addressed in a natural and (so far) non preachy or patronising way. Can’t wait for the next episode,” wrote drama critic Aamna Isani.

    “Such a unique & powerful concept. This show is giving OG Pakistani show’ vibe . Hats off to #SabaQamar for always trying to do something different,” another user wrote.

    Users especially showered praises on a powerful scene where a customer guides Qamar’s character to never be afraid to charge her customers the price she deserves, and also reminds her to keep her confidence strong and stare back at the same men leering at her.

    We had been waiting for a long time to see Pakistani dramas get on with the times and start wriiting stories that reflected the lives and struggles of women in Pakistan, and it seems like that time has arrived. The drama is a breath of fresh air for welcoming female taxi drivers in to the public sphere, and we are anticipating how it will play out in the next few episodes!

  • What is the one piece of advice Shah Rukh Khan always gives his kids?

    What is the one piece of advice Shah Rukh Khan always gives his kids?

    Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan held yet another round of #AskSRK on Twitter where among many hilarious questions was one about his relationship with his children.
    SRK has always been open about how protective he is towards his children. In an interview with David Letterman, he revealed that he made sure to spend a lot of time with them.

    ‘If there is one thing I hold against my parents, it’s that they didn’t spend a lot of time with me. Now as a father, I want to be there for my kids as much as possible. That I am going to make sure that I live very long, and I make sure that I keep on living with my kids and never let them feel they don’t have a parent. So any given moment I spend with them, I study with them, I sleep with them, I chat with them, I sort out all their problems, and I hate it when they have boyfriend girlfriend problems.”

    On Twitter when a fan asked Khan about the advice that he would always provide to his children, he replied:

    ‘The journey is important…the end is not.”

    Aside from this, there were also many humorous moments during the #asksrk session, we have provided some of our favorite below

  • Illegal screening of ‘Pathaan’ in Karachi cancelled

    Illegal screening of ‘Pathaan’ in Karachi cancelled

    A film screening of Bollywood’s smash hit Pathaan organized by Firework Events in DHA, Karachi has been cancelled.
    The event was gaining traction on social media with many lining up to buy tickets.

    However, the Sindh Board of Film Censors issued a statement calling for the screening to be banned, stating that only films approved by the board are allowed to be played in public or private cinemas.
    “No person shall make or arrange a public or private exhibition of a film by means of cinematograph unless the film has been duly certified for public exhibition by the Board.”
    The Censor Board also cited laws that include imprisonment of up to 3 years along with a fine of up to Rs 100,000. SBFC demanded that Firework Events cancel the screening of the film.

  • Netflix releases trailer for ‘The Romantics’, celebrating Yash Chopra’s legacy

    Netflix releases trailer for ‘The Romantics’, celebrating Yash Chopra’s legacy

    Netflix dropped the trailer for the upcoming documentary ‘The Romantics’, a film about the legacy of legendary director Yash Chopra, maker of some of Bollywood’s most critically acclaimed films like ‘Silsila’, ‘Chabdni’ and ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayienge’.


    Chopra, called the ‘Father of Romance’ for his penchant for love stories, died in 2012 at the age of 80.

    The documentary is a four part series which will interview three generations of actors such as Amitabh Bachchan, the late Rishi Kapoor, Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol, who will talk about their experience of working with Chopra, and how he helped them gain stardom and success in Bollywood.


    This will also be the first time Chopra’s son, Producer Aditya Chopra will be present for an interview, after refusing to come on camera for 20 years.


    Directed by Smitri Mundhra, the documentary shall release on Netflix platforms on 14th Feb.

    Watch the trailer here.

  • ‘My life, my choice’; Maria Wasti opens up about her leaked pictures controversy

    ‘My life, my choice’; Maria Wasti opens up about her leaked pictures controversy

    Years after private photos of Maria Wasti were leaked online, the actor has talked about the scandal that followed on Nadir Ali’s podcast.

    Wasti opened up about how her’s and Ayesha Omer’s photos in swimsuits at a vacation were leaked online. She said that there wasn’t any way people could ensure their personal photos weren’t leaked to the public.
    “These were some personal pictures, and this happened a long time ago when there wasn’t much awareness of privacy settings. But it was someone who was Ayesha’s personal friend, who had leaked our pictures to the press. It was sad that it happened.’


    Wasti defended her choice to wear a bikini back then, saying that she won’t apologize for wearing clothes of her choice. The actress also revealed that she received a lot of negative comments on social media over her photos, but she chooses not to let it effect her.
    “My life, my choice…Yes people did troll me. I do intend to check who is criticizing and what are they saying. I make sure what words I should be effected by and what I shouldn’t. Again that’s your own choice. I was not happy about it, because it was stealing my personal pictures or personal life that you hadn’t shown to the media. So it shouldn’t be done, but it happened.’

    Listen to the whole interview below: