Aamir Liaquat strikes again. After giving us a glimpse of his dancing skills with the Nagin Dance, the television show host’s singing skills have come into the spotlight after a video of him humming Laila O Laila on the sets of his Ramzan transmission was leaked on social media.
The behind-the-scenes video, which has gone viral on social media, shows Liaquat singing the superhit Bollywood song as the musicians play the music.
Earlier, during this year’s transmission, Aamir also gave memers an opportunity to make new memesby competing in a race with Pakistani star Naseem Hameed, who had won a gold medal at the South Asian Federation Games in 2010.
Liaquat became a member of National Assembly in 2018, after securing a seat from NA-245 Karachi.
While a pandemic rages across the country, our celebrities appear to live in another dimension.
Fahad Mirza recently celebrated his 40th birthday in an extravagant party that saw several celebs including Mirza’s wife Sarwat Gilani, Zeba Bakhtiar, Sheheryar Munawar, Frieha Altaf, and Mansha Pasha in attendance. Besides the birthday celebrations, there was also a qawwali performance by Fareed Ayaz. However, what was missing was social distancing, masks, and other COVID-19 protocols.
Meanwhile, Frieha defended the celebrations, saying “”First of all, it was a very small gathering and it was on an open rooftop it was also Fahad’s 40th birthday. All SOPs were followed, there were masks, temperature checks at the gate and I believe most of the guests already vaccinated or had antibodies,”
Speaking to The Express Tribune, the model-actor said: “The only time anyone took off the mask was to take a picture. I think when people see pictures and videos they end up assuming the worst.”
Riz Ahmed may have lost the Oscar Award for Best Actor to Anthony Hopkins but he walked away with the best red carpet appearance when he took a moment to fix his wife Fatima Farheen Mirza’s hair. Ahmed had revealed in January that he had tied the knot in secret a few months back.
In a video that went viral on social media, the couple can be seen walking in together and as the photographers clicked their pictures, Riz paused for a moment to make sure his wife’s hair looked perfect. Ahmed’s act won the hearts of audiences across the world and they started hailing the couple as “relationship goals”.
The British-Pakistani actor was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar for his role of a drummer who loses his hearing in the Sound of Metal.
In addition to winning hearts with his romantic gesture on the red carpet, Ahmed also made history at this year’s Oscars as the first Muslim nominee in the Best Actor category. He was up against Chadwick Boseman for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Sir Anthony Hopkins for The Father, Gary Oldman for Mank, and Steven Yeun for Minari. Hopkins eventually took home the award.
Meanwhile, Sound of Metal bagged two awards for Best Film Editing and Best Sound.
The 93rd Academy Awards were held on April 25, (April 26 PST) in Los Angeles at multiple locations: Dolby Theatre, where it has been traditionally hosted since 2001, and Union Station. Only the nominees, their guests and the ceremony’s presenters were allowed inside the hall due to coronavirus restrictions.
The event began with a movie-style opening credits sequence, as Regina King strode into the venue clutching a gold statuette.
“Live TV, here we go. Welcome to the 93rd Oscars!” she said. “And, yes, we are doing it maskless… people have been vaxxed, tested, re-tested, socially distanced.”
This year’s Oscars arrived at their Union Station venue two months late due to the pandemic — organisers have said it would have been “impossible” without the delay.
Before the show, stars paused briefly for pictures and socially distanced interviews on what organisers called a “teeny-tiny red carpet.”
An honourary award for the Motion Picture and Television Fund, which has supported struggling actors and crew particularly during the pandemic, was awarded at the Oscars’ traditional Hollywood theater base. Black entertainment mogul Tyler Perry was also honored.
But the bulk of the awards were handed out at the 1930s-built Union Station, chosen for its grand scale and outdoor courtyards, where white tents sheltering everything from Covid testing booths to catering were installed.
“We’re here, isn’t it crazy?” said Ahmed. “Human beings in the flesh!”
While The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences remembered late actors Irrfan Khan, Rishi Kapoor, Sushant Singh Rajput, Chadwick Boseman and other stars in the 93rd Academy Awards.
The late stars were honoured for their services to the cinema industry in the ‘In Memoriam’ sequence during the award show with Stevie Wonder’s song ‘As’ in the background.
Swara Bhasker has thanked Pakistan for showing kindness to India “during this devastating times”.
“Heartening to see Pakistani civil society and social media reach out in solidarity and kindness to India, during this devastating time,” wrote the actor on social media.
She continued: “This despite the fact that our media and mainstream public discourse have consistently mocked and vilified Pakistanis.”
“Thank you for your bada bada dil padosi,” she added.
Heartening to see Pakistani civil society & social media reach out in solidarity & kindness to India, during this devastating time.. this despite the fact that our media & mainstream public discourse have consistently mocked & vilified Pakistanis.. Thank u 4 ur bada dil Padosi 💙
Twitter in Pakistan trended with hashtags showing solidarity to India, which alsomelted Kangana Ranaut’s heart, prompting her to thank Pakistan for extending prayers.
Prime Minister Imran Khan and other cabinet members also extended their prayers for India and Faisal Edhi had also written a letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi offering help in tackling COVID-19 in India.
Atif Aslam also extended his prayers for the neighbouring country.
Praying for #India as the country battles the worst #Covid-19 surge the world has witnessed. Let's all – irrespective of the place we live in – strictly follow the SOPs to avoid further burdening our healthcare systems.#HumanityFirst#PakistanstandswithIndia#indianeedoxygen
India recorded over 350,000 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours ending 8 am Monday, taking the country’s total infections to over 1.73 crores. Of these, over 28 lakh cases are currently active while 1.43 crore people have recovered after testing positive. With 2,812 new fatalities, the death toll is now over 1.95 lakh, The Indian Express has reported.
As per Indian media reports, from the first wave of COVID-19, the demand for medical oxygen had increased from 700 metric tonnes per day to 2,800 metric tonnes per day. However, in the past few days, the demand has reached nearly 5,000 metric tonnes per day.
Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut has made headlines every now and then. Apart from her argument on nepotism, the actress has also been very vocal about her dislike of Pakistan. However, as Twitter in Pakistan trends with hashtags showing solidarity to India, Kangana’s heart, too, turned soft. But she was still misinformed about one detail.
Taking to Twitter, Kangana wrote: “Heartwarming to see top trend from Pakistan #PakistanstandswithIndia. Narendra Modi provided the country with the vaccine. Nice to see them appreciate his kindness and reciprocate with love. We too acknowledge their empathy in these testing times.” But the actress was misinformed about the vaccine available in Pakistan.
Pakistan is currently administering Sinopharm and Sputnik, which have been sent from China and Russia, respectively. Some users also clarified that the vaccines in Pakistan were not supplied to them by India.
As of Saturday, the coronavirus death toll in India stood at 1,66,10,481 with 2,624 fatalities reported in 24 hours, out of which Maharashtra saw the maximum casualties (773) followed by Delhi with 348 daily deaths, reported the Hindustan Times.
People across the country are scrambling for life-saving oxygen supplies, while patients lay dying outside hospitals. There is a shortage of life-saving medicines and hospital beds too.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan has also expressed solidarity for the people of India in the current wave of COVID-19.
Yasir Hussain has highlighted the plight of Ainak Wala Jinn cast and has requested Prime Minister Imran Khan to help them amidst the ongoing debate on royalties.
Sharing a photo of PM Khan with Ainak Wala Jinn’s cast, Hussain drew attention towards the financial troubles these icons have had to undergo since the 90s comedy show ended years ago. The purpose was to add onto the nationwide movement backed by showbiz personalities to be paid royalties for their work and serials that are re-run repeatedly.
Hussain also mentioned how gruesome it has been for the cast to find suitable roles after Ainak Wala Jinn.
“Did you know that the cast of Ainak Wala Jinn was never cast for any other drama? Some of them died of hunger while others are hardly surviving on charity,” lamented Hussain.
The actor also reminded the PM how these actors are the sole reason why he could build all the hospitals he has so far.
“[PM] Imran Khan, these people have supported you from the days when you placed the first brick of your hospital to the beginning of your political journey,” Hussain asserted, adding that our government needs to offer help to veteran artists and have mercy on those who have been part of our showbiz for generations.
Ainak Wala Jinn was one of the biggest serials that children grew up watching on PTV for years. The show continued for four seasons with the same cast as. Be it Zakota Jinn or Bil Batori, the dialogues are still remembered till this date with many in their homes mimicking their favourite characters.
This is not the first time that Hussain has raised his voice in support of senior artists. He was also among the first Pakistani celebrities, who spoke in support of Naila Jaffery and urged the government to help the ailing actress.
Nabeel Qureshi has revealed that his upcoming project Khel Khel Mein featuring Bilal Abbas Khan and Sajal Aly will be a historical drama.
Responding to a follower during a question & answer session on Instagram, Qureshi revealed that Khel Khel Mein is “something different from my previous movies” and will be a historical drama.
Responding to other questions related to the lead pair, Qureshi shared that he had an amazing experience working with Khan and that Sajal was his first choice for the film.
Meanwhile, other details about the new project have been kept tightly under wraps and are limited. The actors had earlier expressed their excitement over the film while announcing the news on social media.
“Bismillah,” Sajal had said while sharing a picture of the script, while Bilal had said: “Working with the finest producer/director duo in the country for the first time. Iss baar milte hain theatre mei.”
Speaking about Mahira Khan and Fahad Mustafa’s Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad that was expected to hit cinemas on Eid ul Azha 2020, Qureshi shared that he plans to release the film this year.
Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad has been directed by Nabeel and produced by Fizza Ali Meerza. A teaser for the film had also been released earlier.
Qureshi also mentioned that there are two upcoming movies that are pending for release.
Love triangles and cheating husbands are not new to Pakistani television. I have seen at least one if not more dramas on the subject and they have pretty much been done to death. Fitoor, which airs on Geo Entertainment, is the latest love triangle on the block with our hero oscillating between two women: one his wife and the other his pehli mohabbat (first love). He is unable to make a decision or decide who he wants to spend his life with. In this review, I try to break down whether our hero is confused and masoom or if he’s simply being unfaithful and enjoying the attention of both the women in his life.
Haider (Faysal Quraishi) was (or is) in love with his cousin Mehmal (Kiran Haq) since the two were young and Haider was poor. However, Mehmal, who wanted a better life (read money) ditched him and got married to her other cousin Ansab (Tipu Sharif), a well-off man with many indulgences including women and alcohol. From the beginning, Ansab made it clear that he was not going to change his ways. Haider is heartbroken with Mehmal’s bewafai and doesn’t get married focusing all his energies on building his business and becoming rich.
He has a chance encounter with Dilnasheen (Hiba Bukhari) at a wedding and falls for her and soon the two get married. Now that Haider is rich and married, Mehmal starts feeling insecure and regretting her decision so she leaves her husband and settles into Haider’s house with her young daughter.
She continues to make advances on Haider, who makes half-hearted attempts to tell her off but Mehmal is persistent. When Haider’s mother (Ismat Zaidi) realises what is happening, she throws Mehmal out of the house. However, Mehmal spins this around and gains Haider’s sympathies. Instead of taking her back home to face the wrath of his mother, Haider books Mehmal into a hotel under the name of Mr and Mrs Haider Salman. Not only that, but he also spends a substantial amount of his day with her in the hotel.
While initially, we gave Haider the benefit of doubt, understanding that Mehmal was his first love and it is hard for him to get over her, we have now had enough. Haider is simply not making a decision or taking a stand but is instead yo-yoing between the two women. He spends his mornings with Mehmal, allowing her to fawn over him, and in the evening he goes home and gets cosy with his wife who is spending all her energies trying to win his heart.
Haider has also saved Mehmal’s name as Muneer on his phone and one wonders why he needs to do that unless he is hiding something. Besides, he also lied to Mehmal telling her that his phone’s battery was dead when in fact he was sharing a romantic moment with his wife. By doing this he is leading Mehmal on and giving her hope instead of drawing the line.
In the latest episode, Dilnasheen catches Haider having lunch with Mehmal at the hotel and decides she has had enough. She leaves and goes back to her mother’s house. The scene that plays out at her mother’s house is disappointing, to say the least. Dilnasheen’s mother (Saba Faisal) not only justifies Haider’s behaviour but also tells her to accept it and try to win Haider’s heart. On the other hand, Dilnasheen’s brother Yawar (Kamran Jilani) blames the entire situation on her, telling her that she still harbours feelings for her ex-boyfriend Hamza (Wahaj Ali) and has not accepted Haider as her husband.
Mehmal’s damsel in distress act and reluctance to go back to her husband is also getting tiring and one wishes that Haider would stop constantly trying to be the knight in shining armour for her. At this point, it’s getting a little hard to believe that Haider is confused. He knows exactly what he is doing but is continuing to do so under the act of being caring and supportive towards his “yateem” cousin. So unless he pulls his act together, he’s going to get the label of a ‘cheating husband’.
While Fitoor may seem typical on the surface, it is saved by great performances. Each actor has slid perfectly into their roles, giving solid performances. We may hate Haider but we are thoroughly enjoying Faysal’s performance. The writing is strong in most places as is the direction. The production value is a little weak with jumps in many scenes and Dilnasheen terribly needs a good stylist – the flowy clothes and hair are doing her no good. Especially when Mehmal’s outfits ooze glamour. Quraishi’s makeup is also terrible, making him look older and plastic in some places.
Written by Zanjabeel Asim and directed by Siraj ul Haq, Fitoor airs every Thursday on Geo Entertainment.
Mariyam Nafees wants people to normalise not pretending to fast when you are not.
“Brothers, don’t ask a sister why she’s not fasting,” wrote the actor on social media. “In fact, don’t ask anybody who’s not fasting why they’re not fasting.”
Taking a dig at the moral bigrade, Nafees said: “Apne rozay pe dihaan do bhai. Ajeeb!”
“Go offer your prayers instead,” she added. Nafees also used the hashtag ‘#RozayKeThaikedaar’ to assert her point.
• Brothers, don’t ask a sister why she’s not fasting. In fact, don’t ask anybody who’s not fasting why they’re not fasting. Apne rozay pe dihaan do Bhai. Ajeeb! Go offer your prayers instead.
Hania Aamir, who has often opened up about her fears and insecurities, has penned yet another heartfelt note about her struggles saying that she doesn’t want to be a star who is unapproachable.
Expressing her thoughts on social media, Hania said: “When I took this picture, I was completely shattered inside. I would recite the kalma all the time hoping Allah would give me sabr to deal with the hurt I was feeling. Tears were ready to stream even in this picture and I was keeping it together as a front.”
“I know I express too much on Instagram and let you guys in on what a part of my private life is about but just bear with it because I feel this is how it should be,” she added.
The actor further said: “I don’t think I’m from a generation that believes a celebrity needs to be ‘unapproachable’ to be a star! Actually the quite opposite.”
Explaining her words, Hania said: “A star in my eyes is the one who is compassionate and vulnerable and scared and emotional and brave and knows what being famous means. Someone who knows the importance of their platform, someone who appreciates their followers their blessings and knows the fact that they can use their voice and influence lives for the better.”
“That’s the star I want to be,” she added, urging everyone to be kind to those around them and “most importantly, be kind to your own selves.”
Earlier, Hania had written a detailed note on the importance of self-love and urged people to be kind to each other and accept difference of opinion.
“I pride myself on being the person that I am today,” Hania had said. “Yes, I make the most of each day. Yes, I speak my mind. Yes, you might think I’m too much. I am. I am all of these things. I am extra. Extra. I love more. Laugh more. Feel more. Every emotion is heightened and that is the person that I am.”
