To celebrate one year of her YouTube channel and her birthday, Saba Qamar has released a new songChingariyan in collaboration with Mustafa Zahid and Emmad Irfani.
“Celebrating the first year anniversary of my YouTube channel and my birthday with the release of an episode very close to my heart,” said Saba, while sharing a clip from the song.
“I’ve put my sweat, blood, heart and soul into this project, I really hope that this story connects with you all exactly like I felt it while doing this because ‘Life goes on’,” she said further.
The actor also thanked her “two favorite people for making my dream project come to life”.
“This was not possible without Mustafa Zahid and Emmad Irfani,” said Saba.
Chingariyan, which has mostly been shot underwater, features Saba and Emaad. It has been composed by Saad Sultan and Zahid, while the lyrics have been penned by Shakeel Sohail, Mustafa Zahid, Ali Aftab and Saad Sultan.
Saba launched her YouTube channel last year during the COVID-19 lockdown with an episode on isolation. Titled Isolation, the episode followed the actor as she embraced her loneliness. She narrated her feelings as she walked around the house and raised some thought-provoking questions.
Meanwhile, Saba recently also called it off with Azeem Khan due to “personal reasons,” just a week after announcing that she is getting married to him.
Yasir Hussain, Mikaal Zulfiqar, Ayesha Omar and Sabeeka Imam have stepped forward and raised their voice for veteran actress Naila Jaffery, who is currently battling ovarian cancer.
“TV walo yeh aap ki hi aik sathi adakara hain. Aur yeh apna haq mang rahi hain. imdad nahi,” wrote Yasir Hussain on social media.
The actor further said: “Fellow actor Naila Jaffery ki halat dekhny k baad bhi hum kehty hain k hamen khuda ka khouf hai aur hum aakharat se darty hain.”
“Ramzan main chanda aur signal pai bheek dene se kuch nahi ho ga. Hamen haq dena ho ga,” he added.
“It’s really time to take a stand on this,” said Mikaal sharing Yasir’s story. It is pertinent to add here that the Durre Shehwar actor has previously also demanded TV channels to pay actors for reruns.
Voicing her support, Ayesha Omar said: “Heartbreaking to see yet another senior actor and someone who has given so much to our industry suffering and reminding the government/industry giants about their due rights.”
Omar further added: “She’s absolutely right. Senior actors, especially those who don’t have family support and are undergoing long term treatments should be given royalties and financial support, if not all.
Sharing the video of Jaffri’s appeal, Sabeeka Imam wrote: “This is so heartbreaking.”
“I have worked with her and she is the sweetest person. Dear channel owners, please have it in your hearts to at least give her what she’s due,” said the model, adding: “I am certain Allah will reward you with more! Love you Naila Jee.”
This is so heartbreaking. I have worked with her and she is the sweetest person. Dear channel owners, please have it in your hearts to atleast give her what she's due. I am certain Allah will reward you with more!!! LOVE YOU NAILA JEE!!! ❤ https://t.co/2aJOFZlYog
Ushna Shah also took to her twitter and said: “Royalties are meant to feed artists for life but in PK we are heartbreakingly forsaken. #NailaJafri shouldn’t have had to publicly request for what is hers on her cancer bed. Many artists have relied on the kindness of samaritan fans once their distress was made public.”
In another tweet, she wrote: “Artists deserve a royalties for their art, a retirement plan, a union, an insurance for difficult times, a dignified pension, like every other hardworking person on this planet.”
In her appeal video, Naila had requested for compensation of her re-broadcasted dramas on PTV.
“For the last six years, I [have been tied to] hospitals, as well as illness and cancer,” said the veteran actor. “I have also not had my second round of chemo either because of persistent infection and during this time I wondered: ‘What if the government lends a hand in this? What if they set up some policies for older people from the arts and sports sector?’.”
She further said: “When I initially joined PTV, I would get royalties for re-run shows and while that amount was nowhere near enough, it was still something and I liked having a stream of disposable income on the side.”
“I have been confined to a hospital bed for six years now and while everyone has supported me, loved me, helped me, and motivated me I wish there was some way to gain royalties on some of my last re-run plays,” said the actor. “Though I understand that it might not look like a lot to many people, for people like me who stopped working years ago, this support becomes important.”
“I request and demand that something is done for senior artists in the future since it’s become harder and harder for us to manage,” requested Naila.
Later in the day, Yasir shared that someone reached out to him in order to the help the veteran actor.
“Zindagi mai pehli bar laga hai k social media ka kuch faida hai,” said Yasir. “Naila Jaffery jee k baray mai meri Insta story dekh k aik farishty ki call aai and now they are connected.”
“Alhamdulillah is mulk main bohot achy log bhi hain,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Sindh Government has announced that they will bear all medical expenses of the actor.
As per details, Sindh Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Antiquities Sardar Ali Shah, in a statement, said that his department would bear all treatment expenses of Jaffery.
Sardar Shah on Twitter announced that his department would bear all treatment expenses of Naila Jaffery. He said in his tweet: “Culture department will happily bear all her expenses .. can anyone share her contact number?
Culture department will happily bear all her expenses .. can anyone share her contact number?
In another Instagram story, Yasir said: “Shukria un tamam logoon ka jinhoon ney yeah royalty ka system iss mulk sey khatam kia warna aaj koi bhi fankar yeah bat na kar raha hota.”
Saba Qamar has ended up on the moral brigade’s radar after pictures from her birthday celebrations went viral on social media. Saba, who wore a blue off-shoulder dress to her party, has irked some social media users who then harshly criticised the actor for her choice of outfit.
While Saba did not bother with the trolls, Zoya Nasir, who is very vocal about her opinions, shut them down, saying: “These are the same men (and women) who, if run into Saba Qamar, would shamelessly beg for a selfie with her and would take pride in showing to their peers that they had the honour of meeting her.”
Zoya, who is often at the receiving end of criticism for her outfit and life choices, earlier also defended a bride after former actor Noor Bukhari criticised her outfit on her wedding day.
Saba Qamar celebrated her birthday Sunday night in Lahore with her closest friends and family in an intimate birthday bash. Celebrities spotted at the event included Bilal Saeed and Ali Azmat and model Aimal Khan.
Check out pictures from the event below:
The birthday girl looked lovely in a fitted blue dress with a pink pout.
Saba, who has a string of releases lined up for the coming year, last week announcedthat she has called it off with Azeem Khan due to “personal reasons,” just a week after she had shared that she was getting married soon.
Renowned Indian sculptor Manjit Singh Gill has paid homage to Pakistan’s legendary singer Shaukat Ali with a big sculpture. Ali passed away on April 2 in Lahore.
According to a report in the Indian Express, Gill’s artwork was installed at a park in Ghal Kalan village. The report added that India’s Punjab also grieved Ali’s death.
Speaking to the publication, Ali’s son Imran Ali said that the singer was battling liver cirrhosis for more than a year and was being treated for it.
“He had recovered but four months back [but] his condition deteriorated again and his liver stopped working completely,” said Imran.
Ali sang his first song Pagdi Utaar Chora in 1962 and received a silver jubilee award for it.
Meanwhile, Gill is renowned for his statues worldwide. Previously, he made a sculpture of philanthropist and humanitarian Abdul Sattar Edhi and Punjabi poet Bashir Husain Najmi, more popularly known as Baba Najmi.
To meet the ever-growing demand for new and fresh content, Netflix has started bringing in pre-streaming platforms and classic films, giving older people a chance to revisit their teenage years and youngsters a glimpse into how films were before the smartphone took over. This week Amanda Bynes and Colin Firth’s What a Girl Wants hit Netflix and the film is already trending on number seven in Pakistan.
The premise of What a Girl Wants is as simple. A young teenager Daphne (Bynes) living in New York with her single mother, on her 17th birthday decides that she is done waiting for her father to come, so she decides to fly across the Atlantic to London to find her father Lord Henry Dashwood (Firth). Her parents had been pulled apart before her birth by external forces and Henry had no idea that he had fathered a child. Naturally, when Daphne turns up on his doorstep, he is shocked and turns her away – more so at the behest of his evil fiancée Glynis – but Daphne’s grandmother takes her in. Over the course of the film, the father-daughter get to know each other, realising how similar they actually are. And as Henry put it, they both have the same eyes.
What a Girl Wants is warm, fuzzy and strikes all the right chords. The film will instantly make you want to give your father a hug and cherish your relationship with him. It has all the qualities of a feel-good movie but the cherry on top is Firth’s performance. The English actor may be more popular for his role as Mr Darcy in Bridget Jones Diary or as King George VI in The King’s Speech, but his performance in What a Girl Wants will tug at your heartstrings.
Firth is perfect as Lord Dashwood, a man who put forward his duties above his own feelings. He is endearing yet aristocratic at the same time and looks like an absolute dream. The way Firth plays with the character as it evolves is noteworthy. My favourite scene has to be the one on which he speeds away in an “indecorous” fashion with Daphne on a motorbike in a bid to evade the paparazzi.
Firth also shares great chemistry with Bynes which is also one of the reasons why the film manages to keep audiences entertained throughout the film.
What a Girl Wants is easy, charming and will give you a good laugh during this dark, pandemic-striken time.
Speaking to a local magazine, Zaidi shared that before her divorce, she requested her husband to leave their house as their children were growing up but he refused because the other woman had told him to end things with her first. Zaidi has two children – a daughter and a son.
“I don’t understand why women cry after divorce for a person who is leaving them,” said Zaidi. “Crying is for when your husband passes away and you are in shock. I always wished that my house would not break or my husband should not divorce me. And even if he has no relations with me, his relationship with the children should not be bad so that it does not affect them.”
She shared that after being in a relationship with the other woman for two years, her husband forcibly divorced her at the behest of his second wife.
“I told him to do whatever you want but do not break our family as our children are growing but the other lady made sure to end our family,” said Ismat.
The actor went on to say that when her husband divorced her, her in-laws stepped in to support her.
“After the divorce, my husband wanted me to leave the house but my in-laws were very supportive. They said no one will leave the house and no extra person will enter this house. She will live here because we brought her,” said Ismat, adding that she was married for 23 years.
“After my divorce, I have been really strong because my in-laws were really supportive and they even kept me in their house.”
She shared that because of their support, she started working in the television industry right after her divorce and has been working since.
Zaidi has been part of several super hit dramas including Mann Mayal, Beti, Meri Guriya, Deewangi, Meherposh and most recently Fitoor.
Atif Aslam, Adnan Sami Khan, Shaan and Asim Raza among others have expressed their grief over the demise of legendary Pakistani folk singer Shaukat Ali, who passed away on Friday in Lahore.
“Deeply saddened to learn about the demise of Shaukat Ali Khan,” said Aslam. “His immense contribution to traditional folk music stands unparalleled.”
“My heartfelt condolences to his family. May Allah forgive him and grant patience to his loved ones,” he added.
Deeply saddened to learn about the demise of Shaukat Ali Khan Sb. His immense contribution to traditional folk music stands unparalleled. My heartfelt condolences to his family. May Allah forgive him and grant patience to his loved ones.#AtifAslam#Aadeez#ShaukatAliKhan
Adnan Sami Khan also extended his grievances, saying: “I’m extremely saddened to learn that the legendary folk singer of Pakistan, Shaukat Ali Sahib has passed away.”
“His contribution to music is priceless and he had an incredible voice,” said Sami, remembering the maestro.
I’m extremely saddened to learn that the Legendary Folk Singer of Pakistan, Shaukat Ali Sahib has passed away. His contribution to music is priceless & he had an incredible voice!!
“Saddened to learn about the loss of legendary folk singer Shaukat Ali Sahab,” said Zafar, sharing the musician’s classic song Kadi Tey Has Bol. “Deepest condolences to the family.”
Saddened to learn about the loss of legendary folk singer Shaukat Ali Sahab. Deepest condolences to the family. May his soul rest in peace. Kadi Ty Has Bol – Shaukat Ali | EMI Pakistan Originals https://t.co/68PjDsEO90
Shaan also remembered the legendary singer, saying: “Rest in peace Shaukat Ali Sb.”
“Indeed you have served this nation with all your love, talent and hard work,” added the Pakistani superstar. “Your contributions will always be remembered by all of us.”
Rest in peace shukat Ali Sb indeed you have served this nation 🇵🇰with all your love , talent and hard work . Your contributions will always be remembered by all of us 🇵🇰May ALLAH bless your soul ♥️🙏🏼🇵🇰 pic.twitter.com/ufAlnsNZrp
Other celebrities and notable personalities who remembered Ali include Yasir Hussain, Asim Raza, Muhammad Basharat Raja, Naz Baloch, Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan and Faisal Javed Khan.
معروف گلوکار شوکت علی کے انتقال کی خبر سن کر بہت دکھ ہوا (اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَاِنَّا اِلَیْہِ رَاجِعُوْن)۔ شوکت علی نے اپنے فن خصوصا پرجوش ملی نغموں سے پاکستان کا نام روشن کیا۔ پروردگار مرحوم کو جنت الفردوس میں جگہ دے اور غمزدہ خاندان کو صبر جمیل عطا فرمائے۔ آمین۔
— Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan (@Dr_FirdousAwan) April 2, 2021
Sad demise of legendary folk singer Shaukat Ali, he will be always remembered for his patriotic songs. pic.twitter.com/FZRmEoLa6N
Saddened to hear of Legendary Shaukat Ali sb's passing. He played a vital role in instilling affection for the country in hearts of everyone and in motivating & encouraging soldiers’ morale and rallied the nation. May ALLAH rest his soul in peace. Ameenhttps://t.co/fHOqV010ik
— Faisal Javed Khan (@FaisalJavedKhan) April 2, 2021
Deeply saddened by the death of renowned singer Shaukat Ali. His artistic life is a memorable chapter of the country's history, his songs & folk singing will always be remembered. May Allah forgive him & give patience to the family. Ameen!
— Muhammad Basharat Raja (@RajaBasharatLAW) April 2, 2021
Regé-Jean Page will not return for the second season of record-breaking Regency romance Bridgerton, Netflix said Friday, prompting howls of despair from fans of the dashing Duke of Hastings.
The wildly popular series from Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes puts a modern twist on the books about an upper-class family in early 19th-century England. British-Zimbabwean actor Page was a breakout star for the first season, but his character’s storylines largely conclude in the opening volume of Julia Quinn’s original books, which each follow a different sibling of the Bridgerton family.
“Dearest Readers, while all eyes turn to Lord Anthony Bridgerton’s quest to find a Viscountess, we bid adieu to Regé-Jean Page, who so triumphantly played the Duke of Hastings,” said a letter on the show’s Twitter account.
“We’ll miss Simon’s presence onscreen, but he will always be a part of the Bridgerton family.”
In January, Netflix announced that Bridgerton had become the streaming platform’s most popular new series, watched by over 82 million households.
“Remember: the Duke is never gone,” wrote Rhimes on Instagram. “He’s just waiting to be binge watched all over again.”
But some fans were apoplectic, with one writing: “It’s a joke, right? If not then you just killed that show.”
“This better be a belated April fools joke,” wrote another.
The first season followed Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) as she made her debut in Regency London, seeking a husband, while the second will focus on her brother Lord Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey).
“Daphne will remain a devoted wife and sister, helping her brother navigate the upcoming social season and what it has to offer— more intrigue and romance than my readers may be able to bear,” read the announcement letter further.
The actor also mused that retiring the character at the end of season one provided some closure for audiences.
“I have nothing but excitement for Bridgerton continuing to steam train off and conquer the globe,” he said, adding: “But there is also value in completing these arcs and sticking the landing.”
Mahira Khan, Yasir Hussain, Yumna Zaidi and Aima Baig among others have extended their love and support to Saba Qamar after she announced her breakup with Azeem Khan.
“You do YOU. Happiness is just around the corner,” said Mahira, commenting under Saba’s post.
Saba’s co-star from Lahore Se Aagey Yasir Hussain also sent love and strength to the actor, saying: “Jitni strong Saba hai wo utna hi strong mard deserve karti hai (Saba deserves a strong man like herself).”
“Aur yaad rakhna mard darhi mooch se nahi balky apni sachai aur imandari se banta hai. Stay strong my friend,” he added.
Others who sent love to Saba include Bilal Ashraf, Rabia Butt, Aima Baig, Hadiqa Kiani and Yumna Zaidi.
“You’re a strong badass woman,” said Aima. “Also deserves the best of the best of the best.”
“Sending you a lot of love and light,” said Hadiqa, while Yumna said: “Your journey has been tough and you have made it worth it, we all love it for who you are.”
“Always pure best wishes for you,” added Zaidi.
Other actors and celebrities like Noor Bukhari, Adnan Ansari and Abdullah Sultan also commented under Saba’s post to show their support in her difficult time.
Earlier, Saba had announced her split, saying: “It’s a very hard time on me right now but as we all know ‘This too shall pass’.”
Later, Azeem in a statement, Azeem took full responsibility for the breakup saying: “Saba you have the most amazing soul and you deserve all the happiness in the universe.”
“May God bless you with all the success and love,” he added.
