Current Final

Category: Entertainment

  • Learn from Pathans how to own your language, says Yasir Hussain

    Learn from Pathans how to own your language, says Yasir Hussain

    Yasir Hussain recently schooled a social media user over their comment regarding English language being a necessity, asking them to be proud of their language.

    A social media user recently commented that though “Urdu is our language, English is the part of our education, and we need to learn English too instead of ignoring it.”

    Responding to the comment, Yasir said: “Do you know anything about China? And Russia? And Spain? And the rest of Europe? They don’t speak English.”

    “Apni zabaan pe fakhar karo [Feel proud of your own language],” added the actor.

    Later, sharing his response, Yasir further remarked: “Ziada door na bi jayen, humein Pathan bhai sekha dein gay zaban ko kesey own kiya jaata ai [You don’t have to look far. Our own Pathan brothers can teach us how to own your language].

    Earlier, Yasir had said that “we have made Urdu a symbol of illiteracy,” and the “English language cool”. Sharing his thoughts on the Cannoli incident and the criticism the owners received for humiliating their manager, Yasir said: “[The] interesting fact is that owner of Cannoli made fun of their manager’s English and everyone (including my actor fraternity) raised their voice in English.”

    Meanwhile, ever since the video of Cannoli owners mocking their manager went viral on social media several celebrities including Adnan Siddiqui and Sheryar Munwar have come forward to condemn the incident and slam the women for their distasteful comments and behaviour.

  • ‘Nand’ hits 100 episodes

    ‘Nand’ hits 100 episodes

    Pakistani dramas are often criticised for unnecessarily dragging the story. Those which usually start off at a good pace eventually get stuck in a rut and lose audiences’ interest. Ongoing drama serial Nand has gone too far in following this trend, crossing 100 episodes.

    The drama has taken a complete turn from when it began and we now have new characters and situations driving the plot. The titular character, Gohar aka the Nand, has gotten a face transformation and Faiza Hasan, who initially played the role and was a major attraction, has been replaced by Javeria Saud. The Nand is not the only one who has undergone a change but another female protagonist Rabi (played by Minal Khan) died in Episode 95 that aired on January 13. Rabi and her daughter Dua died in a car accident in Germany, where they had gone to visit Rabi’s sister-in-law.

    While most viewers thought that when Gohar lost her mind after she was exposed for ruining her brothers’ marriage and creating a ruckus in the family, the drama would end, they were in for a surprise when it continued with multiple twists and turns before returning to square one. After Gohar was admitted to a hospital and treated for her mental condition, she regained her memory and got a brand new face. She returned to a completely different household and began to create havoc again.

    On the other hand, Gohar’s brother Saqib[Shahroz Sabzwari] and Hassan[Ayaz Samoo] remarried after getting divorced from their first wives. While Saqib’s wife is a mild-natured girl, Hassan’s new wife, Gul Rukh[Amna Malick] is evil and greedy. She even killed her mother-in-law with her mother Naeema’s help.

    Meanwhile, another mother-daughter duo – Sundus and Amna – have entered the storyline. The two have come to Pakistan from Germany with Rabi’s things to give to Jahangir [Aijaz Aslam].

    With multiple new faces taking the story forward, Gohar is now plotting to get rid of Gul Rukh and Naeema.

    Produced by Fahad Mustafa’s Big Bang Entertainment, Nand is written by Sameena Aijaz and directed by Zeeshan Ali Zaidi.

    Read more – Highest-viewed Pakistani drama episodes in 2020

    As absurd as the drama is, Nand has proven to be a commercial success, trending on television as well as on YouTube. According to some estimates, it was also one of the top TV plays with the highest ratings in November 2020.

  • ‘Please Abu ko kahen schools band kardein’: Students request Tara Mahmood to convince Shafqat Mahmood

    ‘Please Abu ko kahen schools band kardein’: Students request Tara Mahmood to convince Shafqat Mahmood

    Ever since students discovered that Suno Chanda’s Masooma aka Tara Mahmood is Minister of Education Shafqat Mahmood’s daughter, her social media has been flooded with requests and appeals from students who are asking the actor to convince her father to close schools. The government had announced that schools and universities will reopen in three phases from January 18.

    Read more – Memes break the internet after Shafqat Mahmood announces reopening of schools

    “Ma’am please apnay Baba say kahen keh humaray papers online kar dein,” “Please colleges aur schools band karwa dein Abba ko keh kar” are just some of the messages the actor has been receiving on social media. Some have even commented that they are sure Shafqat will listen to her because “betiyon ki baat baap nahi taaltay”.

    While Tara has not yet responded to the comments, earlier while responding to a social media user, she had said: “Schools shut for long will harm many students who don’t have access to online education.”

    “As a minister, he has to think about everyone in this country. And there are people out there dying for educational institutes to open. Hang in there and protect yourself by wearing a mask. Trust me, nothing will happen,” she added.

    Earlier, in an exclusive interview with The Current, Shafqat had said that closing schools and universities late last year was a “difficult decision”.

    “I think children don’t want to go to school,” the minister had said. “But seriously it was a difficult decision to close schools, colleges and universities. InshAllah as soon as the situation gets better, we will open them again.”

    Shafqat Mahmood has three daughters, two of who are twins. The actor has often shared pictures of her family on social media.

  • IN PICTURES: Varun Dhawan ties the knot

    IN PICTURES: Varun Dhawan ties the knot

    Varun Dhawan and Natasha Dalal have made it official after years of being in a relationship. The couple tied the knot in a low-key ceremony (by Bollywood standards) in Alibaug on January 24.

    Announcing the news on social media and sharing pictures from the wedding rituals, Varun wrote: “Life long just become official.”

    Despite the media frenzy and excitement surrounding the nuptials, the traditional Hindu wedding was a very private affair with only close friends and family present. There was a strict no-phone policy at the wedding and security was tightened to ensure that there are no leaks.

    From the film industry, only Manish Malhotra, Karan Johar, and Kunal Kohli were spotted at the festivities.

    After the nuptials, Varun and Natasha made an appearance in front of the media and posed for pictures. The couple looked resplendent in matching ivory outfits. While Manish designed Varun’s sherwani, it is being reported that Natasha, who is also a fashion designer, designed her own outfit.

    Sweets were also distributed among the paparazzi and media personnel present outside the wedding venue.

    Later, the bride’s makeup artist Namrata Soni shared a close-up video of Natasha’s makeup and look.

    Varun also shared pictures from his haldi ceremony, captioning them: “Haldi done right.”

    Varun and Natasha met while they were in school but started dating much later. The couple initially kept their relationship very private and strictly away from media attention. Varun, only recently opened up about his relationship on Kareena Kapoor Khan’s show What Women Want, saying: “I actually met Natasha in the 6th standard. We were friends till 11-12th. We were very close friends. I remember seeing her for the first time. We went to Maneckji Cooper [Education Trust School in Mumbai together]. It was on the basketball court that I saw her and I fell in love with her that day. That was it! She rejected me three to four times, but I didn’t give up hope.”

    Earlier, Natasha while talking about the relationship had said: “Varun and I were in school together. We stayed friends until we were in our mid-20s and then, I remember, we started dating just before I moved away. It was around then that, I think, we realised we were more than just good friends.”

    Meanwhile, Karan also penned an emotional note for Varun as he congratulated him on his wedding.

    Considering the wedding was limited to approximately 40-50 guests only in view of COVID-19 protocols, it is being reported the couple will host a lavish reception in Mumbai for their friends and members of the film fraternity on February 2.

  • Do Hareem Farooq and SRK think alike?

    Shah Rukh Khan recently posted a picture of himself playing pool on Instagram, captioning it: “As long as there is pink in the world, it will always be a better place.”

    The actor was seen sporting long locks in the picture, reportedly his look for his upcoming action-thriller Pathan.

    Hours after SRK’s post, Hareem Farooq shared a picture with a caption similar to the Bollywood star’s.

    “As long as there’s pink in the world it will always be a better place,” Hareem wrote alongside a picture of herself wearing a pink dress.

    When a follower asked Hareem if she had copied SRK’s caption, the actor said that she “had no idea” King Khan had posted the same caption.

    “I guess we think alike,” remarked Hareem.

    In response to Hareem’s comments, the user replied: “No doubt you think like a superstar.”

    Meanwhile, another Instagram user commented: “We all copy the captions from somewhere.”

  • Multiple ‘Game of Thrones’ prequels in ‘early development’

    HBO is reportedly planning several Game of Thrones (GOT) prequels with the project in the early stages of development.

    According to reports, one of the projects is based on the stories of Dunk and Egg from GOT author George R.R. Martin which follow the adventures of Ser Duncan the Tall (Dunk) and a young Aegon V Targaryen (Egg). The story is set 90 years before the events of the main series.

    Martin has published three novellas in the Tales of Dunk and Egg series – The Hedge Knight, The Sworn Sword, and The Mystery Knight. All three were collectively published in 2015 with the title of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

    Further reports have said the show will have one hour-long episode. However, no writer or talent has taken on board yet. The project is said to be on the high priority of HBO but representatives from HBO and Martin have refused to comment on the project.

    In December 2020, the first look of Game of Throne’s prequel, House of Dragon was released. House of Dragon is expected to premiere in 2020.

    As per details, House of the Dragon is based on George R.R. Martin’s House Targaryen chronicle Fire & Blood and set 300 years before Game of Thrones.

    The famed Dance of Dragons — the Targaryen civil war occasionally referenced in GoT that ripped apart Westeros — will be tackled during the series.

  • We have made Urdu a symbol of illiteracy, says Yasir Hussain

    We have made Urdu a symbol of illiteracy, says Yasir Hussain

    Yasir Hussain has said that “we have made Urdu a symbol of illiteracy,” and the “English language cool”.

    Sharing his thoughts on the Cannoli incident and the criticism the owners received for humiliating their manager, Yasir said: “[The] interesting fact is that owner of Cannoli made fun of their manager’s English and everyone (including my actor fraternity) raised their voice in English.”

    “Did anyone think why the manager needed to speak English?,” he questioned. “From where did this complex come into our society?”

    “We have made English cool and Urdu a symbol of illiteracy. It is something to be ashamed of,” he added.

    In the viral video, the owners of Cannoli Café Soul in Islamabad, Uzma and Diya joked that their manager, who has been working at their café for nine years, has taken three language courses until now and still cannot speak fluent English.

    The two ladies asked the manager Owais to introduce himself in English and when he struggled with speaking fluent English, they made fun of him by commenting on his salary. Owais was visibly uncomfortable in the video.

    Soon after the video was posted on social media, people started calling out the women for their elitist behaviour and though they later issued an apology, people called them out for their “arrogant non-apology”.

    Several celebrities including Sheheryar Munawar, Adnan Siddiqui, Sarah Khan and Ahsan Khan among others slammed the women for their distasteful comments and behaviour.

    Meanwhile, Ameer Gilani took to Instagram and shared details about his meeting with Owais. In a story posted to his Instagram, Gilani said that Awais is a very nice and positive man. He also urged people to focus on the good side to eradicate the wrong.

  • Everything you need to know about ‘Bridgerton’ Season 2

    Everything you need to know about ‘Bridgerton’ Season 2

    Netflix has officially announced that their trending period drama Bridgerton will be returning for a second season. While the announcement was not unexpected given the show’s popularity, we admit that it did bring us great joy.

    The renewal announcement came from none other than Lady Whistledown, who in a message posted to social media said: “Dearest Readers, The ton are abuzz with the latest gossip, and so it is my honour to impart to you: Bridgerton shall officially return for a second season.”

    According to Lady Whistledown’s announcement, production will resume in Spring 2021, and the second season will focus on the “romantic activities” of Lord Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey).

    Bridgerton creator Chris Van Dusen, while talking about the second season, said: “We have a bunch of new characters we are going to be introducing. Anthony is going to have a love interest and it’s going to be as sweeping and as beautiful as viewers have come to expect from the show.”

    He further shared that casting is currently underway for several new roles, most notably the female romantic lead opposite Anthony Bridgerton in The Viscount Who Loved Me, Kate Sheffield. It is also being reported that the actor who will play Sheffield will likely be an actress of color, likely of South Asian/Indian descent.

    The series which is based on Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton romance novel series featured a different sibling in each of the eight books and from what we understand, it is now Anthony’s turn. The first season followed Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) as she made her debut in Regency London, seeking a husband.

    Bridgerton debuted on Netflix in December 2020 and has continued to win audiences trending worldwide even a month after its release. Netflix earlier said that the series was on course to watched by more than 63 million households in the four weeks from its Christmas Day premiere.

    The buzzy Regency romance comes from Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes and puts a modern twist on the books about an upper-class family in early 19th-century England, introducing colour-blind casting and strong feminist themes.

    Read more – ‘Bridgerton’ is the arranged marriage we all want

    While a release date for the second season has not yet been announced, it is being speculated that the show will either release on Christmas 2021 or 2022.

  • Sana Fakhar receives flak for PDA-filled picture with husband

    Sana Fakhar receives flak for PDA-filled picture with husband

    Sana Fakhar is at the receiving end of criticism for sharing a PDA-filled picture with her husband on his birthday.

    Sharing photos on Instagram of herself with her husband indulging in PDA, Sana wrote: “Thank you for reminding me how butterflies feel like.”

    “Many happy returns of the day,” she added.

    Sana’s post was enough to irk the moral brigade who heavily criticised the veteran actor, forcing her to limit the comments section on her post.

    Sana’s pictures are a reminder of the time when Sarwat Gilani and Fahad Mirza were at the receiving end of hate for publicly displaying their affection. Addressing the outrage, Sarwat, in an exclusive interview with The Current had said that she had expected such a reaction and hate that followed.

    “Watching domestic abuse in dramas is fine by them,” said Sarwat. “Your TRPs shoot up. Excellent. But if a husband and his wife are appreciating each other, if they are expressing their love for each other, it’s a problem.”

    “But it’s okay,” she continued. “InshAllah in due time, they will learn to digest love and acceptance too.”

    Sana and Fakhar tied the knot in 2008 and have two sons together.

  • Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari to tie the knot on January 29

    Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari to tie the knot on January 29

    Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari and fiancé Mahmood Choudhry will be tying the knot on January 29 at Bilawal House in Karachi.

    According to reports, a spokesperson of Bilawal House has revealed the wedding festivities will begin with a Milad function on January 24. This will be followed by a simple mehndi ceremony on January 27.

    The nikkah will take place on January 29 while the baarat is scheduled for January 30. All events are expected to take place at the bride’s residence in Karachi.

    The spokesman said that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari will be suspending his political activities for a week to participate in sister’s wedding. He was unable to attend her engagement as he was in isolation after testing positive for COVID-19.

    The spokesperson further added that close to a thousand guests have been invited to the wedding. Invitations have reportedly also been sent to important political leaders of the country including military leaders and judicial heads.

    Bakhtawar and Mahmood got engaged on November 27, 2020, in an intimate ceremony at the Bilawal House Karachi.

    Read more – Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari’s engagement outfit details revealed

    Meanwhile, earlier the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in an official statement, had shared that Bakhtawar’s husband-to-be “Mahmood Choudhry is the son of Mohammad Younas and Begum Suraiya Choudhry who hail from the old town of Lahore.”

    “Mahmood, the last born of five siblings was born on July 28, 1988, in the city of Abu Dhabi. He completed his primary schooling in Abu Dhabi and secondary schooling in the United Kingdom. Mahmood further went on to read Law at the University of Durham.”

    “The family’s primary country of residence remains the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where Mahmood continues to run his businesses in construction, finance and tech,” added the statement.