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  • Zainab Jamil quits acting ‘to learn more about Islam’

    Zainab Jamil quits acting ‘to learn more about Islam’

    Zainab Jamil has announced that she will be quitting acting and modelling to learn more about Islam.

    “I proudly announce that I won’t be continuing my career as actor and model”, wrote the model-turned-actor on social media.

    “Allah has chosen me to become a student of Quran and Hadees and learn more about our deen Islam,” she added.

    Later, Zainab shared a detailed explanation regarding her decision and talked about why she decided to step away from showbiz.

    “For those who are really concerned and have been asking me why did I take this decision at once, I really respect your concern that’s the reason I am posting one [story],” wrote Zainab.

    “I’m late I should have made this announcement a lot earlier but maybe I was not ready or I was in search of few answers actually now it’s been 3 years that I am studying Quran with Tafseer and I am not an easy student”, she continued.

    Zainab further shared that she was not satisfied with her choice of career.

    “Thanks to my teachers for bearing with all my stupid questions and doubts which I had and bringing me to the point where I finally thought that I’m ready to take this very big step to announce that I am quitting the career which I thought I loved, whereas I did not because whenever I was on set working, I was not completely satisfied.”

    “With all due respect to those who are working in this field, I am not hurting anyone’s feelings to work as an actor but we all are different so this is my different. And I really want to thank the producers and people whom I was in contract to work with and thank you all for understanding me and letting me drop the projects I signed,” she concluded.

    Zainab has been part of many multi-starrer projects including Hum TV’s Khawab Saraye (2016) alongside Muneeb Butt, Aiman Khan, Behroze Sabzwari, and Khalid Anam. She also had a small role in the blockbuster film Jawani Phir Nahi Ani in which she played Hamza Ali Abbasi’s love interest Charity.

    Earlier, Rabi Pirzada, Hamza Ali Abbasi, Ali Afzal, and Noor Bukhari had quit the industry on religious grounds.

  • ‘The Fab Lives of Bolly Wives’ falls flat despite the glam and starry special appearances

    ‘The Fab Lives of Bolly Wives’ falls flat despite the glam and starry special appearances

    What are the three things you look for in a reality tv series? Drama, drama and more drama. Unfortunately, Netflix’s latest reality television series The Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives has everything to offer besides that. You have glitz, glam, a fancy holiday, discussions on plastic surgery and the cherry on top – lots, and I mean lots, of starry special appearances. But all this fails to add to the oomph factor and you end up watching the show only because of your love for Bollywood.

    The Fab Lives of Bolly Wives (let’s just call it FLBW) centres around four Bollywood wives – Maheep Kapoor, wife of Sanjay Kapoor, Seema Khan, wife of Sohail Khan, Bhavana Pandey, wife of Chunkey Pandey, and Neelum Kothari, wife of Samir Soni. Maheep is the queen bee of the gang which has been together for 25 years. Mind you, this has been repeated a gazillion times in the entire show, lest we forget. Seema is the one with the wit and sarcasm, while Bhavana is the superstitious one. And Neelum, throughout the series is just worried about one thing: should she make a comeback to films.

    While each woman has her own distinct personality and they are interesting to see in the first episode, the problem with the show is that there is just no drama. The girls are chill with one another and no one gets pissed at the other, except in one episode. Even then, their ‘showdown’ was just very dry. What is this relationship? Where is the spark? The fire? Twice Karan Johar had to come in and be the phoppo he is so that he can instigate them. Unfortunately, the fire never really lights – they really should have taken classes from our favourite Sima Taparia from Indian Matchmaking on how to say the most outrageous things and still not be hated for it. Most of the stuff we saw in the series was all that the paparazzi have already shown to us or they have posted on their Instagram feeds. Even their conversations were terribly safe as if they were scared to give viewers a sneak peek into who they are behind the facades. Just goes on to show that reality tv is not everyone’s piece of cake.

    The two things I did find interesting was that one Maheep is a stalker. An actual stalker. She observes people through her binoculars and she apparently caught glimpses of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan’s wedding through her binoculars. And secondly, Seema and Sohail, despite being married don’t live in the same house. They live across the street from one another and are very happy with this arrangement.

    Interestingly the show is called FLBW, but we barely get to see them as wives. We end up watching them as mothers mostly because my God they are obsessed with their kids. Even the series opens with Maheep fretting over her daughter Shanaya’s Le Bal debut.

    The biggest takeaways from the show had NOTHING to do with the wives. For me, there were two major ones. SPOILERS AHEAD. One that Janhvi Kapoor got a wish from Kylie Jenner on her birthday and second which fascinated me the most – on their trips abroad, Shah Rukh Khan would be the one to babysit all the children when the wives would go party. In fact, my favourite episode from the season was the one which had SRK. Damn that man can charm even a cactus. His witty one-liners and dry humour had me smiling throughout the episode. Gauri Khan in an Instagram post has said that she will be gatecrashing the second season and I do hope that if there is a second season, I’d like to see more of Shah Rukh in it than anyone else.

    The makers of the show tried to create a desi version of Keeping up with the Kardashians meets Sex and the City, but they somehow forgot to add the main ingredient – drama. In this review, I am not even going to recommend or not recommend the show. Because I know that if you’re a Bolly freak like myself, you will still sit and spend five hours watching the eight episodes. All I’m going to say is keep your expectations low.

  • Hadiqa Kiani responds to allegations of ‘distorting’ customer’s appearance

    Hadiqa Kiani responds to allegations of ‘distorting’ customer’s appearance

    Hadiqa Kiani has responded to accusations by a woman Zahida, who claimed that she suffered drastic hair loss after she visited a franchise outlet of the musician’s beauty salon for a straightening treatment. Zahida alleged that the use of harmful creams caused her hair to fall out, distorting her appearance.

    Zahida has also claimed Rs 2 crores in damages from the singer.

    While reports have suggested that a local court has summoned Kiani, the salon’s franchise owner, Deputy Commissioner Faisalabad and the district health officer on December 16, Kiani has denied all allegations.

    In a series of tweets, Kiani said the allegations were false and assured her customers that “Hadiqa Kiani Salon franchises across the country continue to operate with the highest quality products and according to proper SOPs.”

    “My lawyers and local franchise team are fully prepared to address these malicious and baseless claims,” she said further.

    Hadiqa added that in these testing times we should focus on “uplifting each other instead of tearing down honest businesses”.

  • Gippy Grewal calls out Bollywood for ignoring farmers’ plight

    Gippy Grewal calls out Bollywood for ignoring farmers’ plight

    Punjab star Gippy Grewal has lashed out at Bollywood for not standing up for Punjab at a time when the state needs their support for the ongoing farmers’ protest.

    Read more – Ahmed Ali Butt to share the screen with Gippi Grewal in upcoming Punjabi film

    Rupinder Singh Grewal, popular by his stage name Gippy Grewal, took to Twitter and wrote that for years Punjab had welcomed Bollywood with open arms but its silence over the issue was painful.

    “Dear Bollywood, Every now and then your movies have been shot in Punjab and every time you have been welcomed with open heart. But today when Punjab needs you the most, you didn’t show up and speak a word. Disappointed,” the 37-year-old singer tweeted.

    In response to Gippy’s tweet, Taapsee Pannu said that there are artistes in Bollywood who have always been vocal about contentious issues, including the farmers’ protests, and she found his generalised comment “demotivating”.

    Replying to the actor, Grewal said his tweet wasn’t for Pannu and others who are supporting the farmers, but for those who call themselves Punjabi.

    “My tweet was for them who call themselves from Punjab and not utter even a single word. They all vanish,” the singer added.

    Earlier, Kangana Ranaut and Diljit Dosanjh were involved in a Twitter feud over the ongoing farmer’s protests in India in which Diljit gave Kangana a piece of his mind and called her out for propagating hate.

    Farmer’s Protest

    Thousands of farmers have gathered at Delhi’s gateways to demand a repeal of the Centre’s three new farm laws. The protesting farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana as well as Uttar Pradesh, are worried the new laws will eliminate the safety cushion of a Minimum Support Price and procurement system while rendering ineffective the mandi system that ensures earnings for various stakeholders in the farm sector.

    The government has been in talks with farmer leaders to resolve the issue.

  • Five Pakistani dramas PM Khan should watch

    Five Pakistani dramas PM Khan should watch

    Ever since he assumed office, Prime Minister Imran Khan has given us plenty of recommendations on drama serials and books – the most prominent being Turkish drama series Diriliş: Ertuğrul and Elif Shafak’s The Forty Rules of Love. Earlier this week, PM Khan recommended the youth to watch another Turkish show on Sufism Yunus Emre: Aşkin Yolculuğu, which is also being aired on PTV in Urdu.

    While we love the fact that the PM takes out time to recommend stuff to the youth, we decided to turn the tables and recommend him a few recent (in the past two years) Pakistani drama serials which are worth watching. Check out our suggestions below:

    Sabaat

    While Hum TV’s Sabaat in its essence is a family drama exploring familial relations and dynamics, its presentation was very refreshing, in particular Anaya and Hassan’s storyline. The drama highlighted the importance of having a healthy, loving relationship with your children and gave out a strong message on the importance of empowering women and daughters and gave viewers a new heroine after Zindagi Gulzar Hai‘s Kashf. It also showed how ego, money and misunderstandings can ruin relationships and your life. All these themes are the ones which PM Khan has time and time again urged our drama writers to show on television.

    Read more – ‘Sabaat’ manages to tie up loose ends in a rushed finale

    Alif

    Starring PM Imran’s BFF Hamza Ali Abbasi and Sajal Aly in the lead, Alif, written by Umera Ahmed and directed by Haseeb Hasan focuses on the spiritual journeys of two individuals Qalb-e-Momin (Hamza) and Momina Sultan (Sajal), who despite coming from completely different backgrounds help each other find peace in righteousness. Alif was a brilliant example of good storytelling and sensitive direction. Moreso, the entire cast of the drama including Hamza, Sajal, Ahsan Khan, Manzar Sehbai and Kubra Khan gave strong and solid performances. It is pertinent to add here that Hamza in several interviews has shared that his life reflects what is shown in the drama.

    Suno Chanda Season 1

    Perhaps one of the most-loved dramas in the country, Suno Chanda (Season 1) is chaotic, fun and will leave you with a warm feeling. The show which ran through Ramadan and had everyone hooked is about a household in which the children of two brothers get married just before the family’s patriach passes away. Directed by Aehsun Talish and written by Saima Akram Chaudhry, Suno Chanda is a comedy drama done just right. From the performances to the witty dialogues to the direction, everything about this drama was brilliant. The show gave us some memorable characters and there was bound to be one person in the cast you could relate too.

    Out of the list, if there is one drama the prime minister should be watching, it should be Suno Chanda. Will also give him some much-needed respite from the day-to-day political tensions.

    Aangan

    Yet another multi-starrer drama starring some big dramas of the drama industry, Aangan brought back and romanticised living in joint family systems while at the same time highlighting the issues that come with it. The drama very delicately and tactfully challenged societal norms while keeping viewers engaged and hooked. Aangan is without a doubt one of Faiza Iftikhar’s finest works. I am pretty sure Khan sahab is going to love this one. It is everything he wants to promote through television and dramas.

    Sammi

    Perhaps the darkest drama on this list, Mawra Hocane and Adnan Siddiqui’s Sammi sheds light on the custom of vani (or exchange brides) and how women are forced to continuously bear children in the quest for a son. It is gritty and makes you uncomfortable but that is because you know that this is exactly what happens to women in this country. The drama has been sensitively written by Noor ul Huda Shah and directed by Saifee Hassan.

    Is there any other drama you would recommend PM Imran to watch? Let us know in the comments below.

  • Hajra Yamin, Fahad Sheikh’s ‘Nam Kya Rakha’ talks about unrequited love

    Hajra Yamin, Fahad Sheikh’s ‘Nam Kya Rakha’ talks about unrequited love

    Pakistan’s fastest growing web-channel, See Prime released a short film titled Nam Kya Rakha on Friday, starring Hajra Yamin, Fahad Sheikh, Faizan Shaikh and Shawaiz.

    “Shayan (Fahad Sheikh), the lead protagonist in the story is a cricket fanatic who ends up on a hospital bed due to a car accident, unaware of what waits for him. There he meets up the only woman he ever loved. The story discloses how healing touch of love that can happen in unlikely places at unlikely times,” reads the film’s official synopsis.

    Penned by Shaha Jamshed and directed by Sohail Javed, the short story has been produced by Ali Hussain and Mahib Bukhari.

    The Executive Producer of the film, Seemeen Naveed, in a statement, said, “Naam Kya Rakha is a reminder to each one of us that it is okay to look back if it will allow you to move forward – and we are glad that with See Prime we are able to tell such simple stories for our audiences.”

    Fahad and Hajra are currently winning hearts as a couple in ARY Digital’s ongoing drama Jalan.

    Read more – Sanam Saeed’s ‘Ab Buss’ takes inspiration from the motorway gang-rape incident

    Watch Naam Kya Rakha here:

  • IN PICTURES: Hina Altaf throws a surprise party for husband Agha Ali

    IN PICTURES: Hina Altaf throws a surprise party for husband Agha Ali

    Hina Altaf threw an intimate surprise birthday for husband Agha Ali. Only close friends and family attended the birthday, which was Agha’s first after marriage.

    The happy couple looks radiant in this selfie.

    The theme of the party was black and gold with a rock star themed cake.

    Such an endearing photo of Agha and his mother and Hina and her mother-in-law.

    Hina and Agha tied the knot in a low-key ceremony on May 22, 2020.

  • The first look of ‘Game of Thrones’ prequel is out

    The prequel of popular TV series Game of Thrones has finally been given a production date.

    “Dragons are coming, House of the Dragon begins production in 2021″, said the official account of the TV series. It also teased the first look of the prequel by sharing artworks depicting a red dragon.

    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.

    Paddy Considine was the first actor to be cast in prequel series, as King Viserys I Targaryen. More casting announcements are expected soon.

    The series will premiere on HBO Max at the same time it does in theatres. HBO Max is a streaming service that will launch in May 2020 at $15 per month. House of the Dragon will have 10 episodes and the series will be filmed mainly in England at Leavesden Studios in Watford.

    Considering the popularity of the Game of Thrones, the channel was keen on making a prequel of the show. Two different prequels were in talks after the final episode of Game of Thrones aired in May 2019.

    The prequel is expected to premiere in 2022.

  • Diljit Dosanjh gave Kangana Ranaut a piece of mind and we’re here for it

    Diljit Dosanjh gave Kangana Ranaut a piece of mind and we’re here for it

    An epic Twitter feud between Kangana Ranaut and Diljit Dosanjh over the ongoing farmer’s protests in India is making headlines across the subcontinent. In case, you have no idea what happened, keep reading.

    The fight started when Dosanjh hit out at Ranaut for misidentifying an elderly Sikh woman from the farmers’ protest as Bilquis Bano – the octogenarian who made international headlines during the anti-CAA protests earlier this year in the Delhi neighbourhood of Shaheen Bagh – and said the woman joined the protest for Rs 100 only. Ranaut later deleted the tweet after she was called out for spreading misinformation.

    Sharing a video of the woman speaking on the issue, Dosanjh advised Kangana to listen to the video.

    “One should not be this blind,” he added.

    What followed was an ugly war of words with Dosanjh counter-attacking in Punjabi. Kangana did not hold herself back while attacking Diljit, referring to him as “Karan Johar ke paltu“.

    In response to this, Dosanjh told Kangana that she is well-versed with the art of playing with people’s emotions. No surprises there. The actor has on several occasions also propagated hate against Pakistan.

    Kangana continued to drag KJo into the conversation without any reason. Her hatred for the filmmaker is hardly a secret.

    Diljit further pointed out to Kangana that he is a Punjabi and not a “Bollywood wala” and that Bollywood invites him to do films.

    Kangana then hit back by accusing the Punjabi singer of provoking farmers against the country.

    When one Twitter user called out the actor for insinuating that Johar offers work in exchange for sex, Kangana attacked him also.

    However, Diljit did not stop and continued to school Kangana over her irresponsible statements.

    Other Punjabi artists including Mika Singh and Gippy Grewal stepped in to support Diljit and voice their distaste over Kangana’s comments.

    Case registered against Kangana

    Meanwhile, the Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) has sent a legal notice to actor Kangana Ranaut, seeking an unconditional apology for her “derogatory” tweets against farmers and activists involved in the protest against the Centre’s farm laws. They have also requested Ranaut to remove the particular tweets.

    “We have sent a legal notice to Kangana for her derogatory tweet calling the aged mother of a farmer as a woman available for Rs 100. Her tweets portray farmers protest as anti-national. We demand an unconditional apology from her for her insensitive remarks on farmers protest,” said president of DSGMC Manjinder Singh Sirsa, in a tweet.

    Farmer’s Protest

    Thousands of farmers have gathered at Delhi’s gateways to demand a repeal of the Centre’s three new farm laws. The protesting farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana as well as Uttar Pradesh, are worried the new laws will eliminate the safety cushion of a Minimum Support Price and procurement system, while rendering ineffective the mandi system that ensures earnings for various stakeholders in the farm sector.

    The government has been in talks with farmer leaders to resolve the issue.

  • Coke Studio 2020 premieres with a powerful all-female anthem

    Coke Studio 2020 premieres with a powerful all-female anthem

    The premier episode of Coke Studio 2020 consisted of three original tracks featuring a lineup of emerging artists including Mehdi Maloof, Seher Gul and Wajiha Naqvi, along with industry veterans Meesha Shafi, Fariha Pervez, Ali Noor, Sanam Marvi and Zara Madani.

    According to the press release, producer Rohail Hyatt has ensured that not only will this be a season featuring purely original songs, but the focus for this year has also been on content and social messaging which includes an all-female anthem called Na Tutteya Ve with veteran female vocalists including Sanam Marvi and Meesha Shafi.

    In addition to this, CS debutant Mehdi performed Dil Khirki, a song written and composed by the emerging Indie artist. According to the singer, the song, with its typical college sing-along feel, is about “opening your heart to the world regardless of life’s circumstances”.

    “In accepting one’s circumstances, one is able to submit to fate which ultimately results in a greater understanding of both life, and the self,” said Mehdi.

    In the third song of the episode Jaag Rahi, Fariha sings about suffering sleepless nights, longing to be united with her Beloved (Almighty). Ali’s voice responds to this longing by explaining that he suffers the same predicament and that she is not forgotten. The song is an interesting and contemporary take on the classical thumri.

    The 13th edition of Coke Studio or CS2020 will only have 12 songs this year featuring 13 artists and international musicians.