The mercury may be going down but things are heating up. Syra Yousuf and Sheheryar Munawar’s latest photoshoot for a local magazine has become the talk of the town with people discussing how hot they look together.
According to stylist Rao Ali Khan, who was the Creative Editor of the shoot, the theme of the shoot was ‘Boni and Clyde – a tale of love’.
Gone are the days when fans would glue themselves to television screens just to get the slightest glimpse of their favorite celebrity’s personal life. God bless Instagram for ensuring that we all are a click away from stalking our favorite celebrities, giving birth to our own online identities, participating in influential social media movements, and being the Emilys in our own virtual Paris.
However, such accessibility comes with heavy responsibility which intensifies in the case of celebrities. From being an average application for posting pictures to becoming a social media giant, Instagram, and its management is now an art. So, let’s dive in and analyze how well our Pakistani celebrities have succeeded in influencing fans through their Instagram feeds. The analysis will take place through the Current ranking edition where you can find an exclusively ranked scorecard highlighting the top and the bottom three Instagram feeds of Pakistani celebrities.
The magic formula for Instagrammy perfection combines just the right proportion of posts featuring everyday adventures, western and eastern dressing styles, catchy captions, precise bios, a classy overall outlook, adequate interactivity with the followers through comments or live sessions, and lastly, a unique special strategy which sets your feed apart from all the others. The perfect score sums up to a total of 16 points with 2 points per category.
If you’re done taking notes, scroll down to see which three best and worst Instagram feeds have made it to the Scorecard. Remember, you are what your Insta feed is!
Disclaimer: Nothing Personal
Mahira Khan: 12 / 16
Although Mahira doesn’t post frequently about her everyday adventures and uses lengthy and boring letters involving her emotional experiences as captions, the girl checks all other boxes for a perfect Instagram account. Her work, individualism and nature-oriented posts give a nostalgic outlook to the feed. Popular instances of interactivity include 2018’s incident when Mahira ended up gifting her Eid outfit to a fan who expressed a desire to wear that dress in the comment section of Mahira’s Eid post. Mahira may reply to your comments as well, you never know! This feed neutralizes its western dimension which stems from a preference for western clothing by a traditional aspect added by her bio titled ‘Funkaar’.
Besides, who could not like the post featuring her incredibly hot gown for Cannes 2018? Everything aside, the point winner for Mahira’s Instagram feed is her special strategy which never lets the glory of her old characters die as fans are constantly reminded of her signature roles like Khirad (Humsafar) or Falak (Shehr-e-Zaat) via her posts. You go, girl!
Aiman Muneeb: 9.5 / 16
Acknowledging the fact that Aiman does not have a striking bio and she rarely replies to comments, her frequent highlights about travelling (Florence, Dubai, Lahore etc.), diet plans and lunch dates really capture the interest of the followers. Her feed maintains a traditional outlook with family-oriented posts about sister dates, her daughter, husband, and mother. Aiman doesn’t shy away from influencing fashion trends by posing in stunning trench coats and desi kurta shalwar. The most captivating part about this feed is its brief, catchy and impactful captions like, “Be your own muse”. All the aforementioned qualities help Aiman skillfully market her special strategy which revolves around the ‘keeping it real’ vibe of a young girl getting the best of both worlds. This strategy does a remarkable job in attracting all those Pakistani girls who dream of making it big, just like our Aiman did.
Ayeza Khan: 3.0 / 16
Jeez, that score’s pretty low but what could we do. The raw bio and majorly sponsored posts and highlights make this feed seem more like a wedding photo album than a celebrity’s feed. Don’t believe us? Try stalking this diva and all you’ll find are some breathtaking but clichéd and glossed up pictures of Ayeza in designer clothes. Her audience interactivity was pretty low until she dedicated a video post to her fans on October 3, 2020, just to let them know that she does read all their messages and comments but is unable to reply due to her busy schedule. This actor does get a decent score for her special strategy through which induced temporary curiosity among her fans. What was it?
On May 3, 2019, Ayeza made headlines by turning her Instagram private after reaching 3.1 million followers. In her own words she “wanted fans not followers” …for a short while though. This move did get her Instagram account under the spotlight. Master stroke, indeed.
And here comes the #ouch part. Below are the ranks and scores of three of Pakistan’s least followed celeb accounts on Instagram according to The Current Scorecard. The grading criteria remains the same, however, there’s a twist. Here, we have graded every category out of -2 with 0 being the highest (which means no damage done) and -2 being the lowest. The maximum score obtainable is -16. By the way, to compensate for the brutal critical analysis, The Current has given #free suggestions to help improve the feeds. So scroll down to discover who has done the most irrecoverable damage (it’s predictable though).
Meera Jee: -15.5 / -16
This feed seems outdated as videos that could have sufficed well as highlights can be seen featuring everyone but herself. Where to begin! Absolute lack of audience interactivity, lack of defined styling preferences in the very few solos posted, and a bio that seems more like a nice and concise resume are just a few of the Instagram blunders we have identified. The whole concept of public engagement seems to have been turned upside down. You’ll see plenty of posts featuring people without adequate description. For instance, did you see the post regarding a gentleman who “is a very creative man in the world of educational”?
Also, dedicating a video post to Zulfi Bukhari without having him or herself in either of them is nothing but awkward. The Current’s Instagram feed takes inspiration from this people-oriented feed to improve as news media because you shall find random posts regarding celebrities’ birthdays, deaths, marriage anniversaries, award nominations, COVID-19 test results, and makeup reviews. Moreover, we all know the major issue with captions. In the broader picture, let us ponder over the unreasonable motivation to be who we aren’t meant to be.
Free suggestion for improvement: Be Yourself
Embracing yourself and being comfortable in your skin can make you a stronger personality to be marketed on Instagram. Instead of promoting others in a language that is not exactly your expertise, why not try writing captions in Roman Urdu or Urdu? Also, we recommend using your amazing solos from your highlights as posts. After all, your fans want to see the iconic celebrity in you!
Sanam Jung: -9.5/16
Ladies and gentlemen welcome to the Jaago Pakistan Jaago feed. Although Sanam’s Instagram feed seems to have a balanced mix of work-oriented posts with a tinge of everyday adventures, it lacks maintenance. You’ll see plenty of grid photos highlighting workout routines, travelling experiences, notable literature preferences and many more, but the absence of relevant captions seem to confuse the followers between sponsored and non-sponsored content. Almost all posts uniformly follow Eastern styling trends only. Additionally, choosing a list-like format for a lengthy bio is never a good option as self-descriptions should be different from grocery lists, don’t you think? Despite zero audience interactivity, this feed might capture the attention of female fans of morning shows with its content about family adventures; however, it fails to properly grip the admiration of other genders. We expect more from you, Sanam!
Free suggestion for improvement: Get Out of the Box
Instagram can be your best resort to help separate the real you from the “the stereotyped Pakistani beti/bahu” identity of yours, thanks to the morning show fandom. We suggest you to start promoting individualism in your feed because we are sure that there’s another amazing side of the ever-empowered Sanam, which the world is yet to see.
Mira Sethi: -2.0/-16
This feed has a soothing outlook as is laden with life-oriented posts appreciating humanity, family, poetry, music, art and culture. Seeing Mira play sports or hug her pets in vividly colored sarees and some classic tank gives us an exotic feel. With brief and multi-lingual captions and a perfect bio, this lady does a considerably good job of interacting with the audience as she asks them for their reviews on her drama episodes (Yeh Dil Mera) and more. However, all these plus-points dim in comparison with a major flaw related to mass appeal. This feed does an outstanding job in luring elite Urdu/English literature enthusiasts and Pakistanis settled abroad. Unfortunately, that makes up the narrowest segment of the Pakistani population. While posts about Californian parks or #BlackLivesMatter are immensely appreciated, sadly, they will fail to interest a regular Pakistani, who can barely relate with them.
Free suggestion for improvement: Go more desi
Your Instagram displays the progressive mentality that we all hope to see among the Pakistani population one day. However, today isn’t that day and the best you can do is make your target audience inclusive of all Pakistani population segments because we all deserve to discover the charismatic international face of our country.
Naseer Turabi is a poet who wrote Woh Humsafar Tha in 1971 to express his sadness on East Pakistan’s separation.
Naseer Turabi
He was born in Hyderabad, Hyderabad State which was then, Deccan.
Naseer came to Pakistan after the independence of Pakistan in 1947. He did his M.A. in Mass Communications from University of Karachi in 1968. The poet now lives in Karachi.
He began writing poetry in 1962. His first collection of Poetry Aks-e-Faryadi was published in 2000.
After the East Pakistan Separation, he wrote a Ghazal Woh Humsafar Tha expressing the sadness at the great tragedy of separation of East Pakistan.
The same Ghazal was later used as a theme song for the Humsafar drama series. He also wrote lyrics for the theme song Dil Ka Jo Mol Chukatay Honge of Mol and Zindagi Gulzar Hai drama series. He has also written the lyrics of Dil Aitebaar for Khwab Saraye and for Yaqeen Ka Safar OST.
The ghazal is top-notch, Abida Parveen has also sung it. But for the newer generation, the Quratulain Baloch version of the song for Pakistani drama Hamsafar on modern instruments and rhythm is more engaging.
Our very own Chanda from Suno Chanda, Iqra Aziz is one of the most versatile actresses among the new generation. She has worked on numerous drama projects until now and almost all of them have been super hits. She knows how to own the character and play it the way it should be.
She has been nominated for several awards and has already won seven. She is currently nominated in the Best Actress category at the Lux Style Awards 2020 for Ranjha Ranjha Kardi.
If you are a die-hard Iqra fan, or just like her for who she is, here are some less known facts about her that make her all the more appealing.
Iqra’s Debut Performance
Iqra started her career with modeling and commercials. She still does commercials but her priority is dramas.
Iqra made her debut in 2014 in a drama serial Kissay Apna Kahein in a supporting role alongside Arij Fatyma and Danish Taimoor. The surprising thing is that Iqra was only 17 years old when she played this role.
She was later cast in a leading role in drama serial Muqaddas opposite Noor Hassan. It was written by Adeel Razzak, directed by Ali Masud Saeed and produced by MD Productions. The drama aired on Hum Tv. It proved to be her “breakthrough” drama and she received Hum Award for Best Television Sensation Female.
Iqra’s mother was Karachi’s first female Careem driver
Iqra was born on November 24, 1997 and belongs to a Sindhi family. Her family includes her mother and sister Sidra Aziz, and herself. Her mother raised the two girls as a single parent. Iqra’s mother is one of the best examples of women empowerment in Pakistan as she struggled hard for her children and was the first female Careem driver in Karachi.
Iqra and her mother
Iqra once revealed in an interview that they went through a financial crisis but her mother made it through by struggling for her family with dignity and pride. She also shared in another interview that her mother wanted a son and was disappointed at her birth.
Iqra didn’t meet her father until she was three
Iqra didn’t have a clue who her father was until she was three. Her father worked in Saudi Arabia and came back home when she was three years old. Unfortunately, he died of a heart attack when Iqra was only twelve. She frequently talks about the time spent with her dad and misses the nine years they spent together.
She couldn’t complete her studies
Iqra couldn’t complete her graduation and holds an unfinished Bachelors of Commerce Degree from the University of Karachi. She is, however, looking to complete her education as soon as possible, when she gets a break from acting and modeling.
Her Engagement with Yasir Hussain
For those who don’t know, Iqra and Yasir had a very public engagement at the 18th Lux Style Awards. Hussain went down on one knee at the event and proposed to her. Some say that the proposal was planned and Iqra knew that he was going to propose. The couple formally tied the knot on December 28, 2019.
Iqra has a YouTube Channel
Iqra has a YouTube Channel. Her initial two videos introducing the channel — titled ‘I AM NOT BORING!!‘, comprised of a montage of photographs with a cutie named Mogambo, and “You Me and Youtube”.
Hajji Ali Qadir, who owns the historical Kapoor Haveli in Qissa Khawani Bazaar Peshawar, has said that he would take the authorities to court if they did not pay him at least two billion rupees for the mansion.
Speaking to AFP, Qadir said he has told the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government that building is “an antique and the price for an antique is multiplied 10 times.”
“We will get more money if we build a plaza here,” he added.
On the other hand, the province’s archaeology department has said it will use legal powers to purchase the Kapoor Haveli as well as Dilip Kumar’s house if needed.
In September, the KP archeological department announced that it had allotted Rs 50 million for the renovation and restoration of 15 historical sites in the province including the Kapoor Haveli and Dilip Kumar’s house located in Peshawar’s historical Qissa Khwani Bazaar.
“This is our cultural heritage and we take pride in preserving it. We are very proud that Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor were from Peshawar,” said KP Director of Archaeology and Museums Abdul Samad.
It is pertinent to mention here that while Kumar’s residence was declared a protected heritage by the Directorate of Archaeology and Tourism in 2013 and later a protected monument, under the Antiquity Act 1997, the Kapoor Haveli was reported to have been converted into a museum in 2012. Despite the special status awarded to the buildings, little to no attention was paid to them and the former residences of the Bollywood stars currently stand in dilapidated conditions. Officials have often cited a lack of resources and funds and legalities surrounding buildings’ ownership as the reason behind their dismal condition.
Once an architectural wonder, the family home of Kapoor, who died aged 63 in 1988, is influenced by Mughal empire, Central Asian and British colonial design, featuring ornately carved doors and balconies and gothic-style windows. On the other hand, Kumar lived in a simpler home down a small lane in a busy market.
Rishi Kapoor and Randhir Kapoor outside the Kapoor Haveli in 1990
In 2019, Rishi had requested the Government of Pakistan to preserve his ancestral home and convert it into a museum. He wished to visit the place before he passed away.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Shah Mahmood Qureshi, at that time, had said, “There was a call from Rishi Kapoor. He requested that his family’s home in Peshawar should be made into a museum or some sort of institution. We have accepted his request.”
Peshawar suffered a huge knock-back to its cultural standing after becoming a hotbed of Islamist extremist violence from the 1980s onwards, bringing an end to the golden era of Pashto-language cinema in the region, known as Pollywood.
Militant groups, including the Pakistani Taliban, bombed at least three cinemas and more than 100 music shops before a military crackdown near the border with Afghanistan in 2015 resulted in drastic improvements in security.
As the city revives, more than 1,800 heritage buildings with traditional features have been identified for preservation by the province’s archaeology team, but impoverished Pakistan will need years to arrange the finances required to their purchase and restoration.
“If a proper archaeological survey was conducted, we would discover a cultural site almost every kilometre,” said archaeological director Samad about the province.
2020’s super hit drama serial Meray Paas Tum Ho, which broke viewership records in the country, has been nominated in five categories in the 19th edition of the Lux Style Awards (LSAs).
Thanking Lux for the nominations, Humayun, who has also been nominated in the Best Actor category, said that the project was a very special one.
“This project is very close to all our hearts not only because it broke all viewership records in the history of Pakistani television but because it was able to truly entertain audiences across the world,” said Humayun in the caption.
He also gave a big shout-out to all those who were part of the project including his production house Six Sigma Plus, ARY Digital as well as the entire cast and crew of the drama.
“It always feels great to be recognised so the biggest thank you to all of you, the viewers, for all your love and continuous support,” concluded the actor.
Starring Humayun Saeed, Ayeza Khan, Adnan Siddiqui and Hira Mani in the lead Meray Paas Tum Ho went onto becoming television’s highest-rated dramas of all time. The final episode of the drama was also aired in cinemas where it broke box-office records. At the same time, the drama also drew the irk of some viewers who criticised it for promoting misogyny and sexism.
More than two decades after her death, Princess Diana’s ill-fated entry into the British royal family is the main storyline in the long-awaited fourth season of the hit Netflix drama The Crown.
Emma Corrin, a 24-year-old actress little known until now, immerses herself in the role of the young Diana, capturing her soft voice and timid gaze from under a heavy fringe.
But the actress admitted in an interview with The Sunday Times that she felt a “huge amount of pressure” to pull off the role in the new season, which starts on Sunday.
Diana is shown as a naive teenager who quickly becomes lonely in the role of Prince Charles’ fiancee and rollerskates around Buckingham Palace to pass the time. Even before their unhappy marriage, she begins cycles of bulimia: binge-eating and then purging herself of food.
Diana Spencer had just turned 20 when the couple married in 1981, while Charles was 32. As heir to the throne, since reaching his 30s, he had faced pressure to marry to ensure succession.
Despite having doubts, he agreed to propose to Diana but did not sever ties with his long-time lover, Camilla Parker-Bowles. Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris in 1997 and Charles subsequently married Parker-Bowles in 2005.
While the previous series depicted Charles as a sensitive and misunderstood boy, as Diana’s husband he is seen as cold and unfaithful, complaining to Camilla that she is “so weak, so fragile”.
The breakup of their marriage due to infidelities and Diana’s confessional television interview was scandalous at the time and is making headlines even today.
The BBC has pledged to hold an independent investigation into how its journalist Martin Bashir persuaded Diana to take part in the sensational interview in 1995. Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, claims Bashir showed faked documents to persuade Diana to take part in the interview, where she famously complained “there were three of us in this marriage so it was a bit crowded.”
The love triangle is one of the main storylines in the fourth season, which covers the late 1970s and the 1980s.
The scriptwriters also dramatise a notorious incident that year in which a 33-year-old man, Michael Hagan — frustrated at being unemployed and separated from his wife — broke into Buckingham Palace and entered the queen’s bedroom.
The queen, who kept her legendary sang-froid, is again played by Olivia Colman, the British actress who won an Oscar for The Favourite in 2019. In the fifth series, she will hand over the role of the older queen to 64-year-old Imelda Staunton, known for playing the cruel Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter films.
The US actress Gillian Anderson plays Margaret Thatcher, the imperious first woman to head the British government, in a season dominated by strong female roles.
A critical and popular success, The Crown was first broadcast in 2016 and has won numerous awards, including three Golden Globes and 10 Emmy Awards.
A total of 73 million people have watched at least one episode of the series, Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s joint chief executive and chief content officer, said in January.
The State Bank of Pakistan has ordered all banks to block Pakistani users from subscribing to Indian streaming platform Zee5 with immediate effect, according to a notification issued this week.
While it is unclear as to why this action was taken, reports have suggested that the reason behind this is Asim Abbasi’s web series Churails, which riled up the moral brigade in Pakistan prompting authorities to take this decision.
Responding to the notification, Churails director Asim Abbasi tweeted the title of a poem penned by Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz to protest the oppressive regime of dictator General Zia-ul-Haq.
It is pertinent to mention here that Churails was earlier also banned for Pakistani audiences. However, it was restored in less than 48 hours. According to Abbasi, the show was taken off after the streaming platform received complaints from authorities here.
Featuring Sarwat, Yasra Rizvi, Nimra Bucha, Meher Bano and Omair Rana among others, Churails is the story of four self-proclaimed ‘Churails’ who come together to open a covert detective agency to expose cheating husbands amongst the city’s elite. As their operations expand, they come to be saviours of abused, harassed and mistreated women. The 10-episode series covers a myriad of issues such as child abuse, sexism, the domination of class and race and aims to challenge the hypocrisy of patriarchal societies.
Meanwhile, Mehreen Jabbar, who directed Eik Jhoothi Love Story – another original web series for the platform – expressed her disappointment over the ban.
“Don’t do anything yourself, just keep banning,” commented the director.
Mehreen’s directorial, featuring Bilal Abbas Khan and Madiha Imam, in the lead, is a quintessential Pakistani love story, starkly different from Churails. It released on October 30.
Zee5 had commissioned five original web series from Pakistan. While two of them have released, three more are in the pipeline.
VJ turned actor, Anoushey Ashraf, who often shares her thoughts and opinions on different topics, recently commented that for “many even Abdul Sattar Edhi isn’t a hero”.
Commenting under a post, which criticised Malala for being included among the likes of Edhi, Begum Raana Liaquat Ali Khan and Major Aziz Bhatti, Anoushey wrote: “For many even, Abdul Sattar Edhi isn’t a hero. Same with Malala. She may not be your hero but she’s certainly someone youngsters from around the world look up to.”
Social media users did not agree with Ashraf’s comments and criticised her for them. In response, Anoushey remarked: “You guys just read what you want to read.”
“I wasn’t comparing them [Malala & Edhi]. Just the circumstances under which everyone is questioning her presence,” she explained.
Often referred to as the ‘richest, poor man’, Edhi Sahab is hailed as a real-life hero for dedicating his life towards serving poor and needy people.
On the other hand, Malala, who was shot in 2012 by the Taliban for demanding girls’ rights to education, is the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner. She actively campaigns for girl’s education through her organisation.
Bollywood actor Asif Basra, who was recognised for his roles in Jab We Met, Koi Po Che! and Ek Villian was found hanging at a private guest house in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh. He was 53.
According to reports, Basra’s body was discovered by the police and a team of forensic experts is on the spot to investigate the death. Initial investigation has revealed that Basra committed suicide by hanging himself with the leash of his pet dog. As per the police, Basra had returned from a stroll in the locality along with his dog, just before the alleged suicide.
It is also being reported that the actor had a property on lease in the area for the past five-six years and often visited it. Some reports have also suggested that the actor, who was under depression, was staying there with a British woman. However, no suicide note has been recovered from the place.
Basra was born in Maharashtra’s Amravati in 1967. He moved to Mumbai in 1989 to pursue a career in acting. In a career that spanned over two-decades, Basra played supporting parts in many popular films including Once Upon a Time in Mumbai, Krrish 3, Hichki as well as the Hollywood film Outsourced.
The actor’s most recent outing was Amazon Prime Video’s smash-hit series Paatal Lok.
Basra’s suicide comes almost five months after his Kai Po Che! co-star Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead in his apartment on June 14.
Several Bollywood stars including Emran Hashmi, Manoj Bajpayee and Raees director Rahul Dholakia expressed their shock over his sudden death.
Shocked to hear about Basra!! What a wonderful actor and a jovial fellow – I mean why would he ?? Very Sad – Had directed him in Parzania ( Chagan) , in Lamhaa ( the Darzee ) – and also in society – Very sad to hear about his passing !! #asifbasra Hope you are at peace.
