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Category: Entertainment

  • A.R. Rahman weaves his magic in the title track of ‘Dil Bechara’

    A.R. Rahman weaves his magic in the title track of ‘Dil Bechara’

    Music maestro A.R. Rehman has weaved his magic, yet again, in the title track of Dil Bechara, which also happens to be Sushant Singh Rajput’s swansong (the final performance or activity of a person’s career). Rajput’s untimely demise by suicide on June 14, broke hearts across the world.

    Read more – Trailer of Sushant Singh Rajput’s last film ‘Dil Bechara’ trends at number one on YouTube Pakistan

    As the film gears up to stream on July 24, the makers of the film and the streaming platform are doing all they can to honour Sushant’s memory and make this film a heartwarming experience for this fans. When the trailer of the film released earlier this week, it set a new YouTube record by becoming the most-liked trailer ever in 24 hours – with 6.4 million likes – beating Hollywood blockbuster Avengers: Endgame. It also garnered more than 30 million views within 24 hours of being released besides also receiving millions of views on other social media platforms including Facebook and Instagram.

    The title track of the film, also titled Dil Bechara, has been composed, produced, arranged and sung by Rahman while the lyrics have been penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya. The tune has been composed with Rahman’s signature style and will at some point remind you of his other superhit song: Masakali from the Abhishek Bachchan-Sonam Kapoor starrer Delhi 6. It is infectious and you will definitely find yourself humming it.

    Talking about the song and the rest of the album, Rahman said: “It was a great experience collaborating with Mukesh [the director] on this film; his enthusiasm is infectious. This whole album is carefully curated because the film has so much heart, and now, memories of Sushant. It was a pleasure to work with lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya on this soundtrack of love. The songs are eclectic and feature an amazing line-up of India’s top singers and musicians. I hope you will like the album.”

    The Oscar and Grammy-winning Indian composer added that all the music he has worked on for the film is filled with memories of late actor.

    The song has been choreographed by Farah Khan, who revealed that Sushant shot the entire song in one take. Sushant was a gifted dancer and the actor perfectly demonstrated his skills in the song with fluid movements and flexibility.

    Farah also shared why this song was special for her.

    “This song is particularly close to me because it was the first time I was choreographing Sushant,” said the award-winning choreographer. “We were friends for a long time but never worked together. I had also promised Mukesh that when he makes his directorial debut I would do a song for him.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CCc9QDrAOmN/

    Chabbra also shared that Farah did not charge a penny for her services.

    Though the makers of the film announced that they will only be releasing the title track on June 10, they later dropped the entire music album of the movie. Unfortunately, it is not available to stream in Pakistan.

    Dil Bechara, which also stars Sanjana Sanghi, is the official Hindi remake of 2014 Hollywood romantic drama The Fault in our Stars. It has been directed by renowned casting director Mukesh Chhabra, who makes his directorial debut with the film.

    The film is slated to release digitally on July 24 on Disney+ Hotstar. As a tribute to the late actor, the film will be made available to everyone including non-subscribers. It was initially scheduled to release on May 8 but due to the coronavirus pandemic, its release was pushed.

  • Asim Azhar responds to plagiarism allegations

    Asim Azhar responds to plagiarism allegations

    Not too long ago, Asim Azhar was celebrating 100 million views on YouTube on his song Jo Tu Na Mila and now the same song is embroiled in a plagiarism controversy.

    According to social media users, Jo Tu Na Mila has been loosely copied from Studio Ghibli’s Kiki’s Delivery Service. Kiki’s Delivery Service is a 1989 Japanese animated film about a young witch, Kiki, who moves to a new town and uses her flying ability to earn a living. The soundtrack of the anime was composed by Joe Hisaishi.

    https://twitter.com/starryasui/status/1281198862577864708?s=20
    https://twitter.com/notsoblondegirl/status/1281238555365425162?s=20

    After the allegations surfaced, Asim while speaking to a local media publication said that the rights for the music had been acquired through legal means.

    “That part of the song has been sampled through proper and legal means under Universal Music India, who released the song,” he said, adding, “Such a big company won’t let such a big release go just like that.”

    It is pertinent to mention here that the song’s music in the video is licensed to UMG (on behalf of Universal Music India).

    Jo Tu Na Mila is a love ballad which talks about unrequited love. The song, which features Iqra Aziz, has been composed and sung by Asim while the lyrics have been penned by Kunaal Vermaa.

    Listen to the song here:

  • Naumaan Ijaz slams Pakistani dramas for spreading negativity

    Naumaan Ijaz is not one to mince words and more often than not speaks his mind.

    Read more – Humayun Saeed vs Naumaan Ijaz: What’s going on?

    In a recent interview with director and producer Rafay Rashdi, Ijaz slammed Pakistani dramas for failing to educate audiences and being limited to the four walls of the house.

    Responding to Rafay’s question on how content has changed since he entered the industry, Ijaz said, “If you watch our dramas on YouTube or television, you will see that our characters move from the lounge to the drawing-room, from there to the kitchen and from the kitchen to the bedroom. And from the bedroom, it ends.”

    “They don’t want to go outside; they don’t even want to look outside the window. How many stories can you make within the four corners of a house?” asked Ijaz.

    Ijaz said that things took a turn for the worse after the arrival of private TV channels.

    “Almost all the issues they highlight are similar. Before these private channels came in, dramas used to come in from all four provinces. Because of which one got a chance to learn about their cultures, their customs, their folk stories, and sitting at home just watching those dramas you used to get so much knowledge.”

    Ijaz continued to slam private channels and said that nowadays, they only inform the audiences about how someone was having an affair with someone else’s husband or got married to some other irrelevant person. “Or you end up seeing someone take revenge from someone else for somebody else, or a mother hating on this person’s daughter. What is happening? What are we doing?” he said.

    Read more – Bushra Ansari says she is done with ‘saas-bahu’ dramas

    “Your dramas have diminished, you need to wake up! These people are just sleeping and feeding an empty box,” said the actor, adding that audiences nowadays have access to Netflix and Amazon Prime and that channels need to work harder to provide quality and informative content to them so that they return to Pakistani television.

    “You can’t hold the private/independent producer responsible, you are responsible – the broadcasters are responsible,” Ijaz pointed out. “I remember when Sultana aapa made her first private production which was on the concept of khula, it became so controversial that people stood up, it created awareness. But what is this father taking revenge from his son or mother taking revenge from her daughter or bahu, where does this happen?” said an exasperated Ijaz, adding that drama producers are not even attempting to educate their audiences.

    Ijaz added that through such dramas, private television channels are instilling hatred into the audience.

    “These kind of things happen on a small scale, but if you start showing such negativity on a channel watched by the masses, they will adopt it.”

    “I personally think our media should be hanged, they’re not educating anyone,” he remarked. “They think their audience is not smart enough, the audience has become aware but the media is still stuck. They are not interested in experimenting or growing – they just want volume.”

    “For example, we talk about women empowerment but in our dramas we show women being insulted, beaten up and abused.”

    When asked if lack of professionalism is the reason behind this problem, Naumaan said: “This industry – producers, broadcasters, actors – don’t know what professionalism is. Producers have to beg the broadcasters to pay them their money that is due. Directors are also not as respected as before. Unfortunately, we have lost everything including morals, values, respect, norms, everything.”

    Naumaan concluded by saying that the country is it’s own worst enemy and that we don’t need any external enemies.

  • Govt pledges to promote the film industry

    Govt pledges to promote the film industry

    The government has announced that it will be creating a film task force which will be responsible for promoting the entertainment industry and resolving its issues.

    In a virtual meeting with artists and stakeholders involved, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz shared the government’s intentions and discussed issues being faced by the film industry and their proposed solutions. Among those present included Humayun Saeed, Vasay Chaudhry, Ali Zafar, Fizza Ali Meerza and Nadeem Mandviwala.

    According to APP, Senator Faraz, while addressing the meeting, said that artists were assets of the nation who play an important role in the promotion of national culture and image apart from the growth of society. He added that the government realises the importance of artists and values their contribution to society.

    The minister elaborated that the government is working towards setting up a task force which will play a key role in promoting the film industry, assisting in the implementation and improvement of the film policy and resolving related issues. The task force will include government officials and those associated with the film industry.

    Read more – PM Imran urges TV writers’ to promote family values, national identity through dramas

    Speaking to The Current, Vasay Chaudhry said that the meeting went “really well” and that the “Honourable Minister showed a lot of interest in matters pertaining to film and seemed very committed and serious.”

    He added, “Being the son a great Urdu poet (Ahmed Faraz Sahab), Faraz showed keen interest in the issues of royalties when it was brought up by me. He told us that the issue of royalties of artistes is very close to his heart and he will make sure to do something about it.”

    Addressing this topic, Faraz in the meeting had said that artists had the right to receive royalties for their work and that practical steps will be taken to ensure that their copyrights are protected.

    Information Secretary Akbar Durrani briefed the participants about the national film policy and the Artist Welfare Fund. He said that a database of artists across the country was being created which will help them financially. It is pertinent to mention here that the Artist Welfare Fund has been increased from Rs 25 crore to 1 billion in the new budget on the recommendation of President Dr Arif Alvi.

    Meanwhile, Ali Zafar thanked Senator Faraz for calling this meeting and assuring the entertainment industry of the government’s support.

  • Usman Mukhtar’s short film ‘Bench’ wins big at New York’s South Shore Film Festival

    Usman Mukhtar’s short film ‘Bench’ wins big at New York’s South Shore Film Festival

    Usman Mukhtar’s short film Bench has won the ‘Best Short Film Award’ at the South Shore Film Festival, New York.

    Mukhar shared the news with his followers and audiences on social media.

    https://twitter.com/MukhtarHoonMein/status/1280216996706242561?s=20

    Later, the actor, who was over the moon with the win, also shared a heartfelt note in which he said that he had no words to express his happiness and thanked his co-star Rubya Chaudhry for being the “heartbeat of this film”.

    “I do not have words to explain my happiness with you,” said the actor. “This is our first win so I am going to be very emotional. Since as long as I can remember I’ve wanted to be a filmmaker. Starting from those VHS cameras to right now. Winning this makes me feel that all the hardships that I went through, meant something. Thank you all for your support and I cannot wait to share the film with you all.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CCVz9yWpVwq/

    Rubya also expressed her excitement on social media and called Mukhtar “a true gem, a star, a guy that deserves everything amazing and then some”.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CCWAis8AgIH/

    The film which has been directed by Mukhtar and written by Ali Mudar the film sees two people at difficult crossroads of their lives, cross paths.

    Speaking to a local media publication, Mukhtar shared that the “film is about two people who meet on a bench. It’s a dialogue based film which takes a very interesting twist and turns.”

    He added that the film has been submitted to a lot of film festivals including the Toronto, Cannes and Busan Film Festivals but due to the current situation, they’re screening the film online but they are yet to hear back from them.

    While it is not clear when the film will be screened in Pakistan, we’re hopeful we get a chance to watch it soon.

    Watch the trailer of the film below:

  • Trailer of Sushant Singh Rajput’s last film ‘Dil Bechara’ trends at number one on YouTube Pakistan

    Trailer of Sushant Singh Rajput’s last film ‘Dil Bechara’ trends at number one on YouTube Pakistan

    The trailer of Sushant Singh Rajput’s final film Dil Bechara released Monday and is already trending at number one on YouTube Pakistan. Apart from that, the trailer has set a new YouTube record and has gone on to become the most-liked trailer ever in 24 hours – with 6.4 million likes – beating Hollywood blockbuster Avengers: Endgame. It also garnered more than 30 million views within 24 hours of being released besides also receiving millions of views on other social media platforms including Facebook and Instagram.

    Dil Bechara, which is the official Hindi remake of 2014 Hollywood romantic drama The Fault in our Stars, based on John Green’s popular novel of the same name, has been directed by renowned casting director Mukesh Chhabra, who makes his directorial debut with this film. Sushant and debutante Sanjana Sanghi have the lead roles in the film while Saif Ali Khan is expected to make an interesting cameo.

    From the looks of it, the film is a quintessential love story, except the protagonists, are cancer patients. According to the film’s official synopsis, Dil Bechara “is the story of Kizie Basu (Sanghi) and Manny (Rajput) and explores the funny, thrilling, and tragic adventure of being alive and in love. Together Kizie and Manny embark on an on-off-up-down-sad and sweet profound journey into the heart of that crazy little thing called life. It teaches them what it means to feel truly alive and fall in love.”

    The trailer is full of bittersweet moments and is bound to leave you teary-eyed, especially given the circumstances in which it is releasing. Sushant died of suicide on June 14.

    Perhaps the most striking part of the whole trailer was Rajput’s dialogue: “We don’t get to decide when we are born or when we die, but how we live our life is in our hands.”

    Read more- Sushant Singh Rajput’s death exposes the toxic side of Bollywood

    Following the trailer’s release, the director of the film Mukesh Chhabra shared an emotional note in which he shared that the film was Sushant’s “dream”.

    “Presenting to you our dream and the dream of my brother Sushant, who will live on in me till my last breath,” wrote Chhabra. “So much has changed in my life these past years and I will always cherish every single moment. Putting the trailer out there in your hands and in your hearts. It’s over to you now.”

    A.R.Rahman, who composed the music for the film, also shared the playlist of the film’s album.

    The film is slated to release digitally on July 24 on Disney+ Hotstar. As a tribute to the late actor, the film will be made available to everyone including non-subscribers. It was initially scheduled to release on May 8 but due to the coronavirus pandemic, its release was pushed.

    Meanwhile, here’s what Sushant’s colleagues and members of the industry have to say about the trailer and film:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CCUvPmYhS5n/
  • Every Karachiite will relate to Osman Khalid Butt’s hilarious Twitter exchange with K-Electric

    Every Karachiite will relate to Osman Khalid Butt’s hilarious Twitter exchange with K-Electric

    It’s that time of the year when Karachi’s electricity provider K-Electric is at the receiving end of Karachiites wrath. Over the past couple of the days, their standard reply to all complaints – “Responded in DM” – has become a joke.

    Recently, Osman Khalid Butt had a hilarious Twitter exchange with K-Electric and is something all citizens of Karachi will be able to relate to.

    It all started when Butt shaded KE at 5 am in the morning for not restoring electricity.

    KE responded with their usual reply to which Butt joked that given how many DMs have been exchanged they should just ask each other out at this point.

    Four hours later, electricity was still not restored.

    An hour later, Butt shared that K-Electric may take 15 more hours to restore electricity.

    “I may spontaneously combust with rage,” said the actor.

    Meanwhile, Butt’s followers including his colleagues really enjoyed his rant.

    https://twitter.com/ushnashah/status/1280405340970979328?s=20
  • Hina Butt says no Pakistani actress can play Maryam Nawaz

    Hina Butt says no Pakistani actress can play Maryam Nawaz

    Hina Butt’s admiration for Maryam Nawaz is no secret. The Punjab Assembly MPA earlier ruffled a few feathers after she commented that Ertuğrul reminds her of the PML-N VP and now she’s done it yet again.

    In a recent interview, when asked who would essay Maryam best if a biopic on her was made – Mehwish Hayat, Mahira Khan, Hareem Farooq or Zara Noor Abbas – Hina said none of them.

    “I don’t think any of them. Because she’s tall-heighted. She’s fair. As an actress, I really like Sanam Saeed and Iman Aly. But they have a tan complexion. So none of these. Although Mahira is a good actress, I don’t think she can play a serious role like this,” said Butt.

    Read more – Mehwish Hayat to run for PM in 2028?

    In the same interview, when she was asked to rank Prime Minister Imran Khan’s performance as a cricketer and prime minister out of ten, the lawmaker responded that as a PM she would give him zero while as a cricketer, she would give him six because he won the ICC Cricket World Cup in 1992.

  • ‘A glimpse of death’: Hasnain Lehri shares harrowing experience of turbulent flight

    ‘A glimpse of death’: Hasnain Lehri shares harrowing experience of turbulent flight

    Following the tragic PIA plane crash in Karachi and the controversy around the alleged fake licences of hundreds of Pakistani pilots, Pakistanis have become fearful when it comes to air travel. While COVID-19 lockdowns across the world have limited movements, some people are forced to travel due to various reasons.

    Renowned model Hasnain Lehri, in a Twitter post, shared a harrowing flight experience with Serene Airlines and demanded that he wants answers as to why the pilot decided to increase speed and take off again moments before landing. Detailing his ordeal, Lehri said that he experienced “a glimpse of death”.

    Hasnain recounted that just as the plane was about to land at Lahore Airport, the pilot increased the speed of the plane and took off again following which the plane circled around Lahore for a few minutes before he finally attempted to land again. Lehri shared that those 15-20 minutes were the longest of his life and he was not sure if he would come out of this alive.

    The model added that the pilot said that he did not land due to “birds in the path”. However, neither he nor the fellow passengers were convinced with this excuse and demanded a more detailed answer on the matter.

    Meanwhile, in response to Lehri’s tweet, Serene Airlines said that the complaint has been forwarded to the relevant department.

    Lehri’s colleague Zara Abid was on the ill-fated Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight which crashed in Karachi on May 22.

  • ‘Tum Tum’: Asim Azhar releases the ‘biggest collaboration of the year’

    ‘Tum Tum’: Asim Azhar releases the ‘biggest collaboration of the year’

    Asim Azhar’s latest song Tum Tum, which had received a lot of hate for featuring Tiktoker Areeka Haq, has finally released.

    Touted as the “biggest collaboration of the year”, the song features Asim, Areeka, Shamoon Ismail, Mooroo, Talha Anjum and Talha Yunus. Hania Aamir and Asad Siddiqui have a guest appearance in the song.

    While the song garnered more than a million views within hours of being released, the storyline is not so impressive and shows Areeka as a heartless gold-digger who gets together with boys and fleeces them of their money.

    Even the music video begins with the quote: “If you choose money over love, you will always be poor.”

    Watch it here:

    Despite the views, the song did not resonate well with the audiences who took to social media to voice their criticism.

    https://twitter.com/bhaibutnotyours/status/1278738716480147457?s=20
    https://twitter.com/Iam_Mian1/status/1278722463262785536?s=20
    https://twitter.com/jerrytweetzzz/status/1278702346399354881?s=20
    https://twitter.com/Farisal06709906/status/1278868522173636614?s=20

    Some people even said that Taher Shah’s Farishta was better than this.