Current Final

Category: Entertainment

  • HSY opens up about losing two friends to COVID-19

    HSY opens up about losing two friends to COVID-19

    Pakistani fashion designer Hassan Shehryar Yasin aka HSY, who used to host a popular talk show with celebrities, has recently started holding live Instagram sessions with celebrities keeping in the mind the current coronavirus lockdown.

    The designer recently had a session with actor Osman Khalid Butt in which they discussed the pros and cons of interacting with fans amid lockdown and also addressed the mental effect it has on them. During the session, HSY revealed that two of his friends had passed away abroad due to COVID-19.

    It all started when Butt talked about how the lockdown is affecting his mental health. He said, “I started beating myself lately for not taking up the opportunities I could when I had the time. When the lockdown began I wanted to be productive at home but now it’s getting to me. People who work hard really need to take it easy on themselves because this situation is not normal. We are under lockdown and it’s okay to be depressed.”

    To this HSY replied, “Everyone is going through the same, I spoke to Shehryar Munawwar and Mawra Hocane the other day and both of them were tired of the negativity, the negative comments of the public and for not being able to work.”

    He then urged people to be kind to themselves and others. “I also lost two of my friends from coronavirus, one of whom was New York and no one knows. But it is pointless talking about that with anyone here. But all these people not taking the situation seriously and pulling others down need to stop.”

    The designer also shared a trick he uses to calm himself down in such stressful situations.

    “It’s the rule of five. I count five things around me that I can see, four things around me that I can hear, three things around me that I can feel, two things around me that I can smell and one thing that I can taste. Once I do this I feel calmer and more thankful.”

  • Indian film body issues warning against working with Pak artists online

    Indian film body issues warning against working with Pak artists online

    The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has warned Indian singers and musicians against working with Pakistani artistes and said that failure to comply would lead to “strict disciplinary action”. According to a report in the Hindustan Times, the film body issued this warning after a collaboration between Indian artistes and Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was brought to its notice.

    “We are pained to inform all members that despite being fully aware that FWICE has issued a total non-cooperation circular advising all members not to work in any manner whatsoever with all Pakistani artistes, singers and technicians, some members are blatantly violating the non-cooperation circular,” a letter from FWICE read.

    “We have been informed that more such Entertainment products and songs are being planned and made. We have to strictly inform all the members of our affiliates to kindly note that the non-cooperation circular is valid and subsisting and anyone found cooperating or working in any manner with any Pakistani artistes, singers and technicians, in any mode or media of entertainment will be subject to strict disciplinary action,” the letter further added.

    “One should also realise that while the entire world is fighting against the coronavirus, Pakistan is still busy killing our soldiers on the borders. Kindly note no violation of this circular will be allowed and we are sure all members will follow our advice in their own interest,” it added.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B-4huVgFBxQ/?utm_source=ig_embed

    A live session between Rekha Bhardwaj, Ali Sethi and Farida Khanum had also recently gone viral on social media.

    https://www.instagram.com/tv/B-KQYm2B1Iw/?utm_source=ig_embed

    Pakistani artistes were banned from working in India after the 2016 Uri attack.

  • ‘Kaheen Deep Jalay’ keeps getting worse

    ‘Kaheen Deep Jalay’ keeps getting worse

    Saach baat bataoon toh Neelum Munir and Imran Ashraf’s Kaheen Deep Jalay on Geo was my guilty pleasure. The drama was full of well, drama, and it had a heavy dose of masala complete with over-the-top twists and turns which were oh-so-fun to watch. But the last couple of episodes have turned the serial into a painful watch.

    Let’s take a quick run through the plot. Rida (Neelum Munir) is the only sister of three brothers: Hatim (Hammad Farooqui), Fahaam (Ali Abbas) and Asim (Syed Arez). The brothers dote on their sister and pamper her to no extent. Rida’s maternal cousin Shamila (Nazish Jahangir) gets married to her eldest brother Fahaam. Shamila is a conniving and manipulative girl who is jealous of Rida because of the attention she gets from her brothers. Shamila’s only brother doesn’t pamper her much and seeing Rida get so much attention from her brothers irks Shamila who then uses every opportunity to mentally torture her sister-in-law.

    Meanwhile, Rida gets married to Zeeshan (Imran Ashraf). Zeeshan, who was Hatim’s colleague had fallen in love with Rida from the moment he saw her. The two get married and are happy but soon Zeeshan’s insecurities coupled with Shamila’s manipulation cost them their marriage.

    Read more – ‘Kahin Deep Jalay’ is terribly typical but full of masala

    The recent episodes have seen the plot spiral completely out of control. A misunderstanding on Zeeshan’s part leads him to believe that Rida cheated on him. This gives Shamila a chance to lash out on Rida even more and Rida’s brothers who doted on her through the course of the drama now refuse to even acknowledge her to the point that they wish that she was dead. It is impossible to understand how Rida’s brothers just suddenly turned their back on their sister and refuse to believe her innocence. This plot twist is beyond my understanding.

    Hatim, Asim and Rida’s mother

    Though Zeeshan later realises his mistake and asks Rida for forgiveness, she refuses to forgive him (and rightly so) and the two spend their days crying. Zeeshan, in particular, is very annoying. He cries all the time (not that I’m against men crying) and feels sorry for himself and doesn’t really make much of an effort to make amends. He just hopes that Rida will come around.

    On the other hand, Shamila, whose husband Fahaam is shot dead, manipulates her brother-in-law Hatim into marrying her so that she can once again become the bahu of the house. Another over-the-top and absolutely unnecessary plot twist. It’s so annoying to see how the men in the family are so oblivious to Shamila’s actions.

    Shamila and Hatim

    Despite the frustrations, I don’t want to overlook the positive which is Rida’s relationship with her mother-in-law (Saba Faisal). It is refreshing to see a mother-in-law stand up for her daughter-in-law and criticise her son for being unfair to her. Her character is probably the only balanced one in the entire drama – the rest of them are an emotional mess.

    Rida and her mother-in-law

    While Kaheen Deep Jalay continues to test my patience, the only reason I will continue to watch the drama is because I’m curious to know Shamila’s end. And I’m pretty sure it’s not going to be a pleasant one. So that should make up for the frustrations. In my opinion, things could have been accelerated and the drama should have wrapped up by now.

    Another thing that has been bothering me is how Geo repeats the last ten minutes of the previous episode in the new episode.

    Nonetheless, if you’re looking for a masalaydaar drama which does not require too much of your brain cells, give Kaheen Deep Jalay a go. Otherwise given how it’s progressing, or regressing, you can skip it.

  • Fans are disappointed with Taher Shah’s ‘Farishta’

    Fans are disappointed with Taher Shah’s ‘Farishta’

    After teasing his fans with multiple release dates, Taher Shah finally released his latest song Farishta late Friday night. However, the song failed to impress his fans and social media was soon lit with memes about the song. After all, Eye to Eye had set the bar very high.

    And despite being number 44 on Trending on YouTube, the song has more dislikes than likes.

    Farishta is basically Angel translated into Urdu. Which is kind of disappointing because Angel released four years ago – I mean he could have translated it then. What’s worse is the fact that Taher Shah himself does not even feature in the video. Instead, we’re made to watch a little prince with a creepy smile. On the other hand, looks like Taher spent a lot of right on the animations because the video is very vivid and detailed.

    Here’s what social media has to say about the song.

    https://twitter.com/FarihaShaikh12/status/1248856748737396737?s=20
    https://twitter.com/FarhanVirk/status/1248683118325874688?s=20
    https://twitter.com/BrutalBhau/status/1248686481381552128?s=20

    People were not forgiving Taher for simple translating Angel.

    https://twitter.com/waqas_x/status/1248687252051570689?s=20
    https://twitter.com/noturpancake43/status/1248749069218074624?s=20

    Check out the song here:

  • Sheheryar Munawar wants his life back

    Sheheryar Munawar wants his life back

    Three weeks into quarantine and we all feel like we’re going to lose our minds. But then again, that is not exactly unexpected given our highly charged lifestyles.

    Sheheryar Munawar recently in an Instagram post wrote, “You Corona! Take the hint, you’re not wanted. Go away already…I want my life back.”

    We feel you Sheheryar.

    But at the same time, Sheheryar wrote, “You’re not alone. There are a lot of us feeling the same way. What helps me is repeating a positive affirmation to myself when I feel stressed. Something like Amir Khan’s ‘All is Well’ from 3 Idiots.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B-y-t-0n3L5/

    Earlier, Sheheryar had encouraged his fans to make the best of their time in quarantine.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B-jfUsLHt6_/
  • ‘An absolute idiot moment on my part’: Ushna Shah apologises for criticising doctors for dancing

    ‘An absolute idiot moment on my part’: Ushna Shah apologises for criticising doctors for dancing

    After sparking outrage for her comments on doctors and healthcare workers across the globe for dancing to lift their spirits, Ushna Shah has since then apologised for her remarks.

    Read more – Ushna Shah thinks doctors are wasting ‘precious time’ by dancing

    In a long post shared on social media, Ushna said that she was confused over the matter and wanted people’s thoughts on it before she formed an opinion.

    “However, that momentary confusion was tone-deaf and unwarranted. I don’t work in a hospital, I don’t know what the frontliners are going through. Frankly, I don’t even get to have an opinion on this,” she wrote, adding that she has made it a point to thank them in whatever way she can.

    “I vehemently apologise for any offense caused what so ever. I am in absolutely no position to question anything doctors and nurses to to take the edge off.”

    “We owe them our lives,” she remarked.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B-xHAMShxGG/

    On Thursday, Ushna had said that while she understands that doctors need their breaks, she is confused over whether the doctors are wasting their precious time doing this. She later deleted her tweet. However, social media was quick to call her out for her ignorant remarks.

  • PEMRA bans Waqar Zaka’s show

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) and Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has banned Champions, a reality TV show on BOL Entertainment.

    According to PEMRA ‘Champions‘ has been banned for being ‘offensive towards social, religious and cultural values of this country’. The channel and the host Waqar Zaka have not yet responded to the matter.

    Champions is a reality TV show hosted by Wakar Zaka. The design of the show is similar to reality TV shows like Big Brother and Big Boss. The show has contestants that are auditioned and then selected to live together in a controlled space.

    Except they also have to complete a series of physical and mental tasks while they’re there and the contestants are eliminated weekly until one champion remains.

  • Ushna Shah thinks doctors are wasting ‘precious time’ by dancing

    Ushna Shah thinks doctors are wasting ‘precious time’ by dancing

    If there is one actor who keeps ending up in the line of fire, it’s Ushna Shah. But that is probably because her comments are usually unfiltered.

    As the coronavirus grapples the world, doctors and healthcare workers across the world are under immense pressure as they deal with the rising number of cases. In order to uplift their spirits and deal with the crisis, medical staff at various hospitals have been dancing away their blues.

    Read more – Doctors worldwide are dancing as coronavirus patients recover

    Ushna, in a recent tweet, said that while she understands that doctors need their breaks, she is confused over whether the doctors are wasting their precious time doing this.

    Though Ushna later deleted her tweet, social media did not spare her.

    https://twitter.com/adambeyzaar/status/1248253782066188289?s=20
    https://twitter.com/kaif_hameed/status/1248221478753107968?s=20
    https://twitter.com/Aatma007/status/1248211270370832384?s=20

    What’s confusing is that just a few hours ago, Ushna had shared a video of herself stitching hazmat suits for medical staff.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B-tnhovBlcL/

    Read more – Ushna Shah responds to ‘pizza guy’ Twitter backlash

    It is pertinent to mention here that doctors across the world are being lauded for putting their lives at risk and fighting on the frontlines against coronavirus.

  • Ellen DeGeneres sparks outrage for joking quarantine ‘feels like jail’

    Ellen DeGeneres sparks outrage for joking quarantine ‘feels like jail’

    Ellen DeGeneres, one of America’s most popular TV personalities, sparked a furore on Wednesday after comparing her self-isolation in a multimillion-dollar mansion to being in prison.

    DeGeneres, whose daily television talk show had been off the air for three weeks because of a stay-at-home order, returned on Wednesday with a show filmed by her wife, actress Portia De Rossi, from one of their California homes.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B-ko8UYDVjh/

    “One thing that I’ve learned from being in quarantine is that people – this is like being in jail, is what it is,” quipped DeGeneres, who was filmed in an armchair looking out on vast, grassy lawns and mountains.

    “It’s mostly because I’ve been wearing the same clothes for 10 days and everyone in here is gay,” she said, laughing at her own joke.

    The video was removed after the backlash.

    While DeGeneres also praised health workers and other on the frontlines battling the coronavirus epidemic, the prison joke did not go down well.

    “I have actual friends and loved ones who are currently incarcerated. They are locked down in horrific conditions and terrified what is going to happen to them. Your ‘joke’ about being quarantined at home being like that is unfunny and disrespectful,” tweeted social justice activist Diana #FreeThemAll4PublicHealth.

    More than 280 inmates and 400 staff in New York prisons have been infected with the coronavirus and at least seven people have died, according to the New York Department of Corrections.

    In Chicago, some 230 detainees in Cook County jails have tested positive for the virus, along with 92 staff members. Louisiana has also reported coronavirus-related deaths among prison inmates. Meanwhile even in Pakistan it is being reported that inmates in several jails across the country have been tested positive for coronavirus.

    “Hey @TheEllenShow, prisoners across this country are trapped in 24-hour quarantine in cells that are probably about the size of one of your showers & others are sleeping 3 feet away from sick inmates. And they’re dying. You aren’t experiencing anything close to prison,” wrote another Twitter user.

    The backlash was the latest example of celebrities being called out for what appeared to be tone-deaf comments and social media postings as the pandemic has put millions of Americans out of work and killed more than 14,000 in the United States.

    Last month, DeGeneres was slammed for complaining of being bored in videos that she posted of herself lying on a couch at her home.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B-srnfBDMNG/

  • FBR serves Rs13 million notice to popular Pakistani Youtube prankster

    The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has sent a Rs13 million tax notice to Pakistani YouTuber Nadir Ali, who runs a channel called “P4 Pakao”, a private media outlet has reported.

    Nadir’s videos show him and his team pulling pranks on unsuspecting people and attract a lot of internet traffic. The combined views of his channel are over 820 million, making his channel one of the largest in the country.

    According to reports, tax authorities suspected him of concealing his income and subsequently launched an investigation against him, and their suspicions were confirmed when they contacted YouTube to learn about his actual income.

    Reportedly, Nadir received more than Rs10 million in foreign exchange during the year on which exemption was claimed without furnishing proof to the tax department and at the same time, he maintained a bank account, which he did not declare in the wealth statement.

    The report also quoted tax officials as saying that the YouTuber was served a number of notices during the course of the investigation but he did not respond to any of them and now he has the option to appeal the order before a commission in Karachi.

    Nadir also spoke to the media outlet through his lawyer and denied having not responded to the FBR. “We received their notice and responded in person. We later applied for an extension in the time to file a response and our application was approved. We are now working to resolve this through all proper ­channels,” he added.