With a shortage of personal protective equipment threatening health care workers across the world and Pakistan, fashion designers are stepping up meet the growing demand. While internationally Louis Vuitton and Ralph Lauren have started making hazmat suits and masks for healthcare workers, locally Deepak Perwani and Asim Jofa have started manufacturing PPE for medical staff.
A host of celebrities have also stepped forward to help. Adnan Siddiqui recently shared a video of himself stitching a hazmat suit and thanking all health workers fighting against the virus on the frontlines. He also encouraged his followers to do the same.
“I just wanted to take a moment to thank all the people – health professionals as well as others – who are devoting their time, energy and resources in the fight against coronavirus,” wrote Adnan.
He further wrote, “It’s moments like these that truly test one’s character. Our national character is being tested but we are all being tested in ways small and big. It’s an ongoing struggle. I know everyone is fighting their own battles and I salute all of you for your resilience.”
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Meanwhile, Shaniera Akram also shared a picture of herself with a hazmat suit she had stitched.
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Earlier, Iqra Aziz and Yasir Hussain had also shared their efforts and had encouraged everyone to do the same.
With the world on a standstill and everyone cooped up in their homes as we all self-isolate, celebrities are taking to social media to connect with their fans. Instagram live(s) and Twitter interactions are the new norm.
Mahira Khan, who had promised her fans both, took to Twitter to answer some questions from her fans giving us an insight into her life, which she usually keeps under wraps: like a moment she would like to live again.
Yes! Azzu being given to me in my arms. Seeing him for the first time. https://t.co/W6BFkxKwKK
Oh so many. He’s a wise boy. MashAllah. But day before he said something very cute, he was hugging me and he said ‘ You are a treasure to behold’. I started laughing.. he said I’m serious! https://t.co/XvzRp0jKXV
Such? Nothing at all! Started reading again. Thinking of new ways to mix up the food left in the fridge.. does that count? Aap kahaan gum hein 😘💕 https://t.co/0sg7lQ3qS6
Thank you my love. It’s tough sometimes.. but there is much more love then there are trolls. The love is real. Keeps me going xx https://t.co/NBrB6bXeYR
Would Mahira like her characters end to be different?
I’ve tried sometimes to discuss with my writers about the ending. Umera Ahmed and Shoaib Mansoor both told me that these characters have their own destiny, their own endings. So.. none! https://t.co/jz38DpoQHB
Damn that’s hard. Ok so Bavra Mann, doses and mimosas, jaaney kya Tuney kahi, zaalima and Tu meri ( that’s from my new film)! 💕 I love you, never doubt that. https://t.co/IeLkguCjMU
We knew Bilal Maqsood is a multi-talented artist, but we had no idea that he is ambidextrous as well. Ambidexterity is the ability to use both the right and left hand equally well.
The singer showed off artistic skills by drawing a couple in lockdown using both his hands at the same time, the video of which is truly mesmerizing.
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With everything else on hold, celebrities are using this time to connect with their fans through social media. Instagram Lives have become the new norm and every night social media apps are lit with celebrities aiming to entertain their fans across the world. Bilal has also been entertaining his fans by sharing short clips of him humming classic songs and playing the guitar. Check them out below:
Bilal sings the evergreen ‘Sanwali Saloni’ in memory of the legendary Junaid Jamshed.
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Check out this rendition of Ali Zafar’s classic Channo.
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Bilal gives the 90’s kids a little pop quiz. Can you guess any of these songs?
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And the like the rest of us, Bilal is washing his dishes.
Quarantine and self-isolation has brought out the inner chef in all of us. While the rest of us Google recipes for fun but fattening foods, Bilal Ashraf is sticking to his healthy regime.
The actor, who recently sported an amazing six-pack in the song Dharak Bharak (Superstar), shared a video of himself making healthy chocolate peanut butter balls in the kitchen. Bilal said that while working on Superstar he developed a habit of eating healthy and one of the snacks that he really liked during that time was these chocolate peanut butter balls.
The recipe for the chocolate balls is very simple. You’ll need almond flour, cocoa powder, peanut butter, honey, salt and a processor.
Watch the video for the complete recipe and the process.
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Meanwhile, Mahira Khan had a few suggestions for Bilal.
Are you trying this healthy snack or will you stick to your favourites?
Iqra Aziz and Yasir Hussain are preparing protective suits for the doctors and paramedical staff who are fighting against coronavirus on the frontlines.
In a recent video on Instagram, Yasir could be seen stitching a protective suit for doctors with wife, Iqra. He also credited the initiative to the Pakistani designer Asim Jofa who provided them with a waterproof cloth.
Iqra Aziz requested her followers to help the doctors.
“We both have made this protective suit together and so can you. Please start stitching and sending in your help,” she said.
As coronavirus cases continue to grow in Pakistan, doctors across the country are requesting authorities and the government to provide them with proper protective equipment so that they are not exposed to the virus.
In the past week, there has been a lot of debate over whether celebrities should be open about their charity efforts or not. While a lot of people were of the opinion that celebrities should keep it private, celebrities have opened up and said that the only reason they are sharing their efforts is because they want to inspire and motivate people to do the same.
Salman ‘Mani’ Sheikh and his wife Hira Mani are among those celebrities who have been collecting and distributing ration bags among the needy. They have kept their fans updated throughout for which they received immense backlash on social media. Later, Mani hit back at the criticism saying “As pop culture celebrities when we share posts of our material wealth – our show ratings, our wardrobe, our holidays – it is labelled as ‘trending’. However, when we try to use our fame to do some good, it is unfairly being labelled as ‘cheap publicity stunt’.”
Mani shared the process of how they started collecting donation bags and said that the only reason they shared it on Instagram was to create awareness and raise funds for their drive.
“We put up pictures on Instagram so whoever knew anyone deserving could contact us and refer that needy family. However, after a week we started running out of funds and appealed to others to join in. We also encouraged fans to start similar donations in their areas because our reach was limited,” he continued adding that they received a lot of donations and a lot of brands started contacting them.
Mani further said, “We didn’t put up pictures with the people who we were donating to, we didn’t show queues of deserving white-collar workers at our place. We don’t even go down to meet the people who come to our doorstep, so we don’t embarrass them and they don’t feel that we are doing it for publicity. And yet…we are disliked for it.”
“We [will] continue with our mission. Here’s the quote that keeps us going and will keep all those who are helping the ones in need, to keep at it no matter what,” he concluded.
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In the accompanying video, Mani took viewers on a tour of the setup where the ration bags are being made. Mani said that each ration box can roughly last a week or two. He said that each box includes aata, milk, risk, pulses, soap and oil among other things.
Earlier, Hira had also addressed the same concerns.
“Main show off nahi ker rahi mere kia aukat bus ye picture laga kay app logaon ko bata rahi hun kay app sub bhe mere saath mill kay iska hissa bunien ya phir apni capacity main app khud se jo bhe ker saktay hain kerien please. Abhi madad kerien (I’m not showing off, I’m a nobody. The only reason I’m posting this picture is to encourage people to come together and help in whatever way they can),” the actor had written.
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Meanwhile, some celebrities had appealed to their followers to keep the identity of those receiving the donations private.
Khudara imdad karty waqt picture ya video na bnayien kuch ayese loug hain jo majbori ki waja sey yeah madad hasil kar rahien hain ..logoon ki majbori ko publicity stunt na bnayien ..aur yeah waqt bari zalim cheez hey
A big thanks to all who provide ration to the needy. A humble request , please don’t make videos of people receiving it,as this makes them uncomfortable seeing themselves on social media .
The Donkey King has made his comeback with a coronavirus anthem.
Mangu – the popular character from the animated movie Donkey King has sung a song ‘Darna Nahi, Larna Hai‘ which is the latest coronavirus anthem urging people to take all the precautionary measures.
In the video for the anthem, Mangu urges everyone to practice social distancing but keep our hearts connected. The video also features other characters of the movie as they ask us to avoid going out of the house unnecessarily. The video ends with the message, “Stay home, stay safe.”
Shuja Haider and Asrar lend their vocals for the anthem. The lyrics have been written by Donkey King director Aziz Jindani.
Donkey King is Pakistan’s comedy animated movie released in October 2018. The movie has been released in cinemas around the world and has also been dubbed in many languages, including Turkish, Ukrainian, Russian, Korean, Spanish, Basque, and Catalan.
Pakistani actor Hira Tareen revealed in a recent interview that she has synesthesia, a medical condition in which people associate objects such as letters, shapes, numbers or people’s names with a sensory perception such as smell, colour or flavour.
In a recent interview, Tareen shared that as a child she used to associate numbers with colours, and did not think it was anything out of the ordinary. She did not know it was a medical condition with a proper term until she was in America for a clinic checkup.
“I was in America at a random clinic for a checkup when I saw something on TV that actually described my condition. When I saw that documentary on CNN, I was shocked to discover that whatever they were describing was what I did in my childhood. It’s a condition called synesthesia and in it, people join objects such as letters, shapes, numbers or people’s names with a sensory perception such as smell, colour or flavour.”
The 32-year-old model/actor is married to Ali Safina since 2013, and together they have a daughter.
The coronavirus lockdown is affecting us all in different ways. While some of us are increasing our social media activity in a bid to remain connected, others are using this time to disconnect from the world and isolate themselves in the truest sense.
Maya Ali, who has always maintained an active social media profile, has shared with her fans that she is taking a break from social media “to detox, to find inner peace and reset my whole system.”
“Sometimes we need time to think and count our blessings,” she wrote.
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Maya added that her team will keep her fans updated about the ration bags that she and her friend Faiza Saqlain are distributing among the needy people in the society. In an interview, Maya had revealed that she had raised almost four million rupees in donations for these ration bags.
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Maya’s last appearance was in the film Parey Hut Love alongside Sheheryar Munawar. The actor has hinted that she will be seen in another film very soon.
Life under lockdown has forced us all to take a step back from hustling bustling lives and reflect upon the little things that often go unnoticed. Meera Jee, who is currently self-isolating in New York, recently shared a video of herself jumping on a trampoline with a little girl Aliya and the one lesson the coronavirus induced lockdown has taught her.
Sharing the video, Meera wrote, “Who says we can’t learn from our children? One lesson corona has taught me…children are the leaders of the future. We have so much to learn from them. Enjoyed getting beat by six-year-old Aliya.”
Meera also shared that she currently spending quality time at home with her family. She added that she is also “cleaning, trimming, organising and living it up.”
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Meanwhile, Meera has been actively encouraging people to practise social distancing and wash their hands.
