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  • HBCW21: More stars than fashion

    HBCW21: More stars than fashion

    If there is one thing that we love about Hum TV’s annual Bridal Couture Week (HBCW) it has to be the number of stars at the event. From Imran Ashraf to Sarah Khan to Resham, all the ‘it’ stars of the season were spotted setting the ramp on fire or in the front row or just hanging out backstage. While all this makes the HCBW an exciting affair, I wish I could say the same about the fashion and the outfits on the ramp because my biggest takeaway from the three-day extravaganza was the celebrity showstoppers and the acts they put up.

    Imran Ashraf & Yumna Zaidi walk for Umsha by Uzma Babar

    Held at the Pearl Continental Hotel in Lahore, this year’s HBCW was a grand affair despite COVID limitations. I have to add here that the organisers did a fantastic job ensuring all SOPs were followed and all attendees were wearing masks (and covering their nose and mouth) at all times.

    “I spent the entire Day 1 ensuring that everyone was wearing their masks properly,” remarked Moiz Kazmi of MK Digital while talking to me. He shared that the organising team present on site was under strict instructions to ensure that everyone was following the necessary SOPs and if anyone was found violating them, they were immediately escorted out of the hall. All chairs were also placed at a distance to ensure social distancing.

    Moreso, in an official announcement, Hum TV said that all models and those participating were required to undergo COVID-19 tests. The announcement also added that fittings will not be done during the event to ensure minimum contact. This explains why several models and showstoppers were seen wearing ill-fitted garments.

    This year’s HCBW saw many favourites including Ali Xeeshan and Khadijah Shah return to fashion weeks and one has to say that the two are game-changers. While Xeeshan’s collection Numaish wasn’t as strong as his previous ones, the message he intended to give out through his show was brilliant. Trust Ali Xeeshan to bring his signature drama to the ramp while creating social awareness. On the other hand, Shah presented a gorgeous collection of bridal dresses which are bound to be bestsellers in the upcoming wedding season.

    Despite being a hard year on several fronts, it was heartening to see many new designers debut. For instance, Nisa Hussain made a strong debut with theatrics and fashion. Arif Lohar opened her show with his Jugni Jee, grooving on the ramp like there is no tomorrow. Her showstopper Resham brought in some old-school glam, while Hareem Farooq was the chirpy, modern bride who likes to enjoy her wedding day.

    I have to admit that like any other person, I love to watch my favourite stars on the ramp but at the same time their casual attitude really puts me off. For example, Hira Mani and Affan Waheed who walked for Alishba and Nabeel on Day 1 chatted as they walked down the ramp. Similarly, Saboor Aly could barely manage her dress and stumbled several times. Usman Mukhtar and Salman Saeed appeared as if they were forced to walk. But not all was bad. Ayesha Omar and Maya Ali glided down the ramp as did Imran Ashraf and Yumna Zaidi. Sarah Khan and Falak Shabir brought their romance to the stage which made our hearts flutter.

    Interestingly, the fashion was not the only thing that was unoriginal. Nabila’s makeup team also presented looks which we have seen several times before and it felt that not much effort was made to bring in fresh trends as far as makeup is concerned.

    President of Hum Network Sultana Siddiqui, in a press release, said that the show was being presented “to bring normalcy to everyday life” and the show was successful in that as it offered a nice break from the monotony of COVID-times.

  • Bajwa, Imran concerned as Sadpara, team remain missing

    More than 45 hours have elapsed since Pakistan’s Muhammad Ali Sadpara, Iceland’s John Snorri and Chile’s JP Mohr went missing, the Alpine Club of Pakistan and the manager of the expedition, Chhang Dawa Sherpa have confirmed. A rescue operation initiated on Saturday was also unsuccessful with Pakistan Army helicopters returning to Skardu without any information of the three mountaineers who were attempting to summit K2 in the winters.

    According to reports, Sadpara, Snorri and Prieto have been missing since Friday, though news of their summit of K2 had flooded social and mainstream media Friday night. It has not yet been confirmed whether the mountaineers have summited K2.

    A rescue operation was started approximately 24 hours after the climbers lost communication with Army helicopters trying to locate them. The helicopters managed to reach 7000 metres but had to return due to the winds and worsening weather conditions.

    Meanwhile, Sajid Sadpara, the fourth mountaineer on the expedition and Ali’s son, who had begun an earlier descent due to the malfunctioning of his oxygen regulator was escorted to base from Camp 3 by a team of Nepali Sherpas led by Dawa Sherpa.

    “The search for the remaining team members continues. Appeal for prayers,” tweeted Sajid, requesting for prayers.

    https://twitter.com/SajidAliSadpara/status/1357987764088827905?s=19

    Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa have also expressed their concern over the missing climbers and are personally monitoring all developments, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfi Bukhari has said.

    “High altitude porters and Lama helicopter will restart search at the crack of dawn. Prayers needed from everyone for their safe return,” added the SAPM.

    President Arif Alvi also expressed his concern, saying that “we pray for their safety”.

    Meanwhile Sadpara’s colleagues, celebrities and other noted personalities are also praying for the safe return of Sadpara and his colleagues.

    https://twitter.com/Hina_RKhar/status/1358081738124234757?s=20
    https://twitter.com/BabarAzamLove/status/1358136893884534793?s=19

    Sadpara is a Pakistani mountaineer and has hoisted the country’s flag on eight peaks. He was also part of the team that successfully achieved the first-ever winter summit on Nanga Parbat in 2016.

    Earlier on Friday, a 43-year-old Bulgarian mountaineer fell to his death while trying to summit K2, the world’s second tallest peak.

  • UK court says Daily Mail allegations against Shehbaz ‘highest level of defamation’

    UK court says Daily Mail allegations against Shehbaz ‘highest level of defamation’

    A London court judge, Justice Sir Matthew Nicklin, has ruled that the words used in an article of Daily Mail for Shehbaz Sharif and his son-in-law Imran Ali Yousaf are “slanderous, and constitute the highest level of defamation under United Kingdom (UK) law”.

    The judge declared that the article against Sharif and Yousaf, written by David Rose, constitutes Chase Level 1 defamation, which is considered the highest form of defamation law in the UK.

    On July 14, 2019, David Rose alleged that Shehbaz and his son-in-law were involved in money-laundering and embezzlement of British money meant for Pakistani citizens.

    Justice Nicklin remarked at the hearing that he analysed the material put before him by Daily Mail and Shehbaz Sharif’s lawyers. He was also aware of the proceeding happening in Pakistan, as per the judge. He said that “it is not for me to know. I would rather not know what is happening in Pakistan.”

    The publication’s lawyer quoted Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan advisor Shahzad Akbar’s statement that the money-laundering investigation started in Pakistan and it has led to multiple cases of corruption.

    In response, Shehbaz’s lawyer said that “the state has just proceeded with the investigation and now they are trying to tap the sources of these funds. It means that the investigation is far from complete, and Daily Mail had limited information at the time of the publication of the article”.

    The lawyer took the court through the entire article and said that the article is defamatory from the start till the end. It is also lacking evidence and making baseless allegations of fraud and money-laundering.

    Barrister Victoria Simon-Shore appeared for Shehbaz Sharif’s son-in-law Imran Ali Yousaf. She told the court that her client rejected all allegations of corruption, misuse of funds, and money-laundering.

    She said, “The allegations in the article that Mr Yousaf mysteriously accumulated money because his in-laws were in power was far from the truth. The presumption of innocent till proven guilty applies.”

    After the recent developments, the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) demanded the release of Shehbaz Sharif. Marriyum Aurangzeb said, “The decision of the London court is a testimony of the innocence of Shehbaz Sharif and PM Imran Khan being a proven liar.”

    She demanded an apology from PM Imran and his spokesperson because the president of the PML-N has been severely defamed, under British Law.

    “Those who have no self-respect, their only job is to malign the honourable people,” she added.

    In response, Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Accountability Mirza Shahzad Akbar claimed that the PML-N is declaring a premature victory by giving the perception that Shehbaz Sharif has won the case.

    He further said, “It was just a meaning hearing, which means it was held to decide the meaning of the words complained of in the claim brought by Shehbaz.”

    Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Akbar accused Marriyum Aurangzeb of spreading misinformation. He challenged Shehbaz to file a defamation suit against him in London and he will present all the evidence.

    Akbar said that “misreporting was done by PML-N and some sections of the media to give the perception that Shehbaz had won something.”

    He also referred to David Rose’s tweets in which the journalist said that the hearing was “not a victory for anyone and was strictly preliminary.”

  • PSL 6 anthem ‘Groove Mera’ has everyone buzzing

    The much-awaited anthem of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season six featuring Aima Baig, Naseebo Lal and Young Stunners has finally released.

    Titled Groove Mera, the track starts with Naseebo Lal’s strong vocals and as she takes charge, the audience is guaranteed to start buzzing to the track. We go on to see Aima Baig who, in her quintessential style, delivers powerful vocals. Then we see Young Stunners making an entrance as they rap their way into the song. The rap has been written by the artists themselves. 

    “Continuing the rich tradition of entertaining PSL fans with a new anthem for each season, Groove Mera refers to the swing and feel of the movements of cricketers. It refers to moments of finesse that one finds in the heart of every cricket match,” read the official statement by the league.

    “This year’s anthem also reflects the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the majority of the fans will be watching Pakistan’s biggest sporting event remotely, this anthem cheers both players on the field and their fans at home as they celebrate their groove,” continued the statement, adding: “Most importantly, the best part of this year’s anthem is that, it is featuring female vocalists as the leads.”

    Last year’s anthem Tayyar Hain featuring Asim Azhar, Ali Azmat and Haroon had disappointed fans. The star-studded collaboration had failed to impress cricket aficionados, who retaliated by poking fun at the song.

    Read more – ‘I’m sorry’: Asim Azhar responds to backlash on PSL anthem

    Groove Mera has been composed by Xulfi while the music video has been directed by Fida Moin.

  • Shibli, Fawad meet Shaan to condole Neelo Begum’s demise

    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz and Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry met Shaan Shahid on Saturday to condole over his mother, Neelo Begum’s demise.

    The ministers offered condolences on the death of actress and offered prayers for her.

    https://twitter.com/FawadPTIUpdates/status/1357995312766410752?s=19

    Taking to Twitter, Shaan thanked Faraz and Chaudhry for visiting him and offering their prayers.

    “Thank you for being a part of us,” wrote Shaan on Twitter. “The connection of the people and their representatives grows stronger when we share each other’s sorrows and joy.”

    The actor also tagged Prime Minister Imran Khan, referring to him as a “true leader”, implying that PM Khan had also sent his condolences via the ministers. Earlier, PM Imran had expressed his condolences on social media.

    Neelo Begum passed away at the age of 80 on January 31. She was suffering from cancer.

    Meanwhile, earlier Shaan also penned a heartfelt note for his late mother and wished that his mother has reunited with his father Riaz Shahid in heaven.

  • Should cricket give Nickelodeonesque broadcast a go?

    Should cricket give Nickelodeonesque broadcast a go?

    Apart from the usual coverage on CBS Sports, NFL collaborated with Nickelodeon for a kid-friendly coverage of the Wild Card round of the playoffs game between the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints on January 10, 2021. Very soon after the broadcast started, umpteen fans of different sports like hockey, baseball and basketball took to social media to point out how the governing bodies of the sports mentioned thereof need a kid-friendly broadcast to attract young generation towards sports. Barring a few exceptions, I didn’t see many people discuss whether or not the International Cricket Council (ICC) should follow suit. So, in what follows, I expound on the idea of Nickelodeonesque broadcast of cricket. First, I will look at whether the NFL’s move was a success or not. Second, I will outline how the Nickelodeon broadcast worked by breaking down how it differed from the usual broadcast. Third, I will deconstruct if this type of broadcast can materialise for cricket in the same way it did for NFL.

    In terms of viewership, the Nickelodeon broadcast of Bears-Saints game was a gargantuan success. Per CBS, as many as 2 million viewers watched the Nickelodeon’s simulcast thus becoming the most-watched program on Nickelodeon in almost a demi-decade. Zoomph, a social media analytics tool, noted that the Nickelodeon stream of the Bears-Saints game generated almost $6 million in social media value. According to them, there were 73,323 tweets related to the topic on the weekend of the broadcast that garnered 402 million impressions and 2.2 million engagements.

    More important, however, was the manner in which this broadcast took the world’s leading sports journalists by storm. American sportswriter Richard Deitsch, in his column for The Athletic, wrote that the Nickelodeon broadcast of Bears-Saints “was enormously different and challenging and chaotic and fun”. Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr wrote that the broadcast was a revelation for him and stripping the game of all its self-importance and hubris was an absolute delight.

    For those who don’t follow NFL or missed the game, let’s take a look at how the Nickelodeon broadcast was different from the usual one. There were slime cannons sprayed at the player whenever any touchdown was scored, match scores and statistics emblazoned on the field were done in eye-catching colours like bright orange, lime green and purple supplemented with players having googly eyes, hamburger hats and characters like SpongeBob and Patrick Star also popped up on the screen to capture the viewers’ attention. On top of all these, Iain Armitage, who starred as Sheldon Cooper in the CBS sitcom Young Sheldon, was at the helm to explain penalties and other rules of the game in an easy-to-understand manner. Kids, for whom the simulcast was designed for, admired the fun-themed broadcast. Keith Smith, writer at Yahoo Sports, RealGM and CelticsBlog, tweeted that when he asked his daughter about what she likes about the Nickelodeon broadcast, she replied: “They’re explaining it. Like, in a way I can understand it as a kid. And these graphics are cool!”. Former American football quarterback Kurt Warner heaped praise on Nick for the playoff’s simulcast.

    “My son loves @Nickelodeon but has never sat and watched a football game with me UNTIL today… I appreciate Nick introducing our kids to the game in a fun & entertaining way!”, he tweeted.

    Much to the delight of those who found the simulcast appealing, Sean McManus, CBS Sports chairman, said that they’ll be looking to do similar broadcasts in the future with other Viacom platforms such as MTV, VH1 and BET.

    It might seem churlish to say so but when it comes to innovation and being at par with other top sports of the world, the game of cricket is an also-ran. As we saw when the idea of reducing Test matches to four days in order to increase the viewership numbers of Test cricket was tossed around, it invited criticism from a large number of traditionalists notorious for clinging to the age-old archaic rules. For a similar reason, ICC has attempted time and again to get cricket inducted into the Olympics to be at par with the other sports and solve its viewership conundrum but all of its attempts have been in vain.

    Although every aspect of this simulcast was amazing but one thing that stood out for me and must be there in cricket is that Young Sheldon part. If you scour through the Marylebone Cricket Club’s (MCC) website, it is tough for a common man to wrap his head around the plethora of rules listed there. Many argue that in the Subcontinent, cricket runs in their blood. However, that is simply watching the game, not completely understanding it. Understanding the game, and I cannot emphasize this enough, is different from simply watching it just like studying a book is different from reading it. To trigger interest in those who do not watch cricket or to ensure that those who watch, their interest does not fade out, ICC needs to inject fun in the game because today’s generation needs fun in everything to escape the worldly chaos and sports is no exception. Also, who (apart from traditionalists) wouldn’t like batsmen or bowlers getting slimed after scoring a hundred or taking a fifer or animated characters popping to explain the situation of the game?

  • Farah Talib Aziz calls out Haris Shakeel for plagiarism

    Fashion powerhouse Farah Talib Aziz and her daughter Maliha Aziz Jamil have called out designer Haris Shakeel for plagiarising their work.

    Read more – ‘Ichhra looking hairpiece’: Nabila receives flak for ridiculing local makeup artist’s work

    Commenting under an Instagram post which compared the two outfits, the mother-daughter duo called out the designer for blatantly copying their designs and passing them as his own. Their comments come just after Shakeel successfully showcased his bridal collection at the ongoing Hum Bridal Couture Week 2021.

    According to Maliha, this is not the first time Haris has copied their designs.

    “If you are a designer then why not come up with your own designs instead of copying Farah,” said Maliha. “Don’t you feel any embarrassment when you order online from Farah Talib Aziz and then keep those dresses as your own samples to take orders on from your shop?”

    “What is the point of copying our designs from two years ago?” she said further, adding: “This must be the tenth time you have been caught making blatant copies of Farah Talib Aziz.”

    “Do you not feel ashamed of yourself?,” she questioned.

    Similarly, Farah also asked Haris stop “constantly copying” her designs.

    Meanwhile, Haris is yet to comment on the matter. The designer showcased his collection Ishq on the first day of the Bridal Couture Week with Saboor Aly as his showstopper.

  • ‘Stop killing dogs,’ says Hania Aamir after authorities allegedly shoot puppy

    A resident of Defence Housing Authority (DHA), Karachi Mehak Taherani has accused security officials of the private housing society of shooting dead her pet dog outside her house.

    “My puppy was shot dead by DHA outside my house,” said Mehak on Instagram. “Her name was Kobe.”

    Sharing details of the incident, Mehak, in a video, said: “My six-month-old dog was shot dead by DHA [police]. She was out doing her business in the morning [when she was shot] even though the guards of my street told the police that this is a house pet. Yet they shot her. Not once, but three times.”

    “I don’t understand why this happened or what she did to deserve such a thing,” said a visibly distressed Mehak in the video.

    Mehak further said that she will be filling a case against the police of the private housing authority, adding that she does not know how far this case will go.

    “The whole street knew her,” shared Mehak. “She slept right outside our house in a dog bed and was extremely friendly with everyone who came by.”

    “It is not okay that any agency of anywhere gets to get away with this,” remarked the resident. “I am shocked at the inhumanity in our country and its people. They [dogs] are scared of you, you do not need to feel threatened.”

    “What if he was a German Shepherd? Would it have been shot?,” questioned Mehak. “Probably not.”

    Soon after the video started doing the rounds on social media, several celebrities including Hania Aamir and Yasir Hussain condemned the brutal killing of the dog.

    Sharing Mehak’s video, Hania said: “She’s right. If it was a pure bred dog this would have never happened.”

    “Stop killing stray dogs,” she asserted.

    Meanwhile, several journalists and social media users also condemned the incident and urged authorities to take notice.

    Last week, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) imposed a complete ban on shooting stray dogs in the city.

  • VIDEO: Couple dive 60 feet underwater to tie the knot

    VIDEO: Couple dive 60 feet underwater to tie the knot

    A couple tied the knot 60 feet underwater off the coast of Neelankarai in India on Monday. This is reportedly India’s first underwater traditional marriage.

    “We dived in at an auspicious time and exchanged our garlands along with tying the mangal sutra,” said the couple.

    The couple was wearing traditional dresses. The bride wore a sari while the groom wore a Veshti (dhoti). They performed the marriage rites underwater.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vGSuIBQ0WQ&feature=emb_title

    Both the groom, Chinnadurai, and bride Swetha are software engineers. Chinnadurai is a licensed scuba diver while Swetha has also been learning to dive since last month.

  • Obamas to adapt Mohsin Hamid’s ‘Exit West’ for Netflix with Riz Ahmed in the lead

    Barack and Michelle Obama’s production company Higher Ground Productions on Friday announced six new projects in development for Netflix Inc, including a love story with a supernatural twist and a young adult thriller.

    The former president and first lady’s Higher Ground Productions will adapt British-Pakistani author Mohsin Hamid’s novel Exit West into a film, according to a statement from Netflix. The book tells the story of a young couple who find magical doors to transport them to other places and land in the middle of a global refugee crisis. Obama had also named it as one of the best books he read in 2017. According to The New York Times, the upcoming project will star the Pakistani-British actor Riz Ahmed.

    Other film projects include a science-fiction movie called Satellite, which will be produced with T Street, a production company run by Star Wars director Rian Johnson and producer Ram Bergman. Another is Tenzing, the story of the Nepalese-Indian man who first reached the summit of Mount Everest with Sir Edmund Hillary of New Zealand.

    The Young Wife is a feature film that follows a woman on the day of her wedding who feels out of sync as a storm approaches.

    The company also is developing two TV series. Firekeeper’s Daughter is a thriller based on a young adult novel by Angeline Boulley about an 18-year-old Ojibwe tribe member who reluctantly goes undercover in a police investigation on her reservation.

    The other series is a nature documentary about national parks.

    Netflix said the projects will be released over the next few years but did not give exact release dates.

    Read more – Netflix to release a new movie every week in 2021

    The Obamas signed a multiyear production deal with Netflix in 2018. Their earlier Netflix projects include American Factory, which won an Oscar in 2020 for best documentary.