Asim Azhar, whose Bollywood plans were cut short after Indo-Pak tensions reached an all-time high, has finally released his song Humraah which was featured in the film Malang featuring Aditya Roy Kapur, Disha Patani and Anil Kapoor in the lead.
The song which was originally composed and sung by Asim was replaced with a versionsung by Sachet Tandon when the situation between the two neighbouring deteriorated. The lyrics for the song have been penned by Kunaal Vermaa.
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Talking about the song and the story behind its release, Asim’s close friend Hania Aamir in her Instagram stories shared, “I remember being really, really upset when things went bad [between India and Pakistan] and we found out that Asim’s voice may not be used and his name would not be anywhere. Everyone who had heard the song and knew about it was pretty upset.”
“I even had a grudge for some time,” she continued. “But for some reason, Asim was very calm about it and had no bitter taste. When the song released in someone else’s voice, Asim still did not let it bother him and he shared with us that he will make his own video and release it later.”
“If someone takes my content and uses it and doesn’t give me any credit just because two people don’t get along, I would be really annoyed,” she added. “Somehow Asim saw the bigger picture and was calm about it and talked about making his own video, which has now finally been released.”
Fortunately, Asim did receive his due credit and the singer took to social media to share his excitement.
The Delhi Police arrested a couple for committing ‘Bollywood style’ robberies. The duo, who is being dubbed ‘Bunty-Babli’ in reference to Rani Mukherjee and Abhishek Bachchan’s superhit film, reportedly committed dozens of snatchings in the city.
According to a report in India Today, the couple rode a white-coloured scooty and while the man would drive the scooter, the woman would snatch phones and other belongings as a pillion rider.
After the robberies became common, an investigation team was constituted to look into the matter. Hundreds of reports with same modus operandi were searched but nothing could be substantiated. After that, the team started to collect and analyse CCTV footage of the crime scenes as well as the escape route used by the duo. While the CCTV footage had poor resolution and the police were unable to identify the criminals through it, it was enough to give the team the couple’s physical structure.
After a tedious investigation process, the team finally managed to nab the criminals and arrest them while they were at the market to sell the stolen mobile phones. They recovered four mobile phones and one scooty from their possession.
The police revealed that the man, identified as Arjun alias Karan, was is an active criminal of central Delhi. He was involved in 31 cases and is a drug addict. Meanwhile his wife, Vaishali Kaushal is a tattoo artist and also a drug addict. The two had tied the knot a few months back and have been carrying out snatchings ever since.
Saba Qamar, who had the honour of working with Irrfan Khan in the film Hindi Medium, in a recent interview opened up on her time with the actor on set and shared that he sang a song for her the first time they met.
“I’ve learned a lot from Irrfan,” said Saba. “Working with him was nothing less than a fan moment for me throughout. As an actor, I believe that acting is actually behaving truthfully under imaginary circumstances. And I actually saw that in him.”
Saba said that her on-set memories with the late actor were all about “fun conversations.”
“There was never a dull moment when he was around. We used to crack jokes with each other all the time. He always used to make me learn new things and give pro tips on life,” she said, adding that he was also very philosophical.
Recalling one her fondest memories with him, Saba shared that on their first meeting, Irrfan sang a song for her.
“When I entered the room where he was sitting, he started singing the song Badan Pe Sitaray…for me. I’ll always cherish the entire time I’ve spent with him.”
Saba further said that she wished that “things were better between our countries.”
“I am of the belief that acting is a form of blended art that shouldn’t be restricted to a particular type or even a country. It should be assorted in such a way that even we enjoy it and so do our fans and audiences. It is this assortment which I miss. I’d love to do more movies for my fans if I get any opportunity.”
To make decision-making easier for their users, Netflix has recently started sharing a list of ‘Top 10’ movies or seasons which are trending in different countries. According to a blog post from the company, the Top 10 row will be updated every day with “the most popular titles within a subscriber’s country, and the position of the row will also change depending on how relevant the shows and movies in the list are to their interests.”
As of Friday (May 1) night, the top three things trending on Netflix are Diriliş: Ertuğrul, Love Aaj Kal and Extraction, while the two films are also the top two in the Movie Category. While we all know that Diriliş: Ertuğrul is a hit among Pakistani audiences, Extraction and Love Aaj Kal are new additions to the streaming service.
Like any other Pakistani who grew up on Bollywood films, I couldn’t resist watching Love Aaj Kal. I mean Imtiaz Ali, Sara Ali Khan and Kartik Aryan — bring it on. As for Extraction, because for the most part, my job does require me to keep up with the latest trends, I decided to step out of my usual romantic comedies/dramas zone and watch something different and see whether it was worth the Netflix hype.
Let’s start with Extraction. The Chris Hemsworth action-thriller has been creating a buzz since he went to India for its shoot. A day before its release, Hemsworth on social media had said that “making this film was one of the most exhausting but rewarding experiences I’ve ever had on a set.”
He further said: “We set out to make the most insane, intense action film and I couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve achieved.” Unfortunately, the film only made me insane with the amount of bloodshed it had it in. To be honest, I’m generally not a big fan of action films but I do enjoy them from time to time. The two-hour-long film, which I finished in three sittings, was just a Bollywood film on steroids given that a lot of actors [for example Randeep Hooda, Pankaj Tripathi] in the film were from India.
The film is focused around Tyler Rake (played by Hemsworth), a black-market mercenary and former Australian Special Air Service Regiment soldier with a troubled past. From Rake’s first scene in the film, one can tell that he is the sort of person who likes to challenge and see death in the eye. Except for a few glimpses from his past, Rake’s character isn’t adequately developed. Anyways, Rake is hired by a fellow mercenary Nik Khan (Golshifteh Farahani) to rescue Ovi Mahajan Jr. (Rudhraksh Jaiswal), the son of India’s biggest drug lord (Pankaj Tripathi), from Dhaka, Bangladesh who has been abducted by Bangladesh’s biggest drug lord, Amir Asif (Priyanshu Painyuli).
The film is just one, long and bloody action sequence. There are limited dialogues and the characters just run through the narrow streets of Dhaka as they try to escape Bangladesh’s most notorious drug lord. They jump from building to building, kill countless people on the way and lockdown an entire city. The ending is as abrupt as the beginning – there is no character development or plot development. So unless you want to see only action, I’d advice you to skip the film altogether.
Now onto Love Aaj Kal. If I had to sum up the film in one word, or two, I’d say half-baked. The story, the characters, the plot, everything about the film is half-baked. The film follows the same premise as Imtiaz Ali’s first Love Aaj Kal, which had two love stories running side by side.
Zoe (Sara Ali Khan) is a free-spirited but ambitious girl who wants to make a career. She is bold, speaks her mind and does what she feels like, which sometimes gets a bit over the top. Veer, on the other hand, is a sensitive guy who looks at life differently than Zoe. The two meet in a club and while Zoe just wants to have a one-night stand, Veer decides that it’s not right because Zoe is “special”. How he decided that within an hour is beyond my understanding. Zoe gets annoyed with this and leaves his house and goes back to her life. Except Veer starts stalking her, not in the 90s way by singing songs and all, but by getting a spot at the co-working space where she sits. Soon the two grow closer and get into a relationship but Zoe’s mother who wants her daughter to become independent first urges her to not give up on her career for marriage. This confuses Zoe who then breaks up with Veer. The breakup scene was so ridiculously cringed that you cannot help but wonder how Imtiaz Ali even came up with it. What follows afterwards is a typical Bollywood story of how two people who are meant to be together will find their way back to each other. In between all this, Raghuvendra “Raghu” Singh, who is the owner of the cafe where Zoe works, narrates his 20-year-old love story to Zoe to help her understand her own feelings and make her decisions.
What I did not like about the film was first Zoe’s character. It was highly irritating and Sara’s acting was also terrible. Especially the scenes in which she was drunk or crying. In fact, her own dialogue basically sums up her acting: “Tum mujhe tang karnay lagay ho“.
It appears that all the attention was paid to Zoe and Raj’s character because Veer’s character was highly underdeveloped. We don’t understand his profession, neither do we understand why he spends his days just buzzing around Sara – does he not have his own life. And to top it all, his insecurities deriving from his parent’s relationship are summed up in a rap song, which is more confusing than explanatory.
While the plot did have its heart in the right place, the film was not engaging enough. It lacked the humour [like in Jab We Met] or simplicity [Highway] which Imtiaz usually beautifully weaves into his films. Sorry, Imtiaz, I really did try my best to like the movie but it just wasn’t happening.
Irrfan Khan’s sudden and unexpected death left millions of broken hearts across the world. The actor who had won hearts with his quiet demeanour and powerful performances left a gaping hole with his demise. Tributes poured in for the actor from across the world as his fans, colleagues and all those who worked with him remembered him.
Two days after his passing, Irrfan’s wife, Sutapa Sikdar and sons, Babil and Ayaan have released an official statement in the form of a touching heartfelt note.
Posted to Irrfan’s official Twitter account, the note celebrated the actor’s life and words. His wife Sutapa remarked that she didn’t feel alone and wanted to assure everyone that “it’s not a loss, it’s a gain”.
“How can I write this as a family statement when the whole world is taking it as a personal loss?” read the statement. “How can I begin to feel alone when millions are grieving with us at the moment?”
“I want to assure everyone that this is not a loss, it is a gain. It’s a gain of the things he taught us, and now we shall finally begin to truly implement it and evolve. Yet I want to try to fill in the things that people don’t already know.”
“It’s unbelievable for us but I would put it in Irrfan’s words, ‘it’s magical’ whether he is there or not there, and that’s what he loved, he never loved one dimensional reality. The only thing I have a grudge against him is, he has spoiled me for life.”
Read the full note below:
Irrfan and Sutapa met at the National School of Drama in New Delhi and fell in love during their college days. They shared a common love for cinema and art. In February 1995, they tied the knot and were married for 25 years.
In a recent interview, Irrfan had talked about how he wanted to live for his wife.
“What to say about Sutapa? She is there 24/7. She has evolved into a care-giving and if I get to live, I want to live for her. She is the reason for me to keep at it still,” he had said.
Sutapa, herself is a film dialogue writer, with films like Khamoshi, Shabd and Kahaani to her credit. She later turned producer with Madaari (2016) and Qarib Qarib Single (2017), both starring Irrfan in the lead.
Controversial televangelist and TV host Aamir Liaquat Hussain has made an insensitive comment about the death of Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan, who passed away in India on Wednesday.
During a television programme, Liaquat, while speaking to Pakistani actor Adnan Siddiqui, commented on the Indian actor’s death in a way that made Siddiqui uncomfortable.
Highlighting the career of the Pakistani actor, he said, “You worked in Mom and Sri Devi died, you worked with Irrfan Khan as well and he passed away.”
“You were offered roles in Mardaani 2 and Jism 2 but you declined, so the actors of that movie owe their life to you,” he continued.
WATCH VIDEO:
https://youtu.be/XxLxeDtDHGM
Siddiqui, who was taken aback by Liaquat’s comment merely said that it was not something to joke about.
Aamir Liaquat, who is not new to controversy, has landed in hot water for his statements time and again.
IRRFAN KHAN’S DEATH:
Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan left the world mourning after he breathed his last at age 53 on Wednesday.
After the news of his death broke, Bollywood bigwigs stepped forth to extend their deepest condolences for the veteran actor who represented the Indian film fraternity in the West with films like Life of Pi, The Namesake and Slumdog Millionaire.
He was admitted to Mumbai hospital on Tuesday after his health deteriorated.
Irrfan was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumor in 2018 and had been undergoing treatment in Britain.
He had returned to India after recovering and wrapping his last movie, Angrezi Medium. The movie was shot immediately after his round of cancer treatment ended.
With a heavy heart, the world has bid goodbye to veteran actor Rishi Kapoor, who breathed his last Thursday morning. A few hours after his death, an old tweet of the actor surfaced in which he expressed his desire to visit Pakistan so that his children can see their roots.
In the tweet, shared in November 2017, Kapoor appeals to Kashmiri politician Farooq Abdullah to solve the Kashmir issue so that he can visit Pakistan before he dies.
Unfortunately, the actor passed away before that could happen and the past couple of years has seen Indo-Pak relations go from bad to worse.
Rishi, himself had strong ties with Pakistan. Not only are his ancestral roots in the country but he was also connected with the people here especially via social media and often engaged in heated debate with them.
A few weeks before his demise, Kapoor had asked Prime Minister Imran Khan to “advise his country to take adequate precautions.”
“People of Pakistan are also dear to us,” the actor had written in a tweet.
Rishi’s ancestral home, popularly known as the ‘Kapoor Haveli’ is located in Qissa Khwani Bazar, in Peshawar Pakistan. Rishi’s father Raj Kapoor, grandfather and patriarch of the Bollywood royalty Prithviraj Kapoor and grand uncle Trilock Kapoor were all born in this building. According to details, the house was constructed between 1918 and 1922 by Dewan Basheswarnath Kapoor, father of Prithviraj Kapoor. However, after the partition the Kapoors’ migrated to India.
The magnificent haveli has about forty rooms with exquisite overhanging balconies and astonishing floral motifs in its front.
In 2019, Rishi had requested the Government of Pakistan to preserve his ancestral home and convert it into a museum.
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.”
Similarly, Shehryar Afridi, who was serving as the Interior Minister at that time had shared that the actor had called him personally with his request.
“He had called me and talked about making his ancestral home into a museum. Now the federal and provincial governments are working on this and will transform the house into a museum soon,” Afridi had stated.
Rishi had last visited Pakistan with Shashi Kapoor and Randhir Kapoor in 1990. They had travelled to Peshawar to see their family’s house and also took some soil from the house to keep their heritage intact.
Decades later, Rishi shared a picture from the visit on social media.
Somebody sent this. Picture showing Randhir and me outside the Kapoor Haveli, Peshawar.Warmly greeted as seen in pic pic.twitter.com/TjfugQ9daw
Kapoor breathed his last a day after he was admitted to the hospital after he complained of breathing difficulties. The actor had been battling with cancer for a while now.
Announcing his demise, the actor’s family in a statement had said that he remained his jovial and entertaining self till the end and that he would “like to be remembered with a smile and not with tears.”
Bollywood legend Rishi Kapoor passed away in Mumbai on Thursday morning. The 67-year-old actor had been taken to H N Reliance Hospital by his family on Wednesday morning.
The Kapoor family has also confirmed the news in a heartfelt message shared by renowned Indian photographer Viral Bhayani.
This is a terrible week for Indian cinema, with the passing of another legend, actor Rishi Kapoor. A wonderful actor, with a huge fan following across generations, he will be greatly missed. My condolences to his family, friends & fans all over the world, at this time of grief.
Saba Qamar who shared the screen with the late Irrfan Khan in the 2017 superhit Hindi Medium says that she is “deeply disturbed” to hear about the passing of her co-star.
“I still can’t absorb the news”, said the actor. “It feels like yesterday coming back from the sets of Hindi Medium. You taught me a lot as an actor and a mentor. It is indeed a huge loss to the cinema world.”
Sending her heartfelt condolences to Khan’s family, Saba ended her note using her character name from the film.
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Similarly, Adnan Siddiqui who worked with Khan in the Hollywood film A Mighty Heart also penned an emotional note in memory of the actor and shared his experience of working with the actor. He shared that he learnt a lot from Irrfan and that the two became good friends. Adnan also opened up about his last meeting with Khan.
“In 2018 while attending IPPA in London. I found out that he was in London, though he wasn’t meeting anyone he agreed to meet me,” wrote Siddiqui. “We had a long chat about movies and the world in general. He looked so positive.”
“His last words were: “Adnan, I’ll be fine very soon and I’ll be back. InshAllah!”
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Khan, whose international movie career included hits such as Slumdog Millionaire, Life of Pi and The Amazing Spider-Man was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour in 2018. He spent most of 2018 and 2019 battling the disease in London. However, he was admitted to a Mumbai hospital earlier this week with a colon infection which ultimately took his life. He was 53.
“Irrfan was a strong soul, someone who fought till the very end and always inspired everyone who came close to him,” his publicist said in a statement. “Surrounded by his love, his family for whom he most cared about, he left for heaven, leaving behind truly a legacy of his own. We all pray and hope that he is at peace. And to resonate and part with his words he had said, ‘As if I was tasting life for the first time, the magical side of it’.”
Other Pakistani actors who mourned the actor’s death include Mahira Khan, Imran Abbas, Zara Noor Abbas and Sajal Aly.
Meanwhile, across the border, the entire Bollywood fraternity is mourning the loss of their loved one. From Amitabh Bachchan to Shah Rukh Khan to Sonakshi Sinha, everyone has expressed their grief over the actor’s death.
T 3516 – .. just getting news of the passing of Irfaan Khan .. this is a most disturbing and sad news .. 🙏 An incredible talent .. a gracious colleague .. a prolific contributor to the World of Cinema .. left us too soon .. creating a huge vacuum .. Prayers and duas 🙏
My friend…inspiration & the greatest actor of our times. Allah bless your soul Irrfan bhai…will miss you as much as cherish the fact that you were part of our lives. “पैमाना कहे है कोई, मैखाना कहे है दुनिया तेरी आँखों को भी, क्या क्या ना कहे है” Love u pic.twitter.com/yOVoCete4A
Big loss to the film industry, his fans, all of us n specially his family. My heart goes out to his family. May God give them strength. Rest in peace brother u shall always be missed n be in all our hearts.. pic.twitter.com/KFQ1RoC1H8
Rest in peace @irrfank you have no idea what your kindness meant to me at a time I was at my least confident . My condolences to your family and loved ones.
Sad to learn that Irfan Khan has passed away His death is untimely in the real sense of the word He had achieved a unique status after a long struggle n great perseverance . As an actor he was a voice not some one’s echo. He still had so much with in him We all will miss him .
My first ever acting was in a workshop for my first film where all I had to do was try to recreate a scene of Irrfan sir from Maqbool. And I failed. I keep trying that scene often. And I fail. First face that comes to mind when we think Actor. 💔 #IrrfanKhan Sir RIP pic.twitter.com/TRs8sXWSHt
Saddened to hear about the passing of Irrfan Khan. What a phenomenal talent and dearly touched everyone's heart with his versatility. May god give peace to his soul 🙏
With a heavy heart I post this tweet . A phenomenal actor , such an inspiration his performances have been for me . He battled for his life but sadly leaves us today . RIP Irrfan Khan . OM Shanti 🙏
Award-winning Indian actor and cancer survivor Irrfan Khan on Wednesday died in Mumbai after battling a medical complication arising from colon infection, his publicist confirmed.
He was 53 and is survived by his wife Sutapa Sikdar and two sons Babil and Ayan.
“‘I trust, I have surrendered’, these were some of the many words that Irrfan expressed in a heartfelt note he wrote in 2018 opening up about his fight with cancer. And a man of few words and an actor of silent expressions with his deep eyes and his memorable actions on screen,” Khan’s spokesperson stated.
“It’s saddening that this day, we have to bring forward the news of him passing away. Irrfan was a strong soul, someone who fought till the very end and always inspired everyone who came close to him. After having been struck by lightning in 2018 with the news of rare cancer, he took life soon after as it came and he fought the many battles that came with it. Surrounded by his love, his family for whom he most cared about, he left for heaven, leaving behind truly a legacy of his own. We all pray and hope that he is at peace. And to resonate and part with his words he had said, ‘As if I was tasting life for the first time, the magical side of it’,” the spokesperson added.
News of Khan’s death was also confirmed by director and his close friend Shoojit Sircar.
“My dear friend Irrfan. You fought and fought and fought. I will always be proud of you. We shall meet again,” he tweeted.
The two worked together in the Bollywood blockbuster ‘Piku’.
Khan, who spent most of 2018 and 2019 battling high-grade neuroendocrine tumour in London, is one of India’s finest actors who understood the syntax and grammar of Hollywood films.
The Indian National School Of Drama graduate was last seen in director Homi Adjania’s ‘Angrezi Medium’, a heart-warming father-daughter tale in March this year. But the film couldn’t enjoy an uninterrupted screening at cinemas worldwide because of the coronavirus outbreak. Even though his last film wasn’t allowed to blossom, Khan, who has appeared in over 100 Hindi and foreign language films, has charted a fruitful career filled with cinematic gems.
