The mercury may be going down but things are heating up. Syra Yousuf and Sheheryar Munawar’s latest photoshoot for a local magazine has become the talk of the town with people discussing how hot they look together.
According to stylist Rao Ali Khan, who was the Creative Editor of the shoot, the theme of the shoot was ‘Boni and Clyde – a tale of love’.
The State Bank of Pakistan has ordered all banks to block Pakistani users from subscribing to Indian streaming platform Zee5 with immediate effect, according to a notification issued this week.
While it is unclear as to why this action was taken, reports have suggested that the reason behind this is Asim Abbasi’s web series Churails, which riled up the moral brigade in Pakistan prompting authorities to take this decision.
Responding to the notification, Churails director Asim Abbasi tweeted the title of a poem penned by Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz to protest the oppressive regime of dictator General Zia-ul-Haq.
It is pertinent to mention here that Churails was earlier also banned for Pakistani audiences. However, it was restored in less than 48 hours. According to Abbasi, the show was taken off after the streaming platform received complaints from authorities here.
Featuring Sarwat, Yasra Rizvi, Nimra Bucha, Meher Bano and Omair Rana among others, Churails is the story of four self-proclaimed ‘Churails’ who come together to open a covert detective agency to expose cheating husbands amongst the city’s elite. As their operations expand, they come to be saviours of abused, harassed and mistreated women. The 10-episode series covers a myriad of issues such as child abuse, sexism, the domination of class and race and aims to challenge the hypocrisy of patriarchal societies.
Meanwhile, Mehreen Jabbar, who directed Eik Jhoothi Love Story – another original web series for the platform – expressed her disappointment over the ban.
“Don’t do anything yourself, just keep banning,” commented the director.
Mehreen’s directorial, featuring Bilal Abbas Khan and Madiha Imam, in the lead, is a quintessential Pakistani love story, starkly different from Churails. It released on October 30.
Zee5 had commissioned five original web series from Pakistan. While two of them have released, three more are in the pipeline.
Rejecting allegations of fraud, Meera Jee has threatened to hang herself publicly if there are proven to be true. The actor had recently been accused of fraud and earning money through illegal means by a family.
In a rather emotional and chaotic press conference, the actor rejected all allegations against her and said that she was being targeted.
“I will hang myself if I am found guilty of fraud and corruption. Some elements are targeting me and continuously doing propaganda. I challenge all those who are involved,” said a teary-eyed Meera.
Meera then said that if her actions create controversy, then let there be a controversy because she is not scared of anyone except God.
She went onto say that much like the character she has played on screen, she is a heroine in real life as well.
“I am a heroine in my real life,” stated the actor. “My whole life and career are based on struggle and hard work.”
“I’m the superstar of Pakistan, I’m the heroine of Pakistan. In films and in real life, I live in the character of a heroine.”
Meera added that she was “a good daughter, a good friend, a good sister, pure, virtuous, innocent and an extremely good human being”.
Meera also claimed that she had gone out of her way to help the family who has accused her of fraud.
“I offered my own home to a poor family during the corona pandemic. I allowed them to stay there for a period of three months and in return, they are making false accusations against me,” remarked Meera.
Presenting her account details and bank statements to those gathered, Meera said that her money trail proves that she has not been involved in any fraudulent activity.
“My bank account and credit history shows that no funds and money has been transferred in my account during this year. Every department can see my bank statement and how much money I earned. My bank account is empty and here, I also present my account numbers to any intelligence agency that want to verify my details as they wish,” she said.
Meera further said that she has been involved in multiple scandals in her life and this one like the rest does not bother her.
“Trust me, these are just allegations and there is no truth to them. I have villas in Dubai and are on my name and the relevant agencies are most welcome to investigate them,” said the actor.
Concluding her address, Meera asserted that she is an honest and honourable woman.
“Main paak daaman hoon aur mainay hamesha sach bola hai,” said the actor. “It is sad that people for whom I am a ‘real-life hero’ are now blaming me for wronging them.”
“Time will prove that these allegations are false,” she added.
As per reports, Meera at the end of the briefing, refused to provide a copy of her bank statement and left the press conference crying. She was reportedly in such a hurry that she left behind her father and domestic help at the press club and rode off with her driver.
It is pertinent to mention here that earlier this year, Meera had requested Rs 40 million from the Punjab Government under the Artist Support Fund, launched by the Punjab Information and Cultural Department, claiming that she is in financial trouble. However, the department denied her request, adding that they can only offer her Rs 5000-10,000.
Meera had claimed that she was suffering financially because her shows in USA and Canada had been cancelled due to the pandemic.
“I suffered a loss of around $100,000. I have to pay back a loan I took in Dubai. I am forced to apply for financial support,” the actor had said.
As someone who has grown up on romcoms, I’ve often yearned for a story that I can relate to. Hollywood and Bollywood romcoms are dreamy but often unrelatable and something that you cannot envision happening in Pakistan, given the cultural differences. But withEik Jhoothi Love Story (EJLS), I feel there is finally a romantic, feel-good and quirky show that I can connect with.
Written by Umera Ahmed and directed by Mehreen Jabbar, EJLS tells the story of Salma (Madiha Imam) and Sohail (Bilal Abbas Khan), who live in the same mohalla in Karachi. Salma is the youngest in four siblings with a very overbearing mother Nusrat Jahan (Beo Zafar) who is only in the pursuit of finding behtar say behtar rishtas for her children. In this quest, she has spent years parading her daughters – Shabana (Kiran Haq) and Shazia (Mariam Saleem) – in front of rishta aunties and prospective in-laws but not finding the ‘ideal’ match.
On the other hand, Sohail (Bilal Abbas Khan) is the only son of his parents. His father passed away when he was very young, leaving him with the responsibility of an entire household. Sohail wanted to study further but because of family obligations, he was unable to so now he runs a computer repair shop. His mother (Hina Khawaja Bayat) dotes on him, while he shares a very loving relationship with his younger sister Sobia (Srha Asghar).
To escape their middle-class existence, Salma and Sohail make fake profiles on Facebook. While Salma impersonates her best friend’s cousin Natalia (Kinza Razzak), Sohail makes a profile using his childhood friend Nofil’s (Ahmad Zeb) name. Nofil and Natalia belong to rich, upper-class households and Nofil is settled in America. Salma and Sohail using their fake profile become friends online and begin interacting with each other. Over the course of their messages, they fall in love. However as fate would have it, real-life Natalia and Nofil also get married. Salma and Sohail are heartbroken with this and agree to their parent’s suggestion of getting married to each other. To find out what happens next, you need to watch the series but be prepared to feel a myriad of emotions from fuzziness and warmth to sadness.
Nofil and Natalia
Umera has done a phenomenal job with the script and Mehreen brought it to life perfectly. While the series in its essence in a love story, it touches upon many themes, highlighting society’s obsession with finding the ‘ideal’ life partner, who by the way is not someone you connect with, but someone who checks all the right boxes. The series also playfully criticises the different customs we’ve made – like the younger sister cannot marry till the older siblings are married or the brother cannot marry till he has fulfilled his responsibility of marrying his sisters or the simple fact that shaadi is not the end goal. Life is more than that. EJLS is a beautiful reflection of society which is probably why I enjoyed it so much. I have to add here that there were certain angles about online romance which I did find unconvincing but I let it go considering how very binge-able the series is. You end up watching several episodes in one go because the pace is so good. The initial episodes are fairly short between 25 and 35 minutes, while the later ones are slightly longer – but even then you don’t want them to end. They are so gripping. Really hoping that Mehreen and Umera are considering a season two for the series.
Onto the performances – for me the star of the show was Madiha. She was brilliant as the simple Salma, the Choti of the house who everyone treats as a doormat. Her expressions, body language and dialogue delivery were on-point. Bilal, on the other hand, is a seasoned actor and has given a plethora of mind-blowing performances – with EJLS he just proved how versatile he is.
The rest of the cast was also brilliant. Mehreen, while speaking to The Current, had shared that she had hand-picked the cast according to the characters and her choices couldn’t have been more on-point. My favourite character has to be Shazia – Salma’s fiesty and outgoing elder sister. Shazia had some of the best dialogues in the show and Mariam played her to perfection – absolutely loved her performance.
Shazia
One of the highlights of the show is definitely the OST Meherma. It complements the mood and feel of the show so well and adds to the overall experience. I haven’t come across many Pakistanis shows with such a fitting OST.
The beauty of Eik Jhoothi Love Story lies in its simplicity – from the wardrobe to the sets, everything was so well-suited to the plot and theme of the show.
Apart from being highly-relatable, EJLS is a fun, easy watch and something you can watch with the entire fam. Who knows they might stop pestering you to get married after watching this.
EJLS has 18 episodes and is currently streaming on Zee5.
Farwa Hussain has finally opened up and revealed how she and Haroon met and fell in love and how Haroon proposed to her only after a couple of meet ups.
Sharing pictures from their nikkah, which was held earlier this year, Farwa said: “In 2014, Haroon and I met for the first time. We were introduced to each other through a cousin of mine.”
While things didn’t work out then, sparks flew when they met again a few years later.
“We finally got to hang out earlier this year”, she revealed. “We met a couple of times and there was an immediate connection. We started to get to know each other better. Just a couple of weeks later, he surprised me with a proposal and confessed that he had liked me all along. I was pretty shocked and surprised in a happy way and said YES! The connection and understanding that I felt with him, I had never felt anything like that before in my life.”
“So we decided not to waste time and got married within a few weeks.”
Farwa also shared that she liked that Haroon asked her to marry him instead of asking her to be in a relationship with him.
Earlier, Haroon had said that he “never had the desire to marry in the past” and was “happily living a single life”, until he met his wife and “everything changed”.
If there is one thing that has been trending on social media the past week, other than the US Elections, of course, it has to be the grand and extravagant wedding of Unzila Mahmood of Master Tiles and Moazzam of Jalal Sons.
The four-day festivities, which were attended by several celebrities and notable personalities, culminated in a one-of-a-kind valima which featured performances by Turkish gymnasts. Videos from the events have gone viral on social media.
Barring the fact that a change in the White House may require a shift of policy in Islamabad and Pakistan will have to rethink its diplomatic ties with the US, Pakistanis are making the most of the US Elections 2020 with what they do best – making memes.
As US citizens and Presidential candidates wait with bated breaths for the results, Pakistanis have been sharing memes and jokes on social media. From Trump asking ‘Vote ko izzat dou‘ to Biden saying ‘Mein Inko Rulaun Ga‘, Pakistani Twitter is lit with memes that are bound to tickle your funny bones.
Netflix Inc has raised monthly charges in the United States for its standard and premium subscription plans.
As per details, Netflix increased the cost of its standard subscription by $1 a month to $14, and the price for the premium tier rose by $2 per month to $18. The standard plan, the company’s most popular, enables two streams at the same time, while the premium plan allows for four simultaneous streams. Its basic plan, which allows only one stream at a time, remains unchanged at $9 a month.
The price increase was the first for US customers since January 2019.
The move had been widely expected after Netflix raised its prices in Canada earlier this month and then ended free 30-day trials in the US.
The new prices will take effect starting immediately for new members while current members will be notified that their subscription is going up as it rolls out over the next few months.
“We understand people have more entertainment choices than ever and we’re committed to delivering an even better experience for our members,” a Netflix spokesperson said in a statement. “We’re updating our prices so that we can continue to offer more variety of TV shows and films.”
The spokesperson added that Netflix offers “a range of plans so that people can pick a price that works best for their budget.”
Netflix, the world’s dominant streaming service, enjoyed a boom in subscriptions at the beginning of the year as viewers around the world were told to stay at home to help fight the coronavirus pandemic. The company expects to end 2020 with more than 200 million streaming subscribers around the world, with 73 million of those from the United States and Canada. It is pertinent to add here that after Netflix raised its US prices last year, the streaming service suffered a decline of 130,000 subscribers in the US and Canada from the end of March to the end of June.
At the same time, it also is facing a growing list of competitors including Walt Disney Co’s Disney+, HBO Max from AT&T Inc and Apple Inc’s Apple TV+.
The question which comes to mind with this news is whether Pakistani audiences will be affected by this price rise. However, for now, prices for South Asian and Pakistani viewers remain unchanged and they will be unaffected by this price hike.
You can subscribe to Netflix for Rs 950 – Rs 1,500 a month in Pakistan, depending on your plan.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Climate Change, Malik Amin Aslam, on Thursday, reopened a 129-year old historical ‘Motto Tunnel’ at Ayubia National Park.
The tunnel has been reopened for tourists after almost 20 years. Restoration work on it has been done by the Ministry of Climate Change in collaboration with the Department of Wildlife.
ایوبیہ نیشنل پارک موٹو ٹنل کا افتتاح وزیراعظم کے معاون خصوصی,وفاقی وزیر موسمیاتی تبدیلی ملک امین اسلم نے کر دیا.
انگریز دور میں مری کے پانی کے مسئلے کو حل کرنے کے لئیے ایوبیہ نیشنل پارک کے قریب موٹو ٹنل کی تعمیر 1891 میں کی گئ تھی pic.twitter.com/ShwLEEH7A8
— Ministry of Climate Change, Pakistan (@ClimateChangePK) October 29, 2020
According to a press release, Aslam while inaugurating the tunnel said that unsustainable and exploitative tourism practices in various parts of the country, particularly in biodiversity-rich and environmentally-sensitive areas, over last several years have badly harmed local fragile ecosystems that house wildlife species and their habitats.
The special assistant said: “Given the realisation, the incumbent government is taking all-out measures to usher in sustainable models of eco-tourism in consultative with local partners and communities as a part of Prime Minister’s vision for Clean and Green Pakistan.”
Sharing details about the tunnel, Aslam said that the tunnel was built in 1891 between Ghora Dhaka (presently Ayubia) to Khaira Gali (Murree) beneath the road and residential area in Ayubia Town. The tunnel had remained in terrible condition due to lack of maintenance over the last several decades.
He said that this tunnel is 12 kilometres long and has a flat track. This track was 4 kilometres long before 12 more kilometres was added to it – it is now 16 kilometres in total.
“Besides, reopening and renovation of the different segments of the tunnel, the tunnel site has also been provided with various facilities for tourists including paved track to the tunnel, information centre, guiding facilities, sitting and resting areas and coffee shop,” highlighted Aslam.
The PM’s aide hoped that the glorious cultural icon would add value to the natural beauty of the national park and provide added attraction to tourists.
He said: “We are taking practical steps to promote tourism. The restoration of this tunnel is also a link to the same series.”
Sabaat, with its refreshing storyline and empowered female characters, won acclaim over the weeks for being different from other dramas being shown on television. It drew to a close Sunday night with a finale that felt a bit rushed but successfully managed to tie up loose ends.
Warning: Spoilers ahead
Miraal & Dr Haris
The final episode of the drama saw Miraal (Sarah Khan) get involved in a car accident and damage her spinal cord which leaves her paralysed from the hip down. That one incident changes everything and gives all major characters in the series a happy ending. When Miraal regains consciousness after her accident, she discovers that her current love interest and ex-fiancé Ali, who was driving the car has run away, while her estranged husband Dr Haris (Usman Mukhtar) is by her side. She realises that she has done wrong to a lot of people and starts redeeming herself – first by telling Hasan (Ameer Gilani) that she was the one who ruined his relationship with Anaya (Mawra Hocane) and then apologising to Anaya personally (That one scene was very well executed). Later, she also seeks forgiveness from her husband, who she was seeking khula from. Everything comes full circle and all characters in the series get a happy ending, including Anaya’s mother (Simi Raheal).
Anaya and Hassan
Though in its essence, Sabaat is a family drama with all the usual tropes like a mistrusting husband, nand-bhabhi tensions, etc, its treatment was what set it apart from other dramas. Besides, the drama resonated well with audiences because of its realistic presentation.
Sabaat was beautifully written by Kashif Anwar (Fun fact – Kashif played Yasir Qureshi in the drama), with some impactful dialogues and brilliant story development (I will forgive the makers for stretching the drama in the last few episodes). The performances were solid – it will not be wrong to say that Mawra Hocane delivered her career-best performance as the quiet but headstrong Anaya, while Sarah Khan played the manipulative and spoilt Miraal to perfection. The boys (Ameer and Usman) also gave great performances and Usman, in particular, blew me away. Not only was Dr Haris an incredibly likable character but Usman also did complete justice to it. I will never forget that tear that dropped from his eye when he received the divorce papers. Laila Zuberi and Simi Raheel were wonderful as the supportive and encouraging mothers while Moazzam Ali Khan was brilliant as the arrogant Fareed Sahab.
Another reason why the drama stood out was because of its strong and empowered female characters. Though Anaya was a mild-natured person, she did not resort to being a bechari when things went bad and made the best of her circumstances. Even Hassan and Dr Haris were a rare breed – they were shown as sensitive and caring individuals. It is unusual to come across such characters on Pakistani television these days.
Personally, what I liked best about Sabaat was that nothing about it was over-the-top. Even in her angriest moments, Miraal was restrained and did not resort to screaming (read: screeching) like a mad person.
The OST and background music was lovely and perfectly complemented the drama and storyline. Also a shoutout to the drama’s styling team – Miraal’s wardrobe was amazing. I loved each and every outfit and Sarah carried them all so well.
Sabaat is definitely one for the keeps and is highly recommended. For me, it is going in the same category as Humsafar, Diyaar-e-Dil, Yakeen ka Safar, Ehd-e-Wafa and Zindagi Gulzar Hai.
