Popular Pakistani actress Mehwish Hayat, known for her roles in hit movies like ‘Jawaani Phir Nahi Aani’ and ‘Punjab Nahi Jaon Ga’, has taken her talent to the global stage. She’s now part of Marvel Studios’ ‘Miss Marvel’, gaining admiration for her outstanding performance.
Hayat is expanding her career further by establishing her own production house in the UK. Her goal is to showcase Pakistani culture on the international stage.
In a delightful development, Mehwish Hayat is teaming up with famous designer HSY for an upcoming telefilm. Fans are excited about their on-screen chemistry, evident in the recently released trailer, which has everyone waiting with baited breath for the venture to hit our screens.
Fashion designer Hassan Sheheryar Yasin, a.k.a HSY, appeared on the ‘The Knock Knock Show with Mohib Mirza’ where he was asked about marriage.
When asked who he would marry if forced at gun point, the designer said it would be actress Mehwish Hayat, because friendship is the most important element in building a strong relationship.
The ‘Pehli Si Muhabbat’ actor went on to clarify that he was not in a relationship with Mehish, however, the two friends shared a close bond with each other.
They have previously worked together in the telefilm ‘Ijaazat’.
HSY also opened up about his childhood and how growing up in a poor family, he learned fashion designing by skimming through magazines as a kid when he went with his mother to a grocery store where she worked:
“My mother used to work at a grocery store and I use to go through old magazines over there. I would observe how did people design a look and when I went home, I’d take out my old shirts and try to make them like Calvin Klien or Donna Karan.”
HSY also revealed that one of his fashion inspirations was the late Princess of Wales, Lady Diana, who inspired him to become a fashion designer. As an infant, he had spent some time in London where his mother was looking for a job. During this time, the royal wedding was happening.
“I was on her shoulders watching the wedding and I remember the excitement, and how millions of people were screaming for a carriage, I have never forgotten it…I remember when I got home I got my sister’s dolls, took some tissue papers and started making that dress because I was shocked how that one dress shocked so many people.”
‘Teri Meri Kahaniyaan’ has been hailed by critics and filmmakers as a progressive step, citing its three unique stories with stellar performances by actors like Wahaj Ali and Mehwish Hayat.
The anthology film comprising of three stories directed by Nadeem Baig, Marina Khan and Nabeel Qureshi, is at heart an ode to celebrating creativity and the complexity of human nature, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you hooked till the credits roll.
Here are four reasons why this film should definitely be on your watch list:
1 Marina Khan knocks it out of the park with a wholesome rom com ‘Pasoori’
We all remember Marina Khan from beloved classics like ‘Tanhaiyaan’ and ‘Dhoop Kinare’ but her powerful direction in helming this feminist comedy to life is something the Pakistani cinema truly needs, more women led movies that do not center around men. Pasoori revolves around the upcoming wedding of Salman (played by Shehryar Munawar) and Romaisa (Ramsha Khan), who receives an opportunity on her nikkah to perform at a talent show. With its hilarious side characters and Munawar’s ability to incite laughter and tears with his emotions, this was a well directed story.
2. The hilarious comedy of ‘Jin Mahal’
Jin Mahal, penned by Ali Abbas and Basit Naqvi and directed by Nabeel Qureshi, starts of with a tragedy as a couple is forced to live in an abandoned train after being forcefully evicted from their home. It still churns out golden moments thanks to stellar performances by Hira and Mani, as their characters Shehenshah and Mumtaz fight to keep their home by tricking others to believe a jinn resides there.
3. Khalil ul Rehman’s engrossing ‘Aik Sau Taeeswan’
A gripping tale about possessiveness, betrayal and the complex thing that is love, with gorgeous visuals and a powerful performance by the icon that is Mehwish Hayat, the third and final film is a masterstroke in why we need more films like ‘Teri Meri Kahaniyaan’. With a span of only 35 minutes, the tale dives into the glory of love, and its dark side as two married people sitting in a train confide their marriage woes to each other.
4. The sizzling chemistry between Mehwish Hayat and Wahaj Ali
When we spoke to Nadeem Baig, who directed ‘Aik Sau Taeeswan’, about why he picked Mehwish and Wahaj to star in his short film, he revealed that although the two had not shared the screen before, it was interesting to see how their chemistry would work out. In this film, their electrifying chemistry keeps the audience gripped. Hayat keeps the audience in control with her commanding performance as a married woman who is aware of her failing marriage, but refuses to let herself succumb to it. Equally compelling, Wahaj Ali keeps viewers engaged as the screen shifts from their playful flirting dynamics, to guilt and complete shock as the tables turn.
The upcoming anthology film ‘Teri Meri Kahaniyaan’ is bringing together a star-studded cast with some of the biggest directors and actors for three short films which will be directed by Nadeem Baig, Nabeel Qureshi and Marina Khan.
The film will feature diverse tales from the minds of storytellers like Khalil-ul-Rehman Qamar, Vasay Chaudhry, Ali Abbas Naqvi and Basit Naqvi. Pakistan’s biggest stars like Wahaj Ali, Mehwish Hayat, Shehryar Munawar, Ramsha Khan, Hira and Mani are cast in lead roles, making it one of Pakistan’s biggest creative collaborations.
The Current spoke to veteran actress, director and producer Marina Khan, one of the directors helming the project. We asked her how this collaboration came into being, and she revealed that originally, Qureshi had made a short film for See Prime. But the production house decided to expand it into an anthology film by reaching out to Baig and then her:
“Nabeel had been making a short film for See Prime, which turned out nicely, and they did not want to only upload it on YouTube. So the team of See Prime approached Nadeem for the second film, who reached out to me for the third film.”
The film features three unique stories with a different cast. Nadeem Baig will be narrating a classical love story “Aik Sau Taeswaan” written by Khalil-ul-Rehman Qamar, which will star Mehwish Hayat and Wahaj Ali. Nabeel Qureshi will helm a ghost story “Jin Mahal” which will feature celebrity couple Hira and Mani, while Khan will be directing a modern love story “Pasoori” which will star Ramsha Khan and Sheheryar Munawar. Speaking on what her short film is about, the ‘Dhoop Kinare’ actress revealed:
“It is the story of a girl whose childhood dream has come true. But, she now has to make a choice between the dream or her wedding day.”
Nadeem Baig was also contacted by See Prime for the idea of an anthology film. Speaking to The Current, he said he was also looking forward to watch it in the theatre.
Discussing the casting choice behind his short film, which will feature a classical love story between the main leads, the ‘Kuch Ankahi’ director revealed that he felt that there would be good chemistry between Mehwish and Wahaj:
“I thought Wahaj would suit the character and I thought he and Mehwish would have quite interesting chemistry, and I hope it works for the audience as well.”
Every now and then we sit and wonder: why are women easy and soft targets for hate, abuse and criticism? What is it in our society that allows men to slander and defame women without any consequences?
Recently, Youtuber Adil Raja claimed that some Pakistani actresses and models were working in cahoots with General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa and former ISI chief General Faiz Hameed to trap politicians. Although he shared the initials of the actresses instead of full names, it became obvious to netizens who he was referring to. Soon after his vlog surfaced online, a large number of social media users were seen spreading a collage of pictures featuring Mehwish Hayat, Mahira Khan, Kubra Khan, and Sajal Aly.
Pakistan’s political rivalries have often played out by powerful men maligning innocent women to humiliate their opponents. The narratives almost always invoke charges of immoral behaviour between men and women who are well-known enough to generate intrigue and scandal. This case was no different. Do we ever use initials of men in the industry to malign someone? Has anyone ever done any moral policing on men? Are names of Pakistani actors and models dragged similarly as our women for revenge tactics and cheap fame? No, because people think twice before dragging a man’s name. Women aren’t and will not be dummy objects to be dragged and slandered in the present day tug-of-war for more likes, shares and subscription on a YouTube channel or for social media fame.
There is no doubt that the system is rigged against women and partial towards men. Women are almost always accused of inviting the attacks on themselves by virtue of the fact that they are women. Will the system for once rise up to the promises and practice the same levels as it does for its men. Though the men of the film industry took a stand for the women and what was even more heartening to see was these women standing for themselves and rising up because they had to for the protection of their name, respect and the hard work they had put in. Unfortunately, in Pakistan, defamation laws are toothless, and it take years for people to clear their names.
We hope that from onwards, the so-called keyboard warriors think twice before defaming a woman, think twice as hard before trying to disrespect a woman. Women aren’t soft targets; men need to learn to get their two cents of fame on their own and not misuse women’s names.
The London Nahi Jaunga diva shared that she’s disappointed by Bollywood celebrities for their lack of support for Pakistan at a time when the country is facing devastating floods while celebrities across the world were expressing concern like Bella Hadid and Engin Altan.
Mehwish took to her Instagram Stories to share a note by journalist Haroon Rashid, who hosts a show on BBC. Acknowledging his post and calling his point ‘valid’, she wrote, “The silence from the Bollywood fraternity is deafening.
In his original post, Haroon had said, “I genuinely thought humanity knows no borders but it’s telling that hardly any Bollywood stars have posted about the devastating floods in Pakistan – raise awareness, share links, just show sympathy. They know how popular they are and how much that acknowledgment would mean.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOYEhJTOwrA&t=46s
Pakistan is in a state of national emergency with over 1,200 dead, over 12,000 injured and tens of millions displaced.
Mehwish said, ‘Suffering knows no nationality, race, or religion – no better time for them to show us that they can rise above nationalist politics and care about their fans in Pakistan. We are hurting and a kind word or two would not go amiss.”
Last November, Hayat spoke out against the stereotypical and problematic portrayal of Muslims in major Bollywood films.
The Tamgha-e-Imtiaz recipient turned to her Instagram stories to call out Rohit Shetty’s latest directorial Sooryavanshi.
The Punjab Nahi Jaungi star also urged Bollywood to ‘build bridges’ not ‘hatred’ in their movies.
Writer-director Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar recently appeared on SAMAA TV ‘s show Super Over, hosted by actor Ahmad Ali Butt. The Sadqay Tumhare writer made some revelations about his colleagues, Humayun Saeed, Mehwish Hayat, Mahira Khan and Naumaan Ijaz.
Qamar talked about his feud with superstar Mahira Khan, and said that he has forgiven her for calling him out post his brawl with Marvi Sirmed, but he will never forget any of it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HGrRk_p-dA&t=6s
The Raees star tweeted on March 4th, 2020, after Sirmed and Qamar’s heated argument on the show Aaj Ayesha Ehtesham Kay Saath.
I am shocked at what I have just heard and seen!! Sick to the core. This same man who abused a woman on tv is revered and given project after project because of what? We are as much to blame if not more for perpetuating this thinking! #khalilurrehmanqamar
“This same man who abused a woman on TV is revered and given project after project because of what?”
While talking about Mehwish Hayat, who recently made Pakistan proud with her stint in the Disney+ superhero series Miss Marvel, Qamar said stated that London Nahi Jaunga was his last film with her.
He continued by saying that Hayat has worked a lot in the industry and now others should get a chance too.
Moreover, he also mentioned, “I’m tired of writing roles for Humayun Saeed as well.”
The Pyarey Afzal writer also disclosed that the famous actor Nauman Ijaz proposed a partnership in Khalil’s first drama serial Dastak aur Darwaza.
The writer said, “I auditioned Nauman Ijaz, and he failed, and then Usman Peerzada was selected.”
Feature films Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad and London Nahi Jaunga received commercial and critical success at the box office on Eid-ul-Azha. However now these successful films have become a victim of piracy, a widely and eternally decried practice affecting film and entertainment businesses worldwide.
The pirated version of these films is being sold on Pakistan’s biggest online shopping website, Daraz.
Actor Mahira Khan and director Nabeel Qureshi took to their Twitter handles to express their shock and anger on the app’s stint. Nabeel even announced that he will pursue the legal route
Theor film was being sold with a meager price tag in the name of “Azadi Sale”.
Innumerable copies of both films have been sold on the website of the shopping giant, as is evident from the comments section of the website. And it is surprising that such a huge platform would commit a such blatant violation of Pakistan’s piracy laws.
It is pertinent to mention that Daraz is owned by the multi-billion dollar international giant AliExpress, and that makes AliExpress equally involved in this case.
On Eid-ul-Azha the Pakistan industry saw thunderous response at the cinema halls with two much anticipated films. Two big films graced the silver screen; London Nahi Jaunga and Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad. The films opened to an astounding response overall.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIKgPRCyT3Q&t=8s
London Nahi Jaunga‘s collections:
7 days total (26.6 crores official, 24 crores sources)
10 days total (35.21 crores official, 32 crores sources)
14 days total (40.1 crores official, 40 crores sources)
20 days total (47.2 crores official, 44.1crores)
After successfully running for over three weeks in the international market, London Nahi Jaunga is still going strong. The film has even given a tough competition to Bollywood’s big banner film Shamshera. Despite being a Yash Raj production and a Ranbir Kapoor film, Shamshera’s opening weekend collection at the global box office failed to impress.
According to figures provided by Comscore, London Nahi Jaunga earned better in the 3rd weekend of its release in the UK and Ireland than what Shamshera collected in its first weekend.
LNJ’s total collection was 46,710 Great Britain pound, over 1 crore 28 lacs PKR approx, while Shamshera’s remained 43,688 GBP that amounts to nearly 1 crore 20 lacs PKR.
Though LNJ is screening in only 35 screens while Shamshera is available at 62 screens.
London Nahi Jaunga stars Humayun Saeed, Mehwish Hayat and Kubra Khan.
The box office figures of Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad are polarsing. While the makers of the film claim the figures till date to be around 37 crore, trade pundits are claiming much lesser numbers.
However this Fahad Mustafa-Mahira Khan starrer is a successful film, none the less.
Fawad Khan has finally made an appearance in the fifth episode of Ms Marvel. Fawad Khan is playing a character of a man from the pre-partition era. Pakistani actors Mehwish Hayat, Samina Ahmed and Nimra Buch are also playing important characters in the Marvel series.
Internet users not only from Pakistan but from across the border are going gaga over Fawad Khan for his debut role.
