Celebrated dramatist and playwright Haseena Moin has passed away at the age of 79, herfamily has confirmed. While the exact reason behind her death is still not known, the writer was a breast cancer survivor and had also penned a web-series on the topic, which is expected to release soon. Moin’s funeral prayers will be held in Karachi.
Just found out that my amazing, talented auntie Haseena Moin, who was one of the most beloved & acclaimed writers in Pakistan, passed away today. The world has lost a bright light today and I have lost a woman I truly love and admire. Inna lillahi wa inna illahi rajaoon. pic.twitter.com/ZrjcUX6s8d
One of Pakistan’s most renowned writers, Moin was born in 1941 in Kanpur, present-day India. She earned a Master of Arts in History from Karachi University in 1963. Over a career spanning more than 40 years, Moin delivered a plethora of hits.
In 1987, she was awarded the Pride of Performance award. Some of her most notable works include Tanhaiyaan,Anakhi and Dhoop Kinare. She also penned dialogues for the Bollywood film Heena which featured Zeba Bakhtiar and the late Rishi Kapoor.
Moin was last seen at Karachi Art Council’s 23rd March celebrations. She also got vaccinated for the novel coronavirus just a few days before her death.
Literary Genius Haseena Moin just got her first dose of the Covid 19 Vaccine at the Council's vaccination center and was delighted to see the professionalism of the ACP staff and the center's sanitation@Qasimsoomro#acpkhi#artscouncil#COVID_19pic.twitter.com/Dh9fHyRJab
— Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi (@ACPKHI) March 22, 2021
Moin’s death has left fans shattered, who took to social media to express their grief.
Saddened to hear of the loss of our great writer Haseena Moin Sehba! (PTI) We grew up watching her spectacular serials like Dhoop Kinaray, Aahat, Ankahi,Tanhaiyaan, Kasak, Parosi & many more. She was my late mother's favorite writer. May ALLAH rest her soul in peace. Ameen pic.twitter.com/AOTvoB1eES
What a loss…Haseena Moin who created such world class life stories is no more…She gave women a new empowered strength and made Indian Bollywood pale in comparison….Her legacy will remain and remain…#Respect#Legend#RIPpic.twitter.com/lnLyK2Jx5r
#HaseenaMoin's passing signifies an end of an era, of #PTVs exclusive drama,of wellcrafted scripts with great attention to plots& characters. Her scripts were imbued with humor& middle class ethos. Her heroines were larger than life, strong women with resolve who conquer all #RIPpic.twitter.com/xg4V0hfcAp
An icon has passed and an era has gone. Rest In Peace #HaseenaMoin Thank you for your memorable characters. You were and will be a national treasure. pic.twitter.com/9HJK3u9HzL
ممتاز مصنفہ، مکالمہ نگار اور ڈراما نویس حسینہ معین صاحبہ کے انتقال پر افسردہ ہوں وہ پاکستان کی سب سے بہترین ڈراما نگار تھیں، پرفارمنگ آرٹس کی خدمت پر تمغائے حسنِ کارکردگی سےبھی نوازا گیا۔ اللہ تعالیٰ سے مرحومہ کی مغفرت، بلند درجات اور پسماندگان کےلیے صبرِ جمیل عطافرمانے کی دعاہے۔ pic.twitter.com/fFHxelm7t5
محترمہ حسینہ معین،عظیم پاکستانی ٹیلی ویژن ڈرامہ مصنفہ آج انتقال کر گئیں۔ إِنَّا لِلَّٰهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ. پاکستانی ٹی وی ڈرامہ کی بھارتی فلموں پر سبقت اور مقبولیت میں محترمہ حسینہ معین کا کلیدی کردار تھا۔ قوم اپنی اس عظیم ڈرامہ نگار کو سدا یاد رکھے گی۔ #HaseenaMoinpic.twitter.com/KxPpV7RqIu
#HaseenaMoin’s demise has left a vioid, a sadness even within those who did not know her personally. For so many, she symbolised happy memories, TV time with families, iconic characters that will always remain with us, the benchmark that no other playwright could somehow reach.
Haseena Moin's stories was the reason I grew up thinking Pakistani women can be cool, confident, quirky – happy & successful in their own skins. She set such a high standard of storytelling for Pakistani women when male forces seemed intent to blot out any sign of femininity.
Confession: as a 10-year-old my ultimate ambition was to be a Haseena Moin heroine. I’m sure i wasn’t alone. She’s the reason I just cannot deal with the weepy, witless waifs of our current dramas (or their scheming, wily, jeans-clad counterparts).
إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ RIP #KanwalNaseer & #HaseenaMoin. Two trailblazing role models and amazingly graceful and gracious mentors to so many. In their own different ways, both made so much possible for so many; quietly and always with a smile. Thank you,both. pic.twitter.com/c5o5CPFnCx
Saba Qamar recently set the internet on fire after she responded “qubool hai” to Azeem Khan who asked her to marry him this year in her post’s comments section.
While most followers thought Saba was just messing around, turns out she was not. The actor while speaking to a local media outlet has confirmed that she will be saying “Qubool Hai” to Khan for real “very soon”.
“Yes, I have found the person I’d like to settle down with,” said Saba.
“If everything goes well, I will be tying the knot very soon,” shared Saba, without going into further details about the wedding date.
Confirming that the person she is marrying is indeed Azeem, Saba said: “He is a successful Australian-Pakistani entrepreneur who hails from Karachi but is currently based in Sydney.”
“I know it’s a little sudden and premature right now but all I want my fans and followers to do is pray for my better life and wellbeing,” she added.
Meanwhile, Saba has a string of releases lined up for 2021 including Ghabrana Nahi Hai and web series Manjogi.
Shahid Afridi believes that cricket can play an important role in normalising the relationship between Pakistan and India.
According to a report in Cricket Pakistan, the former captain of the Pakistan Cricket Team, while speaking to media said: “Cricket between Pakistan and India is very important. Sports should be kept away from politics. Relations between the two countries can improve because of cricket.”
Afridi further said: “I have said this before as well, Indian cricketers enjoy coming to Pakistan. You can improve relationships through sports but if you don’t want to improve them then they will remain the same.”
Afridi enjoys good relations with Indian cricketers and even hosted them at his home when they visited Karachi.
Last year in February, Shoaib Akhtar had also highlighted the importance of bilateral series between India and Pakistan saying: “It is very important for India and Pakistan to play a bilateral series because it generates money, revenue, fan following and inspiration.”
Meanwhile, it is being reported that two neighbouring countries might soon be engaged in a bilateral series.
According to a report published in Jang, “India and Pakistan might soon get involved in bilateral cricket series again with a possibility of the six-day window for a three-match T20I series later in the year.”
The last bilateral series between India and Pakistan was held in 2012-13.
Humayun Saeed is “overwhelmed beyond words” after receiving the Pride of Performance award from President Dr Arif Alvi for his contribution to the Drama and Film industries of Pakistan.
Sharing a picture of himself with his medal on Instagram, Saeed said: “Extremely very grateful and humbled by all the messages of love and adulation I have been receiving. Thank you so much my beloved fans, friends and family for your constant support and encouragement.”
“The Pride of Performance is my most special accolade for it is a recognition by the State,” said Humayun. “I have always firmly believed that being Pakistani is my only true identity and have tried my utmost best to make Pakistan proud.”
“Any award that Pakistan gives to me thus will always remain closest to my heart,” he added.
Humayun also promised to work even and do everything in his capacity to “serve our beloved country.”
“I once again, in all humility, thank each and every one of you for your love. I am overwhelmed beyond words.”
Many of Humayun’s friends and colleagues including Mahira Khan, Adnan Siddiqui, Ahmed Ali Butt, Sajal Aly, Vasay Chaudhary and Shaan Shahid congratulated the super-hit actor-director-producer for receiving the ‘deserving award.’
Mubarak to my dearest, Bushra Ansari on receiving the “Sitara e Imtiaz” and Resham jee & @iamhumayunsaeed on receiving the “Pride of Performance” Award today! You are an inspiration to me & truely the Pride of Pakistan! 🇵🇰 Congratulations to all the winners of the Civil Award!
Meanwhile, several other notable Pakistanis were also recognised for their contributions in different fields at the investiture ceremony at Aiwan-e-Sadr.
President Alvi presented various awards to 88 recipients including six Nishan-e-Imtiaz, three Hilal-e-Imtiaz, 24 Sitara-e- Shuja’at, eight Sitara-e-Imtiaz, 14 President’s Award for Pride of Performance, one Sitara-e-Quaid-e-Azam, one Sitara-e-Khidmat, one Tamgha-e-Pakistan, 22 Tamgha-e-Shuja’at and eight Tamgha-e-Imtiaz.
Prominent personalities who received the Nishan-e-Imtiaz include Sadiqain Naqvi (Art), Abida Parveen (Singing), Ahmad Faraz (Literature) while Bushra Ansari (Art), Syed Farooq Qaiser (Art) and Sultana Siddiqui (Art) received the Sitara-e-Imtiaz. Maulana Tariq Jameel (Religious Scholar), Muhammad Ali Shehki (Singing), Resham (Acting), Humayun Saeed (Acting) and Ali Zafar (Singing) were conferred the President’s Award for Pride of Performance. Meanwhile, Zaiba Shehaz (Acting) and Faisal Edhi (Public Service) were awarded the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz.
Aspiring actor Saba Bukhari, who is also part of TV One’s Dil Na Umeed Toh Nahi, has alleged that senior actors only promote their children and discourage newcomers.
In a recent interview with BBC Urdu, the actor opened up about her difficult experiences in the industry, saying: “Sometimes senior actors also give tough time to newcomers.”
Recalling her encounter with a senior actor, Bukhari said: “A senior actress was sitting beside me while we were waiting for our next scene and she said samajh nahi aata zara sa chehra hota nahi hai or aa jati hain moun utha kar.”
Bukhari further said: “Some senior actors have also advised me to leave the acting profession altogether.”
“They say that there is no nepotism in the industry, this is not true at all,” said Saba. “These senior actors and their family members are in the field and they promote their children and show their work. This is what my son/daughter is doing or have done.”
“After hearing that girls like me can not survive in the industry, I kept wondering if I should continue working in this profession or not,” lamented Bukhari.
Earlier, in a social media post, Bukhari had opened up on her harrowing experiences with the casting couch and shared the advice she got from different ‘men’ and ‘directors’ in the industry and how those words broke her from inside.
Faryal Mehmood, in a recent interview, had also talked about the casting couch in Pakistan and asserted that it exists.
Kubra Khan has hit back at a local media news outlet for misreporting her comments about un-following Prime Minister Imran Khan on Twitter. Khan, in an interview, had shared that she unfollowed PM Khan (and Hamza Ali Abbasi) on Twitter because she didn’t want any political updates.
Sharing the misreported news on Twitter, Kubra said: “I am and will always one of the biggest supporters of [PM] Imran Khan.”
“I don’t need to follow him on “social media” to show my support,” said the actor further, adding: “But thanks for adding the negative connotation?”
I am and will always one of the biggest supporters of @ImranKhanPTI – I don’t need to follow him on “social media” to show my support. But thanks for adding the negative connotation? https://t.co/eSoNScQzyA
Earlier, during the 2018 General Elections, Kubra had said that if she had the option to vote, “it would be no other than PTI.”
So, because I’m a UK resident I can’t personally vote in Pakistan as of yet. So even if I was in the country It wouldn’t make a difference. However if I could vote it would be no other than PTI. Tomorrow will map out the future for Pakistan. Make the right decision. #NayaPakistanpic.twitter.com/t39U3Z9Tpj
Hareem Shah has registered an FIR against her friend at the Golra Sharif Police Station in Islamabad for attempting to assassinate her.
As per details, the FIR was registered against Hareem’s friend Ayesha, who was accompanied by Bahadur Sher Afridi. The FIR was lodged from Shah’s real name Fiza Hussain.
According to the FIR, the assassination attempt was made on March 18 at Hareem’s flat.
“I, resident of E-11 (III) Omni Arcade, came to Islamabad from Karachi for shooting on March 16 and two people Ayesha Naz and Bahadur Sher Afridi forcefully entered my flat on March 18 (Thursday) and started assaulting me as soon as they entered my residence,” stated the FIR.
Further details on the FIR and arrests are unknown.
Hareem, who rose to fame through her TikTok video, often makes headlines. In January 2021, a video of Hareem slapping Mufti Abdul Qaviwent viral on social media.
Speaking exclusively to The Current, Hareem had shared that she had gone to visit Mufti Qavi with her friend. During their meeting, the religious leader passed inappropriate comments and was rude to them prompting Shah to slap him. She said that she left his hotel room after slapping him.
Meanwhile, Shah is all set to foray into the world of acting with a web series on Pakistan’s first Urdu OTT platform – UrduFlix. According to a press release, UrduFlix will be featuring the TikTok star in a never-seen-before avatar in a new Urdu web series.
Hira and Mani do not shy away from publicly expressing their love for each. Earlier, Mani had also penned a sweet wish for his wife, calling her “Cinderella”.
Hira and Mani tied the knot in 2008. The couple has two sons together. In an interview with Samina Peerzada, Hira had revealed that she had a big crush on Mani while she was in college and met him through a friend who was dating Mani at the time.
Sohai Ali Abro on Sunday tied the knot with Shehzar Mohammad, son of former cricketer Shoaib Mohammad and the grandson of legendary batsman Hanif Muhammad.
While the newlyweds have not shared any pictures from their big day, pictures from their nuptials are doing the rounds on social media. The couple looked resplendent in shades of ivory and gold.
Humayun Saeed was one of the few guests at the event and the actor shared snippets from the occasion on social media to wish the happy couple.
“Many congratulations to Sohai and Shehzar,” said Saeed. “May Allah bless you both with lots and lots of happiness, prosperity and a lifetime of togetherness.”
