Tag: social media

  • Real or reel? Internet divided over whether Ranbir Kapoor’s gesture towards Alia was staged or sweet

    Real or reel? Internet divided over whether Ranbir Kapoor’s gesture towards Alia was staged or sweet

    On Saturday, a clip of the Bollywood power couple Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor went viral over social media in which they were spotted arriving at the house of late screenwriter Pamela Chopra, who had passed away recently. A clip posted by Indian entertainment page Viral Bhayani showed Kapoor picking up Bhatt’s sandals and placing them inside the doorway, a gesture which has divided the internet.

    This simple but moving gesture did win over some parts of the internet, who felt that the ‘Tu Jhooti Mein Makkar’ actor was being a gentleman by taking care of his wife’s shoes.

    https://twitter.com/_redreyes_/status/1650160047513542657?s=20

    However, not everyone agrees, with some users slamming Kapoor for insulting religious beliefs by placing Bhatt’s sandals right in front of the mandir, rather than leaving them outside.

    Others trolled Kapoor for staging such a move in an attempt to stop the backlash to his recent comments about his wife. During a press conference, Kapoor had received criticism for complaining that the ‘Gangubai’ actress talks a lot.

  • No more blue ticks for Twitter users who don’t pay for verification

    No more blue ticks for Twitter users who don’t pay for verification

    On Thursday, Elon Musk’s social media platform followed through on its promise to eliminate blue verification checks from accounts that don’t pay a monthly fee. The blue checks have been removed from the accounts of many prominent public figures and celebrities on Twitter, including Oprah Winfrey, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Pope Francis, and Donald Trump.

    The purge came after Musk introduced Twitter Blue, a paid service that aims to democratize journalism and empower the people’s voice. Before Musk ended the verification system, roughly 300,000 users had the blue check mark, which helped differentiate real public figures from impostors and protected against fake news.

    https://twitter.com/StephenKing/status/1649147510525423626?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1649147510525423626%7Ctwgr%5Efd111cb04376c1fa1786e3bae2b128638b2d0a93%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dw.com%2Fen%2Ftwitter-puts-end-to-blue-tick-for-users-who-dont-pay%2Fa-65391446

    Following the change, some users, such as Stephen King, still have the blue check mark but claimed not to have paid for the new service. Musk responded to King’s tweet with “You’re welcome namaste” and revealed that he’s “personally paying for a few [accounts].” Musk has been attempting to increase Twitter’s revenue by offering subscription and premium services since buying the social media company for $44 billion last October. Musk previously described the system that assigned the check marks as “corrupt and nonsensical.”

    Twitter began tagging users with a blue check mark roughly 14 years ago. After Twitter Blue’s introduction, numerous fake accounts emerged, including some impersonating Musk’s Tesla and SpaceX. Twitter temporarily suspended the service days later. The cost to display the verified check mark under the new service ranges from $8 per month for individuals to $1,000 per month for organisations.

    Politicians and official bodies have also been affected by the Thursday purge, with concerns raised that the public will be unable to identify which Twitter accounts provide information about natural disasters. US Senator Brian Schatz tweeted, “There really ought to be a way for emergency managers to verify that they are real on this website or imposters will cause suffering and death.” According to digital intelligence platform Similarweb, only 116,000 accounts signed up for Twitter Blue last month.

  • ‘ELITE ordered from Daraz’: Trailer for ‘College Gate’ has the internet divided

    On Wednesday, Green Entertainment has released the trailer for ‘College Gate’, an upcoming series about a group of students. Starring Instagram influencers like Mamia Shajaffar and Khaqan Shahnawaz, the series explores the lives of a group of students and how they tackle parental pressure, love, dating and learn to rely on their friends during the tough moments of their lives.

    However, the trailer has divided the internet, with many users thinking that the series is just plagarised from hit Netflix shows like ‘Elite’ and ‘Class’.

    TBH we have the same question on our mind.

    Others pointed out that despite the fact that the trailer seemed a direct copy of a show about the lives of privileged kids, it did seem like a progressive step that Pakistani dramas were starting to focus on the lives of teenagers!

    We can also agree that it’s good for Pakistani dramas to tackle societal pressure and the anxieties of students growing up in this stage, rather than churn out another series focusing on saas bahu conflicts and the satti vs slutty savitri trope.

    So while we can agree with some folks on Twitter here that the storyline is completely unoriginal but lets not drop the ball so quickly? Pakistani dramas are in desperate need of some revival right now, and its good that some people with logical minds had actually thought about discussing what issues students are facing today.

  • ‘Enough’; Saeeda Imtiaz slams critics for saying death rumor was publicity stunt

    ‘Enough’; Saeeda Imtiaz slams critics for saying death rumor was publicity stunt

    On Tuesday, actress Saeeda Imtiaz made national headlines when it was reported that she had passed away at her home. Later in the day, the ‘Tamasha ghar’ actor and her legal representative slammed the rumors to confirm that she was alive. The news reports had been released after the actress’ Instagram page posted an announcement of her death.

    Saeeda Imtiaz said that a group of hackers had posted fake news on her Instagram and Facebook accounts leading her family and friends to become extremely upset, as they kept calling her to confirm the news.

    Television host Mathira had slammed Imtiaz for refusing to come forward with details, calling this a badly staged publicity stunt, in a screenshot shared by Galaxy Lollywood.

    Taking to her Instagram account, Imtiaz criticised those who were claiming that this was a publicity stunt, pointing out that the incident was traumatising for her, especially listening to news sources saying that she had passed away. She called for the critics to be mindful of their actions, because no one knows about how their life would turn out.

  • ‘Just get out!’: Sheheryar Munawar fights with director Sohail Javed in viral video

    A video showing actor Sheheryar Munawar fighting with director Sohail Javed has gone viral. The person responsible for sharing the video is unknown.

    https://twitter.com/NaylaAmir/status/1647048886001848321?s=20

    While many people are claiming that the feud looks staged, neither Sheheryar Munawar nor his PR manager have commented on the clip while Sohail Javed has also chosen to remain quiet.

    The Current has reached to both for a statement. We will update the article as soon as we receive a response.

    If it is proven that this feud was staged, we would condemn it because such publicity stunts aren’t acceptable and should not be commended.

    Actor Imran Ashraf has so far been the only public figure to comment on this video. Underneath the video of the feud shared by Diva Magazine, the ‘Heer Da Hero’ actor had written:

    “I am well aquainted with both of them and I know that Sheheryar wouldn’t shout like this and nor would Sohail bhai. I hope that this is dramatized.”

  • Twitter users troll Salman Khan for calling for censorship against vulgarity, nudity

    Bollywood superstar Salman Khan came under fire on Twitter after he spoke about digital platforms normalizing nudity and vulgar topics, asking that they should be subjected to censorship.

    “I really think there should be censorship on the medium (OTT). All this… vulgarity, nudity, swearing needs to stop. Kids as young as 15 or 16 can access it. Would you like it if your young daughter watches it? I just think the content on OTT needs to be checked. The cleaner the content, the better it will be. It will also have better viewership.”

    According to The Hindustan Times, the ‘Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan ‘ actor spoke out against actors who perform nude scenes on television and expose themselves on screen, suggesting that this should not be acceptable in India, because it could also lead to security problems:

    “You have done it all – love making, kissing and exposing in scenes. And when you enter your building, your watchman has also watched your work. I just don’t think that is right for security reasons. We don’t need to do that… You don’t need to cross the boundary. We live in India. It was way too much before, finally, it has been curbed. Now, people have started working on a lot of good and decent content.”

    Khan’s comments led to a revolt against him on social media, with users bringing up the problematic things the actor has said and done in the past, pointing out the irony in him speaking out against vulgarity, yet refusing to address his own problematic behavior.

    Twitter users shared how the 57 year old has consistently played hero to women 20 years younger than him, as currently the female lead of his upcoming film ‘Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan’, Pooja Hedge, is 32 years old.

    Other users pointed out Khan’s history of making problematic comments, especially when in 2016, he drew outcry over saying his schedule was so hectic that he felt like a ‘raped woman’.

    Many also pointed out how Khan has a history of being abusive to his partners. Former girlfriend Somy Ali shared details of domestic violence she suffered during their eight year relationship. Other people also recalled how Bollywood superstar Aishwarya Rai Bachchan suffered from domestic abuse from the actor during the time they were together.

  • ‘Domestic violence is not a personal issue’: Social media slams Ushna Shah for justifying support for Feroze Khan

    Actor Ushna Shah has been in hot waters in the past few days after she shared a picture of herself with controversial actor Feroze Khan at a gym on Instagram. She quoted a hadith that called for Ramzan to be a month of mercy and forgiveness. In her next post, she recalled the death of controversial televangelist Amir Liaqat, and asked her followers not to pass quick judgement that could lead to people committing irreversible acts.

    Feroze Khan has been accused of domestic violence and neglect by his former wife Aliza Sultan. The two divorced in 2022, after multiple celebrities including Oscar winning filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, and actor Sarwat Gilani rallied behind her.

    In November, Feroze Khan was criticized for leaking the personal phone numbers and home addresses of ten celebrities -including Mira Sethi, Osman Khalid Butt and Yasir Hussain- who had declared that they would take action by suing Khan for emotional and mental trauma.

    On Saturday, Shah once more defended her stance by sharing a detailed statement on Twitter, where she called herself a “human sympathizer” rather than an “abuser sympathizer”.

    Shah went on to reveal that as someone who became the target of unfair bullying, like the backlash to her Indian lehnga that Shah wore on her Mehndi, she didn’t think that social media users should abuse a person and their families for something they “allegedly did”.

    “The backlash at my choice to wear the supposed ‘Indian style lehnga’ and dance at my own wedding, was prime example. So when hundreds and thousands of people abuse a person for whatever they allegedly did and abuse their families relentlessly, day and night, non-stop, I know what that can do and it isn’t fair punishment.”

    https://twitter.com/ushnashah/status/1644702178458710017?s=20

    Shah’s statement has received extensive backlash on social media for refusing to recognize how problematic her stance to support Khan is, and for being an abuse apologist.

    One Twitter user wrote:

    “Sympathizing with a human who is an alleged abuser/involved in domestic violence is basically being an abuser apologist. “even if the alleged criminal was found guilty” so u r telling me that a guilty criminal shouldnt have to face the consequences. also what even’s w the lehnaga.”

    “Pakistani celebrities are hypocrites,” another user wrote.

    https://twitter.com/peesho444/status/1644992794442993665?s=20

    “Why is it always ”let’s forgive abuser Muslim m3n because it’s Ramzan”, that man has literally brutalized his wife, you are not only a domestic violence apologist but a traitor to your own women class, using your privilege to disregard the voices of numerous DV women victims,” another user wrote.

    https://twitter.com/auratsoch/status/1644970742549819393?s=20

  • ‘Never seen such a thing’: Armeena Khan slams PML-N for sharing photo of her holding her baby

    Actor Armeena Khan has slammed Pakistan Muslim League Noon (PML-N) for harassing her by sharing a picture of her with her newborn daughter from the party’s media Twitter account. Khan had defended people’s right to call out politicians, in response to the viral video where a woman was seen trolling Maryam Nawaz. The actress wote that freedom of speech was an essential right, because in Pakistan people are kidnapped for holding politicians accountable.

    “Had this happened in Pakistan, the selfie lady would’ve ‘disappeared.’ ;),” wrote Khan. “I’m glad we have such freedoms in the U.K where we hold our politicians to account. If you’re going to live on British soil then it is OUR rules. We have freedom of speech.”

    https://twitter.com/ArmeenaRK/status/1645020915124649985?s=20

    In response to this comment, an account associated with PMLN shared a picture of Khan with her daughter with a huge cross drawn around it, with the caption saying “How will the sick minded youthias train the coming generation and the fifth generation youthia will be at the lowest level.”

    Khan slammed PMLN supporters for harassing her by what she said was an attempt at invading her personal life, especially by targeting her daughter, saying that she had never seen such a vile act committed by a political party before.

    “Maryam Nawaz hates babies I guess. Poor thing couldn’t take it with her thin skin so sent her official goons to harass a private citizen of another country. I’ve never seen such a thing before from a mainstream political party before,” Khan tweeted.

    https://twitter.com/ArmeenaRK/status/1645059402242686978?s=20

    Khan’s husband, Fesl Raza-Khan critcised PML-N and demanded that the political party send them an apology for targeting their daughter.

    “PMLN leadership, you are responsible for this account. You have posted a photo of my infant, just to troll my wife, thus crossing all bounds of decency. My daughter & I have no interest in PK politics. But as a Father I will protect my child. Apologise immediately,” he wrote.

    https://twitter.com/frk1/status/1645146111080820736?s=20

    Twitter users criticised PMLN politicians for refusing to condemn this heinous act, and for choosing to stoop so low to even target an infant child of a critic. Because political opinions aside, choosing to target the personal life of an individual is completely wrong and demonstrates how classless and disgraceful your morals are.

    https://twitter.com/deewanikth/status/1645162437870514176?s=20

  • From dream boy to bad boy: Twitter shares why certain Pakistani dramas have aged badly

    If you’re a citizen of Pakistani Twitter, then you would be familiar with cult dramas like ‘Zindagi Gulzar Hai’, ‘Humsafar’ and ‘Tere Bin’, that have dominated social media with swoon worthy romances as well as dreamboats like Fawad Khan and Wahaj Ali. We’ll admit it, we have been obsessed too.

    But it might turn out that all that is old is not gold? And sadly, our fav heroes might not actually be the shehzada of our dreams but actually toxic men who needs to be re examined again.

    A Twitter user shared a tweet of the main leads from the most popular Pakistani dramas: ‘Tere Bin’, ‘Zindagi Gulzaar Hai’, ‘Humsafar’ and ‘Mere Humsafar’, and in the caption she shared that arranged marriage might not be such a bad idea if it were with men like them.

    But in today’s climate when more women are asking for better representation on television screens, a man like Ashar or Zarrun won’t sit well with audiences, regardless of how good looking Fawad Khan is. With that, more twitter users began sharing the ways audiences had overlooked how regressive and sexist these male leads actually were, and should not have been projected as the standard kind of man women should look for.

    Users shared that in ‘Humsafar’, Khan’s character Ashar, kicks his wife Khirad (played by Mahira Khan) out of the house while she was pregnant because he suspects her to be cheating on him with her friend, Khizar.

    https://twitter.com/aamnarazzaq_/status/1643360369526571008?s=20

    Twitter users shared how toxic Murtasim was in ‘Tere Bin’ because he slapped Meerab in episode 5, and in the most recent episode he asks her to jump to prove she wasn’t having an affair behind his back.

    https://twitter.com/sweetnsouridc/status/1642422913017036802?s=20

    We hope that the entertainment industry takes a note of this and works on improving their scripts to stop romanticizing toxic men, who can only offer the bare minimum to the women in their lives.

  • Hadiqa Kiani writes moving tribute to fellow cast as ‘Pinjra’ airs last episode

    Actress and singer Hadiqa Kiani wrote a moving tribute to her fellow cast members and fans of the drama ‘Pinjra’ as the last episode aired on Friday.

    “Our beautiful family “, wrote the ‘Dupatta’ singer. “Grateful to be a part of such an important experience. The cast, the crew, these talented children, the story, the great late writer Asma Nabeel, the wonderful @shaziawajahat, our amazing director @najafbilgrami…just feeling so grateful. Thank you to all of those who connected with the drama  @arydigital.tv.”

    Pinjra revolved around a family where the father Javed (played by Omair Rana) and the mother Khadija (Kiani) are both strict parents, demanding their son Abaan to stay away from his interest in art and music, and to focus more on his studies. The pressure to succeed has an impact on Abaan -along with being bullied by his siblings due to his poor grades- he begins doing drugs and even harming another child.

    Twitter users praised the series for carefully discussing issues like societal pressures, bullying, and helping parents understand how to be kinder to their children.

    Kiani was previously praised for her powerful performance in ‘Dobara’ as a newly widowed middle-aged woman, who takes stand for herself after being restricted by her husband through out her marriage, and in the process she falls in love with a man who is ten years younger than her.