Author: optimum_tech

  • Top five iconic high school movies with strong female leads

    Top five iconic high school movies with strong female leads

    Who doesn’t love a good high school movie? It’s got a hero, but what we love is that the women are the real star. It is set in a young, relatable world, and some of these are so iconic that they have truly stood the test of time. Shanzeh Chaudhry ranks her favourite movies with strong female leads, for The Current.

    1.Mean girls (2004)

    Of course, I’m going to start with the most iconic and original teen movie of all time. This movie is one of the first that displays the realities of being a teenage girl in high school. It’s narrated from the perspective of a girl who’s been homeschooled till she moves and starts going to school. Her experience isn’t what she expected, and entering “Girl World” is not as easy as it looks. The process from the innocent new girl to shiny hard plastic is a journey of backbiting, stealing boyfriends, and lying about the health bars that help you “lose weight”. The movie shows the process of how corrupt the high school system is and the lengths girls would go to fit in. Personally, I feel like the movie tried its best to give an idea of the full high school experience, which was accomplished, as it is the most popular teen movie, 17 years later.

    2.Shes the man (2006)

    This movie was honestly so inspirational that I just had to add it to the list. It relates to the common sexist attitude and expectations towards females. A girl with a passionate love for football will go to all most any lengths (no matter how absurd) to prove that women can play football just as good as men, maybe even better. Even if it means posing as her twin brother and trying out for a university soccer team. Despite the message, it was just a generally funny and entertaining family movie. We watch our main character, Viola, juggle between her double life of being a university boy and being the “lady” that her mother and society expect her to be. It promotes feminism and inspires girls to stand against society’s expectations if it means doing something they’re passionate about.

    3.A Cinderella story (2004)

    We’ve all watched the Disney classic “Cinderella”. In the animated version of the film, the main message it was trying to put across was to always be kind despite evil in the world. This version is a bit more modern and relatable to girls in their teens. Our main character, Sam, lives with her evil stepmother and sisters after her father dies in an earthquake when she is eight years old. She works for her stepmother in her father’s diner to save up to go to her “Dream college, Princeton”. She has a secret texting relationship with an anonymous guy, who we soon find out is the glamorous high school football star Austin Aims. They both bond over their dream of going to Princeton and all their problems and concerns for their future. Sams bravery and patience, despite her struggles, are really motivational and admirable. This movie really is a lovely romance, with a touch of nostalgia that really hits home.

    4.The Princess Diaries (2001)

    ‘Mia Thermopolis’ is your average high school teenager, who can’t speak in public to save her life and dreams of a car for her sixteenth birthday. Her life takes a twist when her long-lost grandmother shows up and turns out, she’s the Queen of a tiny country called “Genovia”. Which, yes, makes Mia a princess! After her father (the king) passed away a year before, Mia is the only rightful heir to the throne. All this information comes crashing into Mia’s life, changing it completely. Suddenly, the girls who would once make fun of her and the boy who practically didn’t even know she existed, started trying to weasel their way in her life. She has to go through a series of “Princess training courses” but most importantly, she has to decide if she’s going to take on the role of “Princess” and as “Future Queen of Genovia”. Mia’s sarcastic and witty personality definitely adds a comedic touch to the movie. It really seems like every girl’s dream; to wake up one normal day and find out you’re the princess of a whole country! We watch as Mia transforms from a regular introverted American girl to high-class royalty!

    5.She’s All That (1999)

    High school star, Zac Siler is forced to go to extreme lengths to protect his reputation after getting dumped by his cheerleader girlfriend. He makes a bet with his friends to turn Laney Boggs, “the introverted weird girl”, into prom queen in just six weeks. After a lot of convincing Zac finally get Laney to go out with him. What started off as a silly bet turned into a blossoming romance. We watch how slowly Laney opens up to the world and how Zac realises that popularity isn’t everything. It’s a classic case of opposites attract. They both show each other a different perspective. I personally love how we slowly see the characters develop and along the way spark a romance that they didn’t expect at all.

  • گولی لگے تاکہ باہر جائیں

    گولی لگے تاکہ باہر جائیں

    باہر جانے کا کس  کو شوق نہیں ،  گھر  سے باہر نہیں ملک سے باہر جانے کا ۔ ہم میں سے بیشتر لوگ باہر سیر و تفریح کرنے جاتے ہیں تا کہ زندگی کے تھکا دینے والے سلسلے سے کچھ دیر تو چھٹکارا ملے ۔ کچھ لوگ باہر جا کے صرف لوگوں کو بتانا چاہتے ہیں کہ وہ برج خلیفہ کی سوئی کو ہاتھ لگا کر آئے ہیں  اور مونا لیزا کی تصویر میں کوئی خاص بات نہیں  ، اس سے بہتر تصویر ہم خود بنا لیں ۔ اور کچھ لوگوں کی ویسے ہی بس ہو گئی ہے ملک میں تو وہ اپنی زندگی کا سب کچھ بیچ کر  ملک ہمیشہ کے لیے چھوڑ جاتے ہیں ، یہ سوچتے ہوئے کہ اس  ملک میں ملی ہوئی عزت سے بہتر باہر کی بے عزتی ہے  ، افسوس تو نہیں ہوتا نہ کہ اپنے بے عزتی کر رہے ہیں !

    دوسرے ملکوں میں بات یہیں ختم ہوجاتی ہے کہ باہر گئے اور واپس آ گئے ۔ لیکن پاکستان میں باہر جانے کو ایک خاص ہی مقام حاصل ہے ۔ ملک سے باہر جانے کو سیاسی نظر سے دیکھیں تو شاعر حضرات جو اپنی انقلابی شاعری کے لیے مشہور تھے ، انہیں بھی ملک چھوڑنا پڑا ۔ ایک ان سے ملک چھڑوایا اور پھر ان کو غدار کا سرٹیفکیٹ بھی دے دیا ۔اور جب وہ واپس نہیں آئے تو سب نے کہا ” تھا ہی غدار ، باہر صحیح عیاشی کرتا رہا ہے، اس کے تو مزے ہوگئے” جن سیاست دانوں سے سب کی نہ بنی ان کو بھی ڈیل میں باہر کا ملک دے دیا  کہ چلیں آپ اب تھوڑا آرام  کر لیں، ملک کا بیڑا غرق اب ہم کریں گے۔ ہمیں بھی تو موقع دیں نا۔  سیاسی طور پر اس دن حد ہی ہو گئی جب پاکستان کے ایک وزیرِ اعظم کو کہا گیا کہ لوگ تنگ آ کر ملک چھوڑ رہے ہیں ، تو انہوں نے جواب میں کہا ” ہاں تو چلے جائیں ، ان کو روک بھی کون رہا ہے ” خود بتائیں اس سے زیادہ خیال رکھنے واالی حکومت آپ کو کہیں اور مل سکتی ہے ؟  نہ آپ کو کوئی روک رہا ہے، نہ کوئی ٹوک رہا ہے، جہاں مرضی جائیں۔

    لیکن یہ باہر جانا کچھ عجیب شکل اختیار کر چکا ہے ۔ اب لوگ کہتے ہیں

     “اس نے اپنے آپ کو خود مار پڑوائی  تاکہ وہ ملک سے باہر جا سکے ” یہ الزام جن لوگوں پر لگ رہا ہے ان میں صحافی ، انسانی حقوق کے علمبردار،اور ظلم کے خلاف آواز اٹھانے والا ہر شخص شامل ہے ۔ وہ ظلم کے خلاف آواز اٹھاتے ہیں ، ظالم ان کی آواز بند کرتے ہیں۔ کبھی ان کو ذہنی اذیت  دے کر تو کبھی جسمانی ۔ کچھ سہہ جاتے ہیں اور کچھ کو واقعی ملک چھوڑنا پڑ جاتا ہے۔  جو ملک چھوڑ جاتے ہیں ، ان کے بارے میں کہا جاتا ہے “خود مار پڑوائی تھی اپنے آپ کو تاکہ گوروں سے ہمدردی حاصل کر کے ملک چھوڑ سکیں” ۔

     15 سال کی ملالہ کو  جب گولی لگی  اور انہیں باہر لے جایا گیا  تو پاکستان میں سوال  ہی کچھ اور تھے ۔ “ملالہ کو جہاں  گولی لگی وہاں سوراخ کیو ں نہیں ہے؟  سر میں گولی لگنے سے کون بچ سکتا ہے ؟ کہیں خود گولی  تو نہیں لگوائی؟ اور آخر میں پھر وہی بات کہی گئی “باہر جانے کا بہانہ تھا ، گولی لگی ہی نہیں”

    اب کوئی سچ بولنے والا صحافی ہو یا ظلم کے خلاف آواز اٹھانے والا انسان ، اس کو کوئی گھر میں گھس کر مارے ، یا گھر کے باہر سے اٹھا کر غائب کر دے ، اس کا اخبار بند کروا دے ، اس کے گھر والوں کو کوئی دھمکیاں دے جائے ، ہر چیز پر ہماری محب ِوطن قوم کا ایک ہی نعرہ ہوتا ہے “خود کروایا ہے تاکہ ملک سے باہر جا سکے ” ۔ بات صرف یہاں نہیں رکتی، کوئی صحافی زخمی ہو تو محبِ وطن لوگ پوچھتے ہیں  “یہ زیادہ زخمی کیوں نہیں ہے؟ ایسے کون زخمی ہوتا ہے ؟ خود کروایا ہوگا”  کسی کا خون زیادہ نہ نظر آئے تو تب بھی یہی کہا جاتا ہے “یہ کیسا تشدد ہے جس میں خون کا دریا نہیں بہا؟ لگتا  ہے خود کروایا ہے تاکہ ملک سے باہر جا سکے ” کسی صحافی کو کچھ گھنٹوں کے لیے غائب کرنے کے بعد جب واپس کیا جاتا ہے تو تب بھی یہی کہا جاتا ہے “خود اٹھوایا ہوگا ورنہ زندہ کیسے واپس چھوڑ گئے ؟ ضرور ملک سے باہر جانا ہے” ارے ہمارے محبِ وطن لوگ تو کسی عورت کی عصمت دری ہو اور اس کو باہر کے ملک میں  پناہ مل جائے تو اس کو بھی یہی کہتے ہیں” خود کروایا ہوگا اپنا ریپ تا کہ ملک چھوڑ سکے”

    پہلے ہم کہتے تھے جو کروا رہا ہے بھارت کروا رہا ہے ، اب ہم کہتے ہیں جو کروا رہے ہیں خود کروا رہے ہیں ۔ میرا سوال یہ ہے کہ آخر کتنے صحافی اس ملک سے باہر گئے ؟ میرا ان محبِ وطن لوگوں سے سوال ہے کہ جب کوئی صحافی یا ظلم کے خلاف آواز اٹھانے والا انسان مرے تو کیا تب ہی  آپ کو ان حادثوں پر یقین ہوگا ؟ کیا اس کی لاش کے ٹکڑے ملیں گے تو تب ہی آپ ظالم کے خلاف آواز اٹھائیں گے ؟  اے محبِ وطن انسان ! ملک سے محبت کے لیے کیا موت ضروری ہے ؟

  • Stand for Palestine

    The UN Security Council (UNSC) welcomed the recent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. UNSC members also stressed “the immediate need for humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian civilian population, particularly in Gaza.”

    According to Al Jazeera, the Palestinian death toll on Saturday stood at 248, including 66 children, with more than 1,900 people wounded from Israeli air and artillery attacks.

    Barely a few hours after the ceasefire was reached, Israeli police stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and used stun grenades and rubber bullets against Palestinians after Friday prayers. Journalists covering the incident were also attacked.

    Such highhandedness by Israel is nothing new. The Israelis have not just occupied land in Palestine but the atrocities committed by them against unarmed Palestinians are horrific and countless. Imagine being expelled from your homes and then also being attacked. And to add insult to injury, they are portrayed as being the aggressors instead of Israel, whom the world community says acts in so-called ‘self-defence’. How an oppressor gets away with war crimes is disturbing at so many levels.

    We have seen how the world community rallies behind Israel. While Pakistan has been consistent in raising its voice for the cause of Palestine, most Muslim countries just pay mere lip service and move on. We have not seen them stopping trade with Israel or cutting off diplomatic ties in protest. The Palestinians are on their own, it seems. But this cannot go on forever. Before social media, Israel could hide behind its false narrative of being provoked. Now the world can see actual footage of its crimes. We have seen hundreds of videos where children are scared of continuous bombing; buildings being flattened and innocent people standing on the rubble, nursing their wounds. The stories coming out of Palestine are horrific. One man said he “did the strangest thing” when he exchanged how children with his brother’s. “I took two of his children, and gave him two of mine. So in case I get bombed, one of mine will survive and if he gets bombed, one of his will live on.”

    These are not just stories; these are lived realities. We hope the Palestinians can one day find peace in their own land and not live in constant fear. These injustices must stop!

  • Did the BBC kill Diana?

    Did the BBC kill Diana?

    It has now been established that the huge 1995 TV scoop that was the BBC interview with Princess Diana was actually obtained under false pretences. In that interview, which was watched all around the world, Diana shocked the world with her damning statements about her estranged husband and the royal family as well as her own admission of adultery.

    What has now emerged, following an independent inquiry report by former Supreme Court judge Lord Dyson, is that BBC Panorama’s reporter, Martin Bashir, secured the interview through lies and manipulation. Bashir got a BBC graphic designer to create false bank documents which appeared to show that certain people on both Princess Diana’s and her brother’s staff were being paid to spy on her. Bashir shared these (fake) documents with Diana’s brother Lord Spencer. Spencer told the Dyson Inquiry that in retrospect he realised that Bashir had in fact been ‘grooming’ him, getting him to believe these lies so that he would share them with his sister – which he did. But it was not just Bashir’s deceitful and unethical behaviour that has been criticised in this report: perhaps even more damning is the way the BBC dealt with allegations about the fake documents and basically did nothing, except penalise the whistleblower, i.e. the graphic designer who had approached senior managers with misgivings about what he had been commissioned to do.

    These revelations have considerably damaged the credibility and the reputation of the BBC; its detractors have been busy BBC bashing ever since the report’s findings were made public. The events in question – the interview and the BBC internal inquiry – took place a quarter of a century ago, yet they are now being discussed as if they were major catalysts of change and the triggers that unleashed the events that resulted in the tragic death of the Princess in a car crash in 1997.

    This narrative is reinforced by the statements released by both of Princess Diana’s sons, who were aged just 15 and 13 at the time of their mother’s death. Prince Harry’s statement was not surprising since now that he has left the fold of the family firm and lives in the US, he shares his views and opinions freely via social media and TV but Prince William’s statement certainly was. Prince William made his statement on camera and expressed his “sadness” at knowing that BBC failings over the Panorama interview “contributed significantly to her fear, paranoia and isolation that I remember from those final years with her”. He also said that “the interview was a major contribution to making my parents’ relationship worse”.

    These claims are somewhat exaggerated. Charles and Diana separated in 1992 , the book ‘Diana: Her True Story’ in which she had told her story (in great secrecy) to Andrew Morton was published in 1992 and in 1994, the year before Princess Diana did the Panorama interview, Prince Charles had already done a similar ‘my side of the story’ TV interview with Jonathan Dimbleby in which he admitted to adultery adding that he had only strayed when his marriage “had irrevocably broken down”. Given this chronology, it is hardly as if it was the Panorama interview that destroyed their marriage. What it did do, however, is result in a downgrade of the Princess’s status and hence her security ­– once the interview aired, the Queen instructed the couple that if things were so bad, they needed to get a divorce. (The Queen didn’t issue a statement but presumably she thought that this endless washing of dirty linen in public needed to stop).

    The Wales’s marriage was already on a course set for irreconcilable differences, so their son’s indictment of the interview in this regard seems unfounded. No matter how reprehensible and unethical Bashir’s tactics were in securing this scoop, he cannot be held solely responsible for Diana’s paranoia and isolation – he cannot be a whipping boy for the misery or insecurity of the Princess.

    But as disturbing as the forgery and lying of the reporter is, even more disturbing is the behaviour of those BBC professionals who should have taken action. Even though Princess Diana put it in writing that she had consented to give the interview “without any undue pressure” and that Bashir “did not show me any documents, nor give me any information that I was not previously aware of”, BBC editors and managers knew that all was not okay as they had been alerted to the matter and their resulting inquiry was completely inadequate. In fact, it was like nearly all BBC inquiries are: the matter is ‘dealt with’ so that at the end of the day culprits are not penalised; in fact they are usually rewarded. That inquiry was from 1990s but here is an example from 2015: a young BBC journalist, Ahmen Khwaja, tweeted that the Queen had died. Word spread like wildfire internationally, the tweet was picked up by news outlets all over the world (after all it was coming from a BBC staffer). It turns out that Khwaja had seen the news on screens prepped for a routine royal obituary rehearsal and tweeted it without bothering to check or confirm it. Although the BBC Trust decided that the death tweet was a “serious breach of guidelines”, the staffer responsible was moved to a better position working in TV news. Serious breach? The mind boggles.

    Today, the BBC is in the dock and its journalism is being discredited – the Beeb’s detractors are having a field day. But even though there were failings in this particular case and the management of the BBC has a lot to answer for in the way it has betrayed its hardworking journalists over the decades, it must be said that the BBC was not responsible either for the death of Princess Diana or for the woes of the royal family. And for those worried about the state of journalism in general: please reflect on the implications of Prince William saying that he thought that “this Panorama programme should never be aired again”.

    Sounds a lot like censorship to me. Rather disturbing.

  • Gaza under attack

    Gaza under attack

    Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City demolished three buildings and killed at least 33 people on Sunday, including12 women and eight children. This has been one of the deadliest attacks since the start of the recent attacks against Palestinians by the Israeli forces.

    On May 12, Israeli airstrikes a building in Gaza that housed the offices of 14 media organisations. According to a report in TRT World, on May 7 and May 10, Israeli security forces fired rubber bullets and injured at least eight Palestinian and international journalists covering the protests at the Temple Mount complex and Al Aqsa mosque.

    Yesterday, Israeli forces a building in Gaza that housed several media outlets, including Al Jazeera and the Associated Press (AP). A statement by AP President and CEO Gary Pruitt said: “We are shocked and horrified that the Israeli military would target and destroy the building housing AP’s bureau and other news organisations in Gaza.” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki tweeted that the US government “communicated directly to the Israelis that ensuring the safety and security of journalists and independent media is a paramount responsibility”.

    These words by the White House Press Secretary sound hollow because ever since the Israelis started attacking hapless Palestinians during the Holy month of Ramzan, the international community, especially the US, has not condemned Israel for its aggression. We did not hear the US or others condemn the attack on journalists when Arab journalists in Palestine were being attacked by the Israeli forces. The way the Al Aqsa mosque was stormed by the Israeli forces during the final Friday prayers in Ramzan, the way the unarmed Palestinians were sprayed with rubber-coated steel bullets and tear gas, the world community should have condemned it unequivocally. But what do we hear: US President Joe Biden saying: “Israel has a right to defend itself.” There was no mention of how Israel is an occupying force that will continue to attack and kill unarmed civilians, including children.

    In a report released last month, the Human Rights Watch said Israeli authorities are committing crimes against humanity of apartheid and persecution. The 213-page report titled, ‘A Threshold Crossed: Israeli Authorities and the Crimes of Apartheid and Persecution’, should be read by every world leader in order to understand the gravity of the situation. Today, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has opened an emergency meeting over the situation in Palestine. Several countries that are part of the OIC have recently had recognition deals with Israel. No wonder we have seen a muted response from those countries. Pakistan has been asking the world to come to the aid of Palestine and stop this madness. Unfortunately, the world has become a silent spectator when it comes to Israel’s war crimes. Silence is not an option. We all must speak up for Palestine.

  • اپنا اپنا چاند

    اپنا اپنا چاند

    اللہ کا شکر ہے اس برس بھی ہم نے روایت کی پاسداری کرتے ہوئے عید کے چاند کو ایک بار پھر غیر متنازعہ بننے سے بچا لیا۔ ‘چن’ چڑھانے میں ویسے بھی ہمیں ملکہ حاصل ہے اس لئے سب سے پہلے پشاور والے پوپلزئی صاحب نے رویت ہلال کمیٹی کے اعلان سے قبل ہی چاند کی نوید سنا دی دوسری جانب کیونکہ نئے چئیرمین صاحب نام میں بھی آزاد واقع ہوئے ہیں تو اس بار کی رویت کا اعلان کرنے میں بھی وہ آزاد خیال ہی رہے بھلا ہو شاید کسی نے یاد کروایا کہ حضرت سحری کا وقت ہوا چاہتا ہے بتا دیں کہ سویاں پکانی ہیں یا سحری کا پراٹھا تو رات گئے رویت ہلال کمیٹی بھی آسمان سے چاند توڑ کر لے آئی اور  قوم کے قدموں میں نچھاور  کر دیا بجائے شکرگزار ہونے کے یار لوگ الٹا چاند ہونے نہ ہونے پر بحث کر نے لگ گئے بڑی ہی نا شکری قوم ہے بھئی کبھی اسے ‘تبدیلی’ ہضم نہیں ہوتی تو کبھی پانی سے چلنے والی گاڑی جیسے سائنسی انقلاب کو رد کر دیتی ہے۔ سائنس سے ویسے بھی ہمیں کو پرخاش ہے کیونکہ برصغیر میں جب لاؤڈ اسپیکر  نیا نیا آیا تو اس بیچارے پر بھی حرام ہونے کے فتوے لگ گئے ٹی وی تصویر وغیرہ وغیرہ سے مخاصمت کی کہانیاں بھی کوئی زیادہ پرانی نہیں۔

    خیر بات کہاں سے کہاں نکل گئی واپس آتے ہیں بےچارے چاند کی درگت بننے کے واقعہ پر جب یہ سارا معاملہ چل ہی رہا تھا تو اسی  اثناء میں ایک عدد آڈیو لیک بھی سامنے آ گئی جس میں ایک ممبر رویت ہلال کمیٹی کچھ اور ہی کہانی سنا رہے تھے اگرچہ ‘سافٹ وئیر’ اپڈیٹ ہونے کے بعد انکی وضاحت بھی سامنے آ گئی تھی۔ اور تو اور کیونکہ وزارت سائنس و ٹیکنالوجی فواد چودھری جیسوں سے پاک ہو چکی تھی اس لئے سائنس کی حقیقتوں کو لہرا لہرا کر کوئی چیلنج کرنے والا بھی موجود نہیں تھا لیکن وزارت اطلاعات میں ہونے کے باوجود بھی انہوں نے اپنے دور وزارت میں بنائی ایپ کے زریعے چاند کے حوالے سے بیان جاری کر دیا لیکن کیونکہ ہر کوئی اپنا اپنا چاند لے کر پھر رہا تھا تو انکی سائنسی دلیل کو کسی نے کوئی خاص گھاس نہیں ڈالی۔ قصہ مختصر یہ عید میٹھی ہونے کے ساتھ ساتھ چٹخارے دار بھی رہی کیونکہ عید کے دن ہر گھر کی محفل کا گرما گرم موضوع گفتگو ‘چاند’ ہی تھا سوشل میڈیا اور واٹس ایپ وغیرہ پر بھی  کوئی سائنسدان تھا کوئی ماہرفلکیات اور کوئی دینی عالم کی ذمہ داریاں نبھا رہا تھا۔

    مسئلہ بڑا سادہ سا ہے کہ کیا چاند کی رویت ایک خالص دینی مسئلہ ہے یا سائنسی؟ کیا اس کا کوئی درمیانی راستہ نکالا جا سکتا ہے جس کے تحت ملک اس افراتفری اور بدتمیزی کا شکار نہ ہو۔ اگر نظر ڈالی جائے تو مختلف اسلامی ممالک اس مسئلے کے حل کے لئے مختلف حکمت عملی اختیار کرتے ہیں ملائشیا،  ترکی مصر اور دیگر مسلم ممالک نے اپنا اپنا طریقہ کار بنا رکھا ہے کوئی خالص سائنسی بنیادوں پر رویت ہلال کرتا ہے تو کوئی سائنس اور انسانی آنکھ سے دیکھنے کو ملا کر ہم بھی دوسرے طریقہ پر ہیں لیکن بات کچھ بنتی نظر نہیں آ رہی اور اس بار کی عید پر تو معاملات اور ہی بگاڑ کی جانب چل پڑے تھے لیکن یہاں جہاں آپ نے سائنس کی بات کی نہیں وہاں ہمارے لوگوں کا مذہب خطرے میں پڑا نہیں۔ جہاں سائنس مذہب کی مددگار ثابت ہو رہی ہو تو پھر اس پر ہی یہ معاملہ کیوں نہیں چھوڑ دیا جاتا۔ آخر دیگر دینی معاملات بھی تو وقت کے ساتھ ساتھ سائنسی بنیادوں پر حل کئیے جا ہی رہے ہیں اور ماضی میں چھوڑے گئے بھی ہیں۔

    افسوس کا مقام ہے کہ آج جب سائنس اتنی ترقی کر چکی ہے کہ دنیا تو چھوڑ مریخ کے دو چاندوں کے بھی طلوع اور غروب کا وقت بتا دے تو ہم ایک خاندان میں دو دو عیدیں منا رہے ہوتے ہیں۔ پاکستان کے علما اور فقہا اور سائنسدانوں کی ایک کمیٹی بنا کر اس مسئلہ کو ایک ہی دفعہ کیوں نہیں حل کر لیا جاتا اور اس میں پشاور کے مفتی پوپلزئی صاحب کو بھی ہونا چاہئے تاکہ تمام اختلافی آراء کو ایک جگہ جمع کر کے ایک قومی اتفاق کی فضا بنا دی جائے یہ لوگ چاہیں تو دیگر مسلم ممالک سے رابطے کر کے انکے طریقہ کار پر رہنمائی بھی لے سکتے ہیں۔ قوم جو ایک انتشار اور ہیجان میں مبتلا رہتی ہے اور  اس قسم کی باتیں سننے میں آتی ہیں کہ جی روزہ تو قضا ہو گیا یا دیکھا آج تو چاند دوسری کا لگ رہا ہےسے یہ میٹھی عیدیں کھٹی کرنے کی کیا تک ہے۔

  • 5 best moments from ‘Chupke Chupke’

    5 best moments from ‘Chupke Chupke’

    Safe to say, we’re not getting over Chupke Chupke anytime soon given the amount of light-hearted entertainment it provided us during Ramzan this year. The show has been a hit with the audiences with episodes trending on televsion and social media. The highlight of the series included the love story between Faazi (Osman Khalid Butt) and Meenu (Ayeza Khan) and Haadi (Arslan Naseer) and Mishi (Aymen Saleem).

    Since Chupke Chupke ended on a high and happy note, we decided to take look back at some of our favourite scenes from the romantic-comedy show. Though it was extremely hard to narrow down the list to just five, we did our best. Check it out:

    Faazi and Meenu’s first romantic scene

    First time pyaar ka izhar and Bebe’s raid

    Faazi’s reaction to Meenu’s foot injury

    Mushtaq Plumber and Hajra Padicure Wali

    Haadi and Faazi’s patch-up and Faazi requesting Haadi to placate Meenu for him

    Chupke Chupke was a complete package with a high dose of entertainment and emotions, power-packed performances, romance and comedy.

    Which scene from the show was your favourite? Let us know in the comments below.

  • ‘Family-friendly’ movies you should NOT be watching with your family

    ‘Family-friendly’ movies you should NOT be watching with your family

    With a complete ban on Eid parties, travelling and pappis and jhappis (don’t forget Apa is watching), Eid this year is not like the ones we used to have in our childhood. With little to do and no place to go, what better than a movie night in with the fam?

    Read more – Saba Qamar wonders why ‘Sexify’ is trending on Netflix Pakistan

    While Netflix has thousands of options to choose from for a fun family movie night, there are some films which are touted to be “family-friendly” but are not. Here is a list of films you should definitely not be watching with the fam.

    Queen

    While Queen is a highly entertaining watch about a woman who decides to go on her honeymoon alone after her fiancé ditches her days before the wedding and features a brave female protagonist (Kangana Ranaut), some of the scenes, especially those involving Lisa Haydon can be very awkward to watch with your parents or siblings.

    Kapoor and Sons

    Featuring Pakistan’s heartthrob Fawad Khan, Kapoor & Sons is a decent film about family issues and sibling rivalry but the racy scenes and Fawad’s character being gay can make it a tad bit uncomfortable to watch with family. Though everyone has a choice to love who they want, Pakistani families perhaps aren’t ready yet, especially if you’re hanging out with the Nana Nani or Dada Dadi. That’s a discussion you might not want to have, yet.

    Khoobsurat

    Khoobsurat may feature Pakistan’s resident heartthrob, but this too like Kapoor & Sons is not one to be watched with the family unless you’d like to watch him shirtless with five others. Best to watch this alone!

    Read more – Sushant Singh Rajput’s ‘Dil Bechara’ leaves you wanting more

    Main Hoon Na

    And old fav, Main Hoon Na definitely comes across as a family film given that it is set in a university and against the backdrop of Indo-Pak tension. However, Shah Rukh Khan and Sushmita Sen romancing in a waterfall can make things a tad bit awkward if you end up playing this on the family movie night.

    Jab We Met

    Another classic Jab We Met featuring Kareena Kapoor Khan and Shahid Kapoor, comes across as a simple and soft romantic film but it includes some racy scenes so it’s best not to watch it with the fam.

    Dil Dhadakne Do

    Another film about a dysfunctional upper-class family who embarks on a cruise to celebrate the parents’ 30th wedding anniversary. Instead of being a fun and easy holiday, the trip sends the Mehras on a journey of self-discovery and brings out problems that have been long brushed under the carpet. While the film is relatable and honest, but the sexually-charged passionate scenes between Ranveer Singh and Anushka Sharma make it not-so-family-friendly.

    To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You (2020)

    Considered a family movie, with teen love and romance, To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You is a story about finding love in high school. Based on Jenny Han’s book trilogy, the film starts off where the first film ended: with Lara Jean and Peter Kavinsky as a couple. The two are poles apart but totally smitten with each other. Enter John Ambrose McLaren, one of Lara’s past crushes, and also a recipient of one of her love letters. He has a crush on Lara giving birth to the main conflict of the movie: which boy is the better choice for Lara?

    Even though it’s considered a family movie in the west, with supportive parents, allowing their children to date, can you imagine the HAW HAI our mothers would be doing and how our fathers would say the West is ruining us and making us loose and wild? A BIG NO if you want to go to a mixed school again.

    Bulbbul

    Bulbbul may come across as a good old horror flick about a churail (witch) living in an old haveli but it features some really gruesome scenes, including those involving rape. Hence, definitely not one you can watch with the fam.

    In case you want some suggestions for film you can watch with the fam, we recommend Cake, Teefa in Trouble, Ho Mann Jahan, 3 Idiots, Murder Mystery and The Laundromats.

  • How to spend Eid ft. your favourite celebrities

    How to spend Eid ft. your favourite celebrities

    Like last year, this year’s Eid is different too with no Eid parties, ban on travelling and Apa Firdous keeping a close eye on all jhappis and pappis. However, nothing can hold back Pakistanis from celebrating even if they are confined to their homes. The Current asked your favourite celebrities how they plan to spend their Eid weekend and here is what they said.

    Ahsan Khan

    Ahsan, who hosted the super successful Ramzan transmission on PTV, while speaking to The Current said he does not plan to attend any Eid gatherings or meetings this year, even though he and his entire family have been vaccinated. The actor added that if he does, he’ll only meet some friends who have also been vaccinated but with all COVID-19 protocols in place.

    “As it is Sunnah to dress up and wear new clothes, my family and I will dress up, spend time together and enjoy lots of delicious food,” said Ahsan.

    He further said: “We should try to keep Palestinians in mind today as they are going through very tough times and we should try to donate for them also. I am also trying to organise relief for them.”

    Aijaz Aslam

    Fresh off his stint on Jeeto Pakistan, Aijaz Aslam says that he plans to spend Eid “mostly indoors with family”.

    “It’s best to stay at home and do some activities with family. I don’t have any plans of going out visiting friends. It’s best for us and everyone else,” shared the actor.

    Wahaj Ali

    Ali, who recently won hearts as Basim in Ishq Jalebi, shared that he’s going to spend some quality family time, minus the celebrations.

    “With the on-going pandemic, it’s best to spend Eid at home with family,” Wahaj told The Current. “Family celebrations are out of the question! I’m not going to be risking it at all and so it’ll be a small and simple affair where I’m going to be relaxing and enjoying my time with my family.”

    Faysal Quraishi

    “The only way to make Eid in lockdown better is being with your family,” said Quraishi while sharing his Eid plans. The actor said that after a hectic Ramzan with back to back shows, he hopes to stay home and chill out with his family and children.

    Ramsha Khan

    Ramsha’s Eid is going to be all about chilling with her favourite girls. If not for the pandemic, this one party we would have loved to be a part of.

    “I plan on spending it with my mum, sister and Bella (my dog),” shared Khan. “Just going to get all dressed up with nowhere to go!”

    The actor added: “It’s so important to follow SOPs right now and avoid huge gatherings. We need to take responsibility and play our part so that we can get back to normal life as soon as possible.”

    Anoushay Abbasi

    Anoushey Abbasi plans to avoid all large family gatherings this year.

    “I’m going to be spending Eid at home with my loved ones, where everyone is safe and sound. It should definitely be kept low-key with everything that is going on, we should really be more responsible and careful,” said Abbasi.

    “It’ll definitely be a simple affair, nothing too crazy. Big family celebrations are a huge no for me this year, I’ll be avoiding those for sure,” added the Raqs e Bismil actor.

    Junaid Khan

    “The plan is to spend Eid with my family in a simple way,” shared Junaid, asserting: “Keeping the COVID situation in mind, the fewer people we meet, the better.”

    “Even within the family, we need to stay careful because there are elders and kids. So just like last year, I plan to spend Eid the same way and I think we’ll be spending the next few Eid’s like this too,” said the actor. “We should get used to this if we want our family and loved ones’ safety. We will spend these festivities with simplicity, and even while doing so, we will keep all SOPs in mind.”

    Usman Mukhtar

    Food is going to be the central theme of Usman’s Eid celebrations.

    “I plan of spending Eid at home with family,” shared Usman, who recently tied the knot.

    “We’re gonna cook some food and spend some time together because the past few months I haven’t been getting a lot of time to spend with family. So this is a good opportunity to do that instead of going out and meeting a lot of people because I feel that we should really starting being responsible now,” said the actor.

    Ayeza Khan

    Khan and husband Danish Taimoor gave their fans a treat on Eid with a romantic video of themselves.

    The actor said that while one should celebrate Eid as it is a gift from Allah for those who fasted during the month of Ramzan, one should strictly adhere to all COVID-19 SOPs. Ayeza added that one should also not forget to include those suffering in Pakistan, India and Palestine in their prayers.

    As most of our favourite stars said, stay home and spend time with your family. Dress up, have an intimate dinner or plan a game night or movie night with your fam and chill with some snacks and food. And don’t forget to pray for those going through a tough time.

    Meanwhile, to help you all out, The Current has made a list of Do’s and Don’t for Eid in lockdown and the ultimate guide to Eid TV and telefilms airing over the Eid weekend.

  • Dogecoin tumbles after Elon Musk calls it a ‘hustle’ on ‘SNL’ show

    Dogecoin tumbles after Elon Musk calls it a ‘hustle’ on ‘SNL’ show

    Dogecoin lost more than a third of its price on Sunday after Elon Musk called it a ‘hustle’ during his guest-host spot on the Saturday Night Live (SNL).

    Dogecoin was quoted as low as $0.416 on crypto exchange Binance, down 36% from levels around $0.65 before the show.

    Cryptocurrency enthusiasts had for days been eager to see what he would say, after his tweets, this year turned the once-obscure digital currency, which began as a social media joke, into a speculator’s dream.

    Asked ‘what is dogecoin’, Musk replied, “It’s the future of currency. It’s an unstoppable financial vehicle that’s going to take over the world.”

    When a show cast member Michael Che countered, “So, it’s a hustle?”, Musk replied, “Yeah, it’s a hustle,” and laughed.

    Musk is the rare business mogul to have been asked to host the venerable comedy TV show. His appearance on the iconic late-night show puts Musk back in the spotlight just as Tesla’s stock is losing steam following last year’s monster rally.

    The unconventional CEO has posted numerous comments about cryptocurrencies on Twitter and criticized regular cash for having negative real interest rates. ‘Only a fool wouldn’t look elsewhere,” he said in February.

    His cryptic tweets “Doge” and “Dogecoin is the people’s crypto” that month kicked off a rally in dogecoin – created as a parody on the more mainstream bitcoin and ethereum.

    On Thursday, Musk tweeted: “Cryptocurrency is promising, but please invest with caution!” with a video clip attached in which he said, “it should be considered speculation at this point.”

    But he also said, in the video, that cryptocurrency has a “good chance” of becoming what he called “the future currency of the Earth.”

    Some financial commentators questioned whether it was responsible for Musk to comment on the cryptocurrency, given he has the power to move its price.

    “I think he’s having a lot of fun … He can say anything he wants about dogecoin or cryptos fully aware that just him saying something moves the price,” said James Angel, associate professor at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, who specializes in financial markets and cryptocurrency.

    “Anyone who wants to play the Elon Musk game should be prepared to lose all their money.”

    The flood of selling appeared to cause problems for popular retail trading platform Robinhood, which tweeted early on Sunday that due to high trading volume and volatility some customers had experienced “intermittent issues” trading cryptocurrencies.

    The company later said the issues had been resolved and that it would contact customers affected by the downtime.

    On crypto data tracker CoinGecko.com, dogecoin has jumped more than 800% over the last month and is now the fourth-largest digital currency, with a market capitalization of $73 billion. It hit a record high Thursday above $0.73.

    Tesla said in February it bought $1.5 billion worth of bitcoin and would soon accept it as a form of payment for its electric cars, a large stride toward mainstream acceptance that sent bitcoin soaring to a record high of nearly $62,000.

    Tesla shares closed 1.3% higher at $672.37 on Friday.

    Some crypto experts said that Sunday’s dogecoin selloff was driven by speculation and that Musk had not hurt its long-term prospects.

    “Long term fundamentals of doge are intact. This is a buying opportunity,” said Jehan Chu, managing partner at Hong Kong blockchain venture capital firm Kenetic Capital.

    “It’s a true social currency – that’s its value.”