Category: Entertainment

Best entertainment news in the industry, we break entertainment stories as soon as celebrities post on their social media and do Pakistani drama reviews.

  • Death clarification: Saeeda Imtiaz posts statement to rubbish death rumours

    Death clarification: Saeeda Imtiaz posts statement to rubbish death rumours

    Actress and model Saeeda Imtiaz rubbished rumours about her death by posting a video, where she revealed that her Instagram and Facebook account had been hacked, leading to the posting of the fake death news.

    Imtiaz also revealed the mental anguish her family and loved ones went through:

    “My family members were incredibly upset, I don’t live with them.. they are here right now to see whether I was okay.”

    Imtiaz also made it clear that she is currently tracing down the people who were responsible for the hacking and will take strong action against them. You can listen to her full statement below:

    Imtiaz’s lawyer, Mian Shahbaz Ahmed, posted the clarification on his Instagram account by slamming the death rumors, and wrote that the ‘Kaptaan’ actor was alive and well.

    Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un.

    Model and film actress Saeeda Imtiaz has passed away at her home on Tuesday morning, her team has confirmed in a statement posted on her Instagram account.

    The statement said that Imtiaz was found dead in her room. No cause of death has been given as yet.

    Imtiaz was born in the United Arab Emirates and raised in New York, USA.

    She started her career working as a model, before moving on to the bigger screen in 2012, starring as Jemima Khan in the biographical film about Imran Khan, “Kaptaan: The Making of a Legend”. She also starred in ‘Wajood’ in 2018.

    We send our condolences to her friends and family.

  • Ahmed Ali Akbar’s upcoming film ‘Gunjal’ follows investigation of labor activist Iqbal Masih’s murder

    Actor Ahmed Ali Akbar’s upcoming film ‘Gunjal’ will certainly change the way Pakistani audiences see him. Akbar will essay the role of a journalist investigating the brutal murder of bonded child labor activist Iqbal Masih, who was assassinated on 16 April, 1995 when he was just 12 years of age.

    The film also stars veteran actor Resham and Aamna Ilyas.

    The film is directed by Shoaib Sultan and the screenplay has been written by Nirmal Bano and Ali Kazmi.

    Iqbal Masih had campaigned against abusive child labor in Pakistan from a very young age. He had received the Reeebok Human Rights Award in 1994 for spreading awareness about child labor and bonded slavery. He was posthumously awarded the Sitara-e-Shujaat in 2022.

  • ‘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.

    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.”

  • 13 years later, Hassan and Bano’s tragic love story in ‘Dastaan’ is still a fan favourite

    Television in Pakistan went through a seismic shift when 13 years ago, the drama ‘Dastaan’ debuted on our screens. Featuring a star-studded cast like Fawad Khan, Sanam Baloch, Saba Qamar and Ahsan Khan, the series was an adaptation of the novel ‘Bano’ by Razia Butt, an exploration of the aftermath of the subcontinent’s partition.

    The main leads, Hassan (played by Khan) and Bano (played by Baloch), are two lovers who meet when their relatives Suraiya and Salim get married. At first Hassan tries to befriend Bano, but Salim refuses to let them marry because he wants to marry her off to another man. However, just as their families approve and both are engaged, Hassan has to leave for University, and then the partition of 1947 takes place after which their lives are completely changed.

    Pakistani dramas today can’t seem to move on from saas-bahu kay jhagray and toxic love stories where women are nothing but a prop for men, so many remember the magic of ‘Dastaan’ especially the tragedy of the love story between Hassan and Bano.

    A viral tweet on Twitter had asked about a couple from a drama series that had devastated them, and the most popular reply in the Pakistani context had to be Hassan and Bano’s tragedy from ‘Dastaan’.

    https://twitter.com/MaryamAmir59627/status/1647221392369147906?s=20

  • Maya Ali’s favourite scene from ‘Yunhi’ is a replay of sexist ‘beti ka ghar na raha’

    It’s Friday, Mercury has stopped going in retrograde and everything is going back to normal, except for Pakistani dramas, which will keep scraping the bottom of the barrel to search for sexist content.

    It’s hilarious and yet quite terrifying how dedicated Pakistani dramas are to not provide what their audiences actually want: progressive storylines that recognise women as equals, rather than as props. But what currently popular trending dramas like ‘Yunhi’ prove, the best way to get ratings and to keep eyes glued to screens is to keep peddling the same sexist tropes over and over again and proclaim it as the standard content everyone should watch.

    ‘Yunhi’ began trending on social media this week when the actor playing the female lead on the show, Maya Ali, shared a clip from the latest episode. In it, her character is having an emotional, heart-to-heart with her father (played by fashion designer Deepak Perwani). Judged on performance alone, the scene is definitely tearjerking. However, we made the mistake of unmuting the video and heard the female character discuss how tragic it is for her to leave her father and how happy she is that her mother isn’t alive to see her wedding day.

    We should clarify here that Maya’s character is not heading off to war or to a distant land, but is actually getting married and leaving for her new home.

    Exactly what magical powers does a yellow mayun joraa hold, we want to ask Deepak Perwani, because of which a woman suddenly becomes a shadow of her past self and leaves behind her old family and friends? Does signing a marriage pact suddenly mean that over night, no woman can come back to her old home, and is now just the wife of the man that she has married?

    And most importantly, how is this supposedly tear jerking scene suppose to sit well in a country where women are taught that once they are married, they can never freely visit their families nor can they wear what they want or go where they want? They are not even allowed to escape domestic abuse.

    The message that Maya Ali likes, is once more, a terrifying reminder that for Pakistani families, marriages are basically equivalent to exiling women from their parents’ homes. And that for parents, including the dead mother who Maya is glad isn’t alive to watch her get married, the sole emotional and fundamentally important moment is their daughter getting married, nothing else.

    If these drama creators need any advice to show a rukhsati that actually makes the audience sob, take notes from ‘Kuch Ankahi’. That drama serial included a wedding scene where the phupoo (aunt) passionately defended women’s right to include protective clauses in the nikkahnama, and prove that women do not become strangers to their own families once they get married. They are still individuals with a personality, and definitely more than just the wives of the men they are getting married to.

    https://twitter.com/sunflowermochii/status/1637183811300601858?s=20

  • Wahaj Ali, Hareem Farooq’s upcoming drama ’22 Qadam’ is an ode to women in sports

    If fans haven’t had enough of Wahaj Ali in ‘Tere Bin’ and ‘Mujhe Pyaar Hua Tha’ then they’re in for a treat. His next drama is unique because it explores the issue of women in sports.

    Ali shared a first look of the venture where he will be playing a cricketer, writing on Instagram about the drama’s premise which is about supporting women cricket players.

    “As a society we need to promote women coming into all professional fields – from sports to sciences. The roots of 22 Qadam are embedded in inspiring and taking pride in the dreams and achievements of our women.”

    The female lead of this drama is going to be played by ‘Sar-e-Rah’ actor Hareem Farooq, who will essay the role of a small town girl named Fari, who dreams of becoming a cricketer.

    The Current reached out to Farooq on why she had chosen to become a part of this project, and she responded:

    “When we came up with this concept, the thought behind it was that we need to empower women in the best way possible and there is no way better than projecting women in sports. Cricket, especially being the most loved sport in South-Asia.”

    Farooq also reflected on how women like Sana Mir, who is a commentator and former cricket captain, served as inspiration for the drama by breaking stereotypes:

    “The first person that comes to our mind when you talk about women and cricket is Sana Mir, she’s been an inspiration for so many women out there. It is just about breaking stereotypes and the taboos out there that women can also excel in sports, and if nothing else it makes you more independent and gives you that confidence that allows you to face the world in the best way possible.”

    Hareem Farooq said that she feels that society needs the kind of entertainment where people are not just enjoying themselves but are also educated that stereotypes and taboos can be broken. “Even women, infact everybody, can achieve their dreams if they’re passionate about it.”

    Speaking about her character, the actress said that her character Fari dreams of playing for the national cricket team and making her country proud:

    “I play the character of Fari, who is this bubbly and happy girl who wants to spread joy and happiness where ever she goes. But she has a dream and a passion she wants to follow and she is determined to do that. In this way breaking stereotypes and taboos by playing for the national team and make her country proud, and make her parents proud. It is a journey of achieving that dream and the up’s and down’s she goes through, and how or will she ever be able to achieve that dream.”

    In many ways, Farooq says that ’22 Qadam’ is a groundbreaking show because it is “the voice of the unheard.”

    The drama is written by Zeeshan Ilyas and directed by Anjum Shahzad.

  • ‘I loved my character in Kuch Ankahi because she’s fearless’: Qudsia Ali

    Qudsia Ali has won accolades from audiences for her performance as Tania in ‘Kuch Ankahi’, where she plays the younger sister of the family. Speaking to BBC Urdu, Ali opened up about what drove her to the script and how she fell in love with her character:

    “When I read about Tania’s character, the first thing I loved about her was that she’s fearless. She isn’t afraid of anything. A lot of the times women in our families are scared of a lot of things like disapproval from their parents or even their families, especially my character who is scolded for eating. But she loves herself, she doesn’t mind if her mother calls her a ‘gama pelwan’ to which she responds ‘kya gama phelwan meri tarhaan cute tha?’”

    Ali also shared what set Taniya apart from other characters in Pakistani dramas is how she has male friends. It is still quite rare that a man and a woman are shown as just friends and not be romantically innvolved:

    “In the drama, Tania’s closest friend is a boy, which is a new thing for our industry to witness a boy and a girl being friends because in our society, we don’t believe in such things.”

    The ‘Betiyaan’ actress also raved about working next to actors like Sajal Aly and Bilal Abbass.

    “My first question had been ‘Who else has signed up for this drama?’ Then I was told that Sajal Aly and Bilal Abbas had, I was so overwhelmed and excited to become a part of this show.”

    On the fan-favorite moments of the drama involving her interaction with Shakeel, played by Samad Khan, Ali revealed that most of their moments weren’t scripted. Instead, they were improvised.

    “Our bond was based on how both of them are confident, despite their flaws. Shakeel fumbles while speaking but he owns it, while she is told she eats a lot but she doesn’t care. Which is why they have such a strong bond with each other.

    Watch the complete interview below:

  • ‘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.

    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.

  • 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.

  • Championing working women, condemning dowry: ‘Chand Tara’ is winning hearts for providing a refreshing and wholesome Ramzan drama

    Ramzan dramas have long had the habit of reusing the same stories about marriage-obsessed women chasing after the bad boy, then add some slaps and misogynist behavior, a tarka of badtameez in-laws, the extra masala that is divorce, fights, crying, breakdown and then all’s well that ends well as the battered and bruised woman decides to forgive her husband and move back in with him.

    However, in the last few days, ‘Chand Tara’ has been receiving accolades for taking the same tropes and re-writing them to provide audiences with a hilarious rom-com about wedding season. The drama stars Ayeza Khan and Danish Taimoor as lovers from different backgrounds who try to convince their families to agree to their marriage. Sarim Chand is a software engineer who comes from an extroverted, loud family and is used to catering to the whims of his sassy siblings, and Nain Tara is a doctor who lives with her strict mother and longs for a loud home filled with love and laughter.

    Written by powerhouse drama writer Saima Akram Chaudhry, who was previously responsible for the iconic ‘Suno Chanda’ and then ‘Chupke Chupke’, it was obviously a guarantee that this drama will quickly win the hearts of fans all over Pakistan because of how cleverly it debunks sexist stereotypes and brings forward a refreshing male lead who loves and supports the women in his life and is not afraid to stand up for her. In several episodes, the show has championed the rights for women to include the ‘right to divorce’ clause in the nikkahnama, encouraged brides to be cheerful and FINALLY, no cousin marriage shenanigans.

    What’s also notable here is how Danish Taimoor has decided to pick a male lead who contradicts his past roles, to be more supportive and loving towards the female lead in the drama. Fans have praised Taimoor for getting them to fall in love with the character’s kindness and dedication. One scene that is making audiences swoon depicts Chand carefully removing Tara’s shoes after she’s exhausted from their wedding.

    Fans have appreciated how the drama refuses to follow the same road of woman giving up everything for the man, Tara loves her work and will keep practicing after her marriage while Chand is nothing but incredibly supportive of her ambitions.

    More dramas that champion working woman! Are you listening, entertainment industry? This is the kind of content we need!