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.

  • Harrison Ford is coming back for a fifth and final ‘Indiana Jones’ film

    Harrison Ford is coming back for a fifth and final ‘Indiana Jones’ film

    Harrison Ford may be pushing 80, but he’s not too old to don the wide-brimmed fedora of adventurer Indiana Jones for one final film.

    Disney has announced that Ford will be returning as Indiana Jones for a fifth and last Indy flick in 2022 — which has been in development for years.

    “We’re in pre-production on the next and final installment of Indiana Jones,” Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said on Disney’s mammoth investor day presentation.

    “Of course, Indy himself, Harrison Ford, will be back to conclude this iconic character’s journey. Indy will begin shooting late spring of 2021, and will be released in July of 2022.”

    At the helm will be James Mangold, director of racing flick Ford vs Ferrari and Logan, the final chapter in the long-running series of Wolverine flicks starring Hugh Jackman.

    Steven Spielberg, who directed the first four Indy flicks, had initially been set to direct the final chapter in the Indiana Jones saga but has instead handed the reins to Mangold. He will, however, remain involved as a producer.

    Ford, now 78, first created the role of Indiana Jones in 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark, just a few years after achieving global fame as Han Solo in the original Star Wars film.

    Three years later, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom followed. In 1989, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade hit theatres, with Sean Connery playing Indy’s dad. Connery passed away in October this year at the age of 90.

    Nearly 20 years would pass before Ford starred in the fourth film, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which had box office success but was critically panned.

    Disney first announced plans for a fifth film in 2016, with a 2019 release date, but the project was delayed over creative differences between Spielberg, screenwriters and producers.

    Then the coronavirus pandemic upended Hollywood’s production schedule.

  • RFAK steals the second episode of CS2020 with ‘Dil Tarpe’

    RFAK steals the second episode of CS2020 with ‘Dil Tarpe’

    With the first episode of Coke Studio 2020 well-received by both critics and the public alike, Coke Studio dropped Episode 2 on Friday featuring performances by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Meesha Shafi and Ali Pervez Mehdi among others.

    RFAK joined hands with classical singer Zara Madani to perform a beautiful tarana Dil Tarpe, bringing a fusion and Qawwali-like flavour to the track.

    In the song, the protagonist is exhibiting distress by emotionally imploring their beloved to have mercy on the heart; longing for the comfort and peace of their beloved’s company.

    Talking about the song, Zara said, “This song is about longing with a very special spiritual connotation; a conversation taking place between a person and their inner self where one pleads for help from the Almighty.”

    Excited about the new collaboration, Khan said, “I don’t think anyone has ever experimented with a tarana the way that we have tried to in this season.”

    In the second song of the episode, newcomer Wajiha Naqvi debuted with a solo performance titled Yaqeen. The song has been written and composed by the artist herself. Carrying a modern pop-rock style, the song has pronounced elements of Indian classical instruments, thus classifying as raga rock, a popular musical genre from the 60s.

    With its powerful lyrics, Yaqeen tells the story of a woman showing resilience and self-reliance in the journey of life. Speaking about the song, Naqvi said: “If men and women are not encouraged or taught to rely on themselves or have faith in themselves, this usually leads them not really knowing who they are and what they are truly capable of. If each person is given the opportunity to explore and discover his/her own self and true potential, they can contribute to society in a more informed manner.”

    Lastly, Ali Pervez Mehdi and Meesha Shafi came together for a catchy Punjabi folk song Gal Sunn. With a contemporary funk element, the song represents the longing between lovers. The rhythm instruments playing interlocking grooves create a toe-tapping and danceable feel.

    “In these times, going through [Covid-19], I wanted people to listen to something positive and fun. That is why I created this song,” said Mehdi, adding that the song gave him hope.

    “I dance to it and I want everyone else to dance to it too!,” he added.

    Meesha, while talking about the song said: “This song has a lovely flirtatious vibe. It is a beautiful composition. Ali has a beautiful voice and his songwriting is really really catchy.”

    Along with a groovy bass line, Serbian brass players have also been incorporated playing the trumpet, tenor saxophone and trombone enhancing the funk feel to this desi melody.

    Produced by Rohail Hyatt, CS2020 started on December 4 and will have only 12 songs, featuring 13 artists.

  • Mukesh Ambani becomes grandfather as Akash and Shloka welcome baby boy

    Mukesh Ambani becomes grandfather as Akash and Shloka welcome baby boy

    Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani on Thursday became a grandfather after his son Akash and his wife Shloka Mehta welcomed a baby boy.

    Mukesh Ambani holding his grandson

    “Nita and Mukesh Ambani are delighted to have become grandparents for the first time, as they welcome the great-grandson of Dhirubhai and Kokilaben Ambani. Shloka and Akash Ambani became proud parents of a baby boy today (December 10) in Mumbai,” read an official statement from the Ambani family.

    “Both mother and son are doing well. The new arrival has brought immense joy to the Mehta and Ambani families,” it added.

    Akash Ambani and Shloka Mehta got married on March 9, 2019, in a grand ceremony in Mumbai. Shloka is the daughter of diamantaire Russell Mehta and Mona Mehta. The couple’s wedding was a glitzy affair attended by many A-listers from politics to showbiz and business including Shah Rukh Khan, his wife Gauri and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and wife Cherie.

    The Ambanis had come under fire last year when they released a video for Shloka’s first birthday after the wedding in which they ‘subtly’ demanded a kid from their new bride.

    “Dearest Shloka, wish you a very happy birthday and your first birthday as Mrs Shloka Ambani,” Mukesh had said in the video. “May this year bring you lots of happiness, love, peace, and prosperity. And I’m sure that by the time I wish you, next year not only will I be a grandfather but you will be a mother. This is going to be an eventful year. All the best beta.”

  • Romantic thriller on KFC’s Colonel Sanders is coming soon

    A short film on KFC’s Colonel Sanders is on its way. The film titled A Recipe for Seduction will premiere on December 13 on Lifetime.

    Starring Mario Lopez as a hot Colonel Sanders, the film will be only 15 minutes long and will be available on the network’s streaming platforms. 

    “As the holidays draw near, a young heiress contends with the affections of a suitor handpicked by her mother,” reads the official description.

     “When the handsome chef, Harland Sanders, arrives with his secret fried chicken recipe and a dream, he sets in motion a series of events that unravels the mother’s devious plans. Will our plucky heiress escape to her wintry happily ever after with Harland at her side, or will she cave to the demands of family and duty?”

    Watch the trailer here:

  • Documentary on Qandeel Baloch debuts at America’s biggest documentary festival

    Documentary on Qandeel Baloch debuts at America’s biggest documentary festival

    Pakistan’s multi-award winning production house Soc Films’ latest documentary, A Life Too Short, debuted at the 11th edition of DOC NYC, America’s largest documentary festival.

    https://twitter.com/SOCFilms/status/1335931777840451586?s=20

    A Life Too Short chronicles the life of social media superstar, the late Qandeel Baloch, who pushed boundaries in conservative Pakistan like no other. She was killed at the age of 26 by her brother who smothered her to death for her open exclamations of women’s equality and sexuality through her sensational social media presence.

    “Making this documentary has been a labour of love for more than three years and now that it’s ready to go out into the world, I am both nervous and excited. Undoubtedly, Qandeel had big dreams and the courage to create her own identity but I am left terrified every time I realize that not all women amongst us are afforded their basic right to choose to live however they want. Yet I live for the day when there won’t be a price to pay should a woman choose to follow her heart.” said director Safyah Zafar Usmani while talking about the documentary.

    Qandeel’s belongings

    “Making biographical films is always tricky, but it’s harder when your subject is as complex and widely misunderstood as Qandeel Baloch. There’s so much more to her story than how it came to an end, but it’s really important for the world to remember the price Qandeel had to pay just because she chose to dream big and remain true to herself, and hopefully, this film will help do that,” said co-director Saad Zubairi.

    A Life Too Short was one of the 12 titles showcased this year at DOC NYC The Short List: Shorts. Last year the selection included seven of the ten films that went on to be named to the Oscars Shortlist for Documentary Shorts and three of DOC NYC’s picks went on to be Oscar nominees. This year’s DOC NYC’s winning short will qualify for consideration in the Documentary Short Subject category of the Annual Academy Awards in 2021, without the standard theatrical run, provided the film otherwise complies with the Academy rules.

    Directed by Safyah, co-directed by Saad and produced by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, the documentary also features executive producers Sheila Nevins and Guy Oseary, cinematographer Nadir Siddiqui and editor Mishaal Adhaami.

    Qandeel’s short but chaotic life has provided inspiration for several works including drama serial Baaghi starring Saba Qamar, Osman Khalid Butt and Ali Kazmi. Journalist Sanam Maher also wrote a book on the life of the late social media sensation titled The Sensational Life and Death of Qandeel Baloch. The book also recently featured in the New York Times ‘Top 100 books of 2020’ list.

    Recently, Sharmeen’s set of short films HOME 1947 won the Best Film [Short Documentary] Award at the South Asian Film Festival of Montréal.

  • Meesha Shafi’s take on the iconic ‘Boom Boom’ creates waves

    Meesha Shafi’s take on the iconic ‘Boom Boom’ creates waves

    Meesha Shafi’s rendition of Nazia Hassan’s iconic Boom Boom has been the talk of the weekend. The song was released as part of the Velo Sound Station produced by Bilal Maqsood and co-directed by Bilal and Yasir Jaswal.

    Shafi, known for her powerful vocals and eddy style performed a dance club cover of Nazia Hassan’s 1982 pop hit. Her powerful voice with outstanding control and projection is heard reciting these evocative lyrics as the words waft down cloud-like on the oversize LED screen: “Can you feel this force, this sweet design. How our minds are together, how we are so aligned. Felt the hush in the world. The only sound I heard was the way you made my heart go Boom Boom.”

    The singer received a lot of love and appreciation for her performance, to which she personally responded on social media. The singer, in response to a journalist, also shared that the melancholic undertone to the song was the sadness she has “carried for almost three years at being kicked when I was down by so many of my colleagues”.

  • Five Pakistani dramas PM Khan should watch

    Five Pakistani dramas PM Khan should watch

    Ever since he assumed office, Prime Minister Imran Khan has given us plenty of recommendations on drama serials and books – the most prominent being Turkish drama series Diriliş: Ertuğrul and Elif Shafak’s The Forty Rules of Love. Earlier this week, PM Khan recommended the youth to watch another Turkish show on Sufism Yunus Emre: Aşkin Yolculuğu, which is also being aired on PTV in Urdu.

    While we love the fact that the PM takes out time to recommend stuff to the youth, we decided to turn the tables and recommend him a few recent (in the past two years) Pakistani drama serials which are worth watching. Check out our suggestions below:

    Sabaat

    While Hum TV’s Sabaat in its essence is a family drama exploring familial relations and dynamics, its presentation was very refreshing, in particular Anaya and Hassan’s storyline. The drama highlighted the importance of having a healthy, loving relationship with your children and gave out a strong message on the importance of empowering women and daughters and gave viewers a new heroine after Zindagi Gulzar Hai‘s Kashf. It also showed how ego, money and misunderstandings can ruin relationships and your life. All these themes are the ones which PM Khan has time and time again urged our drama writers to show on television.

    Read more – ‘Sabaat’ manages to tie up loose ends in a rushed finale

    Alif

    Starring PM Imran’s BFF Hamza Ali Abbasi and Sajal Aly in the lead, Alif, written by Umera Ahmed and directed by Haseeb Hasan focuses on the spiritual journeys of two individuals Qalb-e-Momin (Hamza) and Momina Sultan (Sajal), who despite coming from completely different backgrounds help each other find peace in righteousness. Alif was a brilliant example of good storytelling and sensitive direction. Moreso, the entire cast of the drama including Hamza, Sajal, Ahsan Khan, Manzar Sehbai and Kubra Khan gave strong and solid performances. It is pertinent to add here that Hamza in several interviews has shared that his life reflects what is shown in the drama.

    Suno Chanda Season 1

    Perhaps one of the most-loved dramas in the country, Suno Chanda (Season 1) is chaotic, fun and will leave you with a warm feeling. The show which ran through Ramadan and had everyone hooked is about a household in which the children of two brothers get married just before the family’s patriach passes away. Directed by Aehsun Talish and written by Saima Akram Chaudhry, Suno Chanda is a comedy drama done just right. From the performances to the witty dialogues to the direction, everything about this drama was brilliant. The show gave us some memorable characters and there was bound to be one person in the cast you could relate too.

    Out of the list, if there is one drama the prime minister should be watching, it should be Suno Chanda. Will also give him some much-needed respite from the day-to-day political tensions.

    Aangan

    Yet another multi-starrer drama starring some big dramas of the drama industry, Aangan brought back and romanticised living in joint family systems while at the same time highlighting the issues that come with it. The drama very delicately and tactfully challenged societal norms while keeping viewers engaged and hooked. Aangan is without a doubt one of Faiza Iftikhar’s finest works. I am pretty sure Khan sahab is going to love this one. It is everything he wants to promote through television and dramas.

    Sammi

    Perhaps the darkest drama on this list, Mawra Hocane and Adnan Siddiqui’s Sammi sheds light on the custom of vani (or exchange brides) and how women are forced to continuously bear children in the quest for a son. It is gritty and makes you uncomfortable but that is because you know that this is exactly what happens to women in this country. The drama has been sensitively written by Noor ul Huda Shah and directed by Saifee Hassan.

    Is there any other drama you would recommend PM Imran to watch? Let us know in the comments below.

  • Hajra Yamin, Fahad Sheikh’s ‘Nam Kya Rakha’ talks about unrequited love

    Hajra Yamin, Fahad Sheikh’s ‘Nam Kya Rakha’ talks about unrequited love

    Pakistan’s fastest growing web-channel, See Prime released a short film titled Nam Kya Rakha on Friday, starring Hajra Yamin, Fahad Sheikh, Faizan Shaikh and Shawaiz.

    “Shayan (Fahad Sheikh), the lead protagonist in the story is a cricket fanatic who ends up on a hospital bed due to a car accident, unaware of what waits for him. There he meets up the only woman he ever loved. The story discloses how healing touch of love that can happen in unlikely places at unlikely times,” reads the film’s official synopsis.

    Penned by Shaha Jamshed and directed by Sohail Javed, the short story has been produced by Ali Hussain and Mahib Bukhari.

    The Executive Producer of the film, Seemeen Naveed, in a statement, said, “Naam Kya Rakha is a reminder to each one of us that it is okay to look back if it will allow you to move forward – and we are glad that with See Prime we are able to tell such simple stories for our audiences.”

    Fahad and Hajra are currently winning hearts as a couple in ARY Digital’s ongoing drama Jalan.

    Read more – Sanam Saeed’s ‘Ab Buss’ takes inspiration from the motorway gang-rape incident

    Watch Naam Kya Rakha here:

  • Coke Studio 2020 premieres with a powerful all-female anthem

    Coke Studio 2020 premieres with a powerful all-female anthem

    The premier episode of Coke Studio 2020 consisted of three original tracks featuring a lineup of emerging artists including Mehdi Maloof, Seher Gul and Wajiha Naqvi, along with industry veterans Meesha Shafi, Fariha Pervez, Ali Noor, Sanam Marvi and Zara Madani.

    According to the press release, producer Rohail Hyatt has ensured that not only will this be a season featuring purely original songs, but the focus for this year has also been on content and social messaging which includes an all-female anthem called Na Tutteya Ve with veteran female vocalists including Sanam Marvi and Meesha Shafi.

    In addition to this, CS debutant Mehdi performed Dil Khirki, a song written and composed by the emerging Indie artist. According to the singer, the song, with its typical college sing-along feel, is about “opening your heart to the world regardless of life’s circumstances”.

    “In accepting one’s circumstances, one is able to submit to fate which ultimately results in a greater understanding of both life, and the self,” said Mehdi.

    In the third song of the episode Jaag Rahi, Fariha sings about suffering sleepless nights, longing to be united with her Beloved (Almighty). Ali’s voice responds to this longing by explaining that he suffers the same predicament and that she is not forgotten. The song is an interesting and contemporary take on the classical thumri.

    The 13th edition of Coke Studio or CS2020 will only have 12 songs this year featuring 13 artists and international musicians.

  • Hadiqa Kiani reportedly sued for causing ‘hair loss’

    Hadiqa Kiani reportedly sued for causing ‘hair loss’

    Hadiqa Kiani has reportedly been sued by a woman in Faisalabad for causing her hair loss. The woman has claimed Rs 2 crores in damages from the singer.

    According to reports, the woman identified as Zahida said that she suffered drastic hair loss after she visited a franchise outlet of the musician’s beauty salon for a straightening treatment. Zahida alleged that the use of harmful creams caused her hair to fall out, distorting her appearance.

    The woman, identified as Zahida, also filed a seperate claim worth Rs 2.5 million against the owner of the Hadiqa Kiani Salon’s franchise in Faisalabad.

    A local court has summoned Kiani, the salon’s franchise owner, Deputy Commissioner Faisalabad, as well as the district health officer on December 16.

    The franchise owner said they would file a reply in the court over the matter.