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.

  • Maya Ali starts shooting for ‘ABG’ with Shoaib Mansoor

    Maya Ali starts shooting for ‘ABG’ with Shoaib Mansoor

    Shoaib Mansoor’s upcoming film ABG starring Maya Ali and Emmad Irfani in the lead has finally gone on floors. The real name of the film is not known as yet, but its acronym is ABG, as per Maya.

    Maya announced the news by sharing a picture from the first day on set on her Instagram.

    “First day on the set of ABG. Blessed to have gotten a chance to work with the great Shoaib Sahab,” she wrote in the caption.

    Emmad also shared a picture of himself with the director at the Pakistan Air Force and sent him his best wishes for the shoot.

    Does this mean that PAF and patriotism will be a central theme in the film?

    We’ll have to wait and find out because details about the film are being kept tightly under wraps.

    The film will be the first time the Maya and Emmad will be seen together on the big screen. Maya was last seen in the film Parey Hut Love and Emmad is currently making waves with his ongoing drama Jalan. The actor was supposed to make his film debut with Gawah Rehna this year. However, its release got delayed due to the pandemic.

    ABG will also mark Mansoor’s return to the director’s seat after a break of almost three years – his last film was the Mahira Khan starrer Verna, which released in November 2017.

    An official release date for ABG has not been announced yet.

    Meanwhile, friends and colleagues of Maya sent her best wishes in the comments section of her post, with Mahira telling her that she is “working with the best”.

  • Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s ‘Home1947’ wins at Montréal’s South Asian Film Festival

    Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s ‘Home1947’ wins at Montréal’s South Asian Film Festival

    Another proud moment for Pakistan as Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s set of short films HOME1947 won the Best Film [Short Documentary] Award at the South Asian Film Festival of Montréal.

    The films part of HOME1947 which won the Best Film [Short Documentary] award at SAFFM 2020 included, Ghosts of the Past, Midnight Fury, Khamosh Pani (Silent water), Weaving Memories, Zameen and Dark Secrets.

    According to the makers, “HOME1947 is a deeply personal exploration of the lives and stories of the millions that were displaced in 1947 during the creation of two new independent states, India and Pakistan.”

    “HOME1947 recreates the long-lost sights and sounds of what millions once called home and explores this world not through the words of historians and politicians, but through the eyes of those who lived through it,” adds the statement.

    The HOME1947 Series was first premiered as part of the HOME1947 Exhibition at the Manchester International Festival in the UK followed by exhibitions in Mumbai [India], Lahore and Karachi.

    The South Asian Film Festival of Montréal (SAFFM) showcases new artistic work that fosters discussions and explores the world we inhabit. The Festival aims to provide a platform for filmmakers worldwide whose films have a focus on South Asia and its diaspora.

  • Getting wet is the new viral trend in photoshoots

    Getting wet is the new viral trend in photoshoots

    If you are an Insta-stalker like myself, you may have noticed that several A-list celebrities were spotted lounging and posing away in the pool. While I initially thought that it was just a new Pakistani trend, I stumbled upon pictures of Hollywood celebrities posing in the pool as well, establishing the fact that getting wet (and wild) is the new trend in fashion and editorial photoshoots.

    It all started with Emmad Irfani, who did an entire editorial shoot wearing dress pants and a dress shirt while standing in a pool.

    Damn, check that style and swag.

    Photo Credits – Natasha Zubair

    Sheheryar Munawar was next, who took it a notch higher and wore a full suit in the pool while inviting us to join him for a cup of tea.

    Photo Credits – Rizwan Haq

    Munawar then went on to do another shoot in the pool, this time without a shirt.

    Photo Credits – Rizwan Haq

    Read more – Syra Yousuf, Sheheryar Munawar turn up the heat with their latest photoshoot

    We then spotted Minal Khan also posing away in the pool wearing a black high-neck sweater.

    Next up we have Jennifer Lopez aka JLo, who turned up the heat and she stood in the pool. The shoot was from her upcoming skincare brand ‘JLo Beauty’. From where does the actor look 51?

    Last but not the least there is Sacha Baron Cohen, who also suited up in the pool. Though we do have to add here that our boys slayed it better.

    Which pool shot was your favourite? Ours has to be JLo and Sheheryar.

  • ‘The Umbrella Academy’ star Elliot Page comes out as transgender

    ‘The Umbrella Academy’ star Elliot Page comes out as transgender

    Oscar-nominated star of Juno and The Umbrella Academy, known as Ellen Page, has come out as transgender, introducing himself as Elliot Page on Tuesday in social media posts that voiced joy at sharing the news — but also fear over a possible backlash.

    In a landmark move for a top Hollywood actor, the actor thanked supporters in the trans community for helping him on his journey to “finally love who I am enough to pursue my authentic self.”

    “I love that I am trans. And I love that I am queer,” wrote the Canadian-born.

    His statement identifying as trans won swift praise across Hollywood and beyond, with LGBTQ charity GLAAD calling Page “remarkable” and “an outspoken advocate for all LGBTQ people.”

    Netflix tweeted: “So proud of our superhero! We love you Elliot!”

    Page, 33, burst onto the Hollywood scene with an Oscar-nominated role as a pregnant teenager in 2007 sleeper hit Juno.

    The actor also appeared in the 2010 science fiction hit Inception opposite Leonardo DiCaprio, and the 2012 Woody Allen comedy To Rome with Love.

    Page came out as gay in 2014, quickly become a flagbearer for Hollywood’s LGBTQ community, and married dancer Emma Portner in 2018. While largely absent from big-budget Hollywood blockbusters since 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past, Page has repeatedly shrugged off suggestions of being typecast or shunned by Tinseltown.

    “The truth is, despite feeling profoundly happy right now… I’m scared of the invasiveness, the hate, the ‘jokes’ and of violence,” wrote Page. “To all the trans people who deal with harassment, self-loathing, abuse and the threat of violence every day: I see you, I love you and I will do everything I can to change this world for the better.”

  • Rajkummar Rao’s ‘Ludo’ rap ‘Paneer Tikka’ is winning the internet

    Rajkummar Rao’s ‘Ludo’ rap ‘Paneer Tikka’ is winning the internet

    After Yashraj Mukhate’s ‘Woh Rashi Thi’, Rajkummar Rao’s Paneer Tikka in a retro style beat is going viral on social media.

    The song Paneer Tikka has been made into a rap by composer Mayur Jumani. Rao said the dialogue in the film Ludo, where his character is telling the menu very fluently. The new composition is catchy and has gone viral on social media.

    Ludo is a multi-starrer Netflix movie directed by Anurag Basu. Apart from Rao, it also features Pankaj Tripathi, Abhishek Bachchan, Aditya Roy Kapur, Sanya Malhotra and Fatima Sana Sheikh in the lead.

    Watch the movie review here:

  • Rubya Chaudhry opens up about her divorce

    Rubya Chaudhry opens up about her divorce

    “Divorce doesn’t always mean sadness,” says Rubya Chaudhary, who recently opened up about her own experience.

    In an Instagram post, the model-turned-actor said: “I always knew people can be crass and ill-mannered, but there isn’t anything like experiencing it first-hand. I don’t even so much as humour these types usually, but in some situations one just HAS to put their foot down.”

    “I got married a few years ago, and then got divorced super quickly after,” she shared. “And that’s that really. Never really put my private life up for people to speculate about in the first place, but I don’t blame them for being curious about such matters. Well now you know.”

    “I’d also like to add that divorce doesn’t always mean sadness and death and hayay hayay yeh kya hogya! Hayayyy bachi ki zindagi tabaaah ho gai! It could also mean bachi ki zindagi tabaah honay say BACH gayee,” she remarked.

    “It also means a second chance at love, at life, at all the wonderfully amazing chapters that may have never actualized had you chosen the dead-end as your destiny. Choose to thrive. Choose divorce if it ain’t your scene and stop worrying about all the ill-mannered and crass people around,” she wrote.

    Concluding her post, Chaudhry shared that she didn’t have to share this but she chose to for “hundreds of thousands of women who are made to feel like they should be ashamed if their marriages didn’t work out, who are told time and again by their own husbands and in-laws that there’s something wrong with them, that they need to change themselves to fit into some mould of the perfect wife (whatever that is), who’re gaslighted continuously and stripped of their vibrant personalities.”

    Rubya tied the knot with an acclaimed musician Meekal Hasan in 2016.

  • Bilal Saeed, Momina Mustehsan’s ‘Baari 2’ will tug at your heartstrings

    Bilal Saeed, Momina Mustehsan’s ‘Baari 2’ will tug at your heartstrings

    Bilal Saeed and Momina Mustehsan’s sequel to their superhit song Baari premiered on Sunday.

    The song titled Uchiyaan Deewaran (also known as Baari 2) has been written, composed and directed by Bilal. Rahim Pardesi and Hamid Ali Naqeebi have a special appearance in the song.

    “Baari was a narration of the feelings of plenty of us – the heartbroken and the hopeful. We all found a little bit of a reflection of our own stories in it,” reads the song’s official description. “It’s been a year and our stories have evolved. So let’s find out if our stories still match with theirs.”

    “When you are really in love, you become vulnerable and insecurities come out of nowhere. Don’t ever let those insecurities ruin your relationship no matter what you see,” said Bilal, while talking about the song.

    Uchiyaan Deewaran opens with Pardesi introducing his bride-to-be to Bilal. When Bilal asks for his mithai and Rahim goes down to his car to bring the sweets, Bilal and Rahim’s fiancé start talking. In the meantime, Momina comes to her rooftop and sees the two engrossed in conversation. She jumps to the conclusion that Bilal is interested in the other girl.

    This breaks her heart and through the song, Momina expresses her grief of being betrayed once again and shares why she is afraid of opening up her heart.

    The song then follows the two as they remain estranged from one another due to misunderstandings. However, they soon realise the truth and admit their feelings to one another ending the song on a happy note.

    Uchiyaan Dewaraan is a soft and melodious tune which is bound to strike a chord in your heart. Shot in the heart of old Lahore, the music video of the song is also very aesthetically pleasing and romantic. Listen to the song here:

    The song is loved and shared by the fans on all platforms of social media. Here are some reactions of people on twitter:

    https://twitter.com/departed__soul/status/1333011193125101569?s=19
    https://twitter.com/AjoobaTooba/status/1333012772595044358?s=19
    https://twitter.com/TrimiziiiSyeda/status/1333064244040962048?s=08

    https://twitter.com/Ohudeadppl/status/1333012608711086080?s=08
    https://twitter.com/Hanzi82/status/1333032712563724295?s=08

    https://twitter.com/Damndelusional/status/1333110896025956359?s=08
    https://twitter.com/Marvii_prh_le/status/1333098826320793602?s=08

  • Google honours Bano Qudsia with a doodle on her 92nd birth anniversary

    Google honours Bano Qudsia with a doodle on her 92nd birth anniversary

    Google is celebrating renowned novelist and playwright Bano Qudsia’s 92nd birth anniversary with a doodle.

    In a statement, Google said: “Today’s Doodle honours the life and legacy of Pakistani novelist and stage and television playwright Bano Qudsia, affectionately known as Bano Aapa (elder sister), who is widely credited as one of the most significant Urdu language authors in modern times.”

    “Renowned for her message of love and hope, Qudsia earned enormous acclaim for Urdu classics like her television play Aadhi Baat (Half Talk, 1968) and novel Raja Gidh (The Vulture King, 1981).”

    Bano Qudsia was born on November 28, 1928, in Firozpur, British India. She began to write short stories when she was a child. After the partition of the subcontinent, she moved to Lahore, where she earned her master’s degree in Urdu. While in school, she also met her future husband and fellow luminary of Urdu literature Ashfaq Ahmad.

    Google further said: “During a fertile era of Pakistani literature, Qudsia’s thought-provoking television plays earned her a reputation as a cultural trendsetter. In addition, she wrote a prolific 25 novels and founded her own magazine called Dastango. Even as her legend grew throughout her six-decade career, she maintained a reputation for her radical acceptance and kindness, known to embrace those from all walks of life who approached her for mentorship or assistance.”

    “Happy birthday, Bano Qudsia! Your contributions to Pakistani literature and entertainment will continue to resonate for generations to come!,” concluded the Google note.

    It is pertinent to add that Qudsia is also the recipient of the prestigious Sitara-e-Imtiaz (1983) and the Hilal-e-Imtiaz (2000).

    Read more – Google celebrates Manto with a colourful doodle

    Meanwhile, cricket commentator Ramiz Raja also remembered the late novelist and recalled the time he played tennis ball cricket at her home and broke her veranda’s tube light.

    “Readying myself for a dressing down, all I got from her instead was a warm expression to know if I was okay,” shared Raja.

  • ‘Deen>Dunya’: World’s first hijab-wearing supermodel Halima Aden quits fashion

    ‘Deen>Dunya’: World’s first hijab-wearing supermodel Halima Aden quits fashion

    Halima Aden often recognised as the world’s first hijab-wearing model has announced that she is quitting the fashion industry and fashion shows because they forced her to compromise on her Islamic beliefs and values.

    Aden, who was hailed as a trailblazer for being one of the first models to wear a hijab and walk for major fashion labels including Kanye West’s Yeezy, posted a series of images on social media that illustrated the times she had lost touch with who she is.

    “I can only blame myself for caring more about opportunity than what was actually at stake,” wrote Aden on social media.

    Sharing a post of herself in a campaign for Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty, Aden wrote: “(Rihanna) let me wear the hijab I brought to set. This is the girl I’m returning to, the real Halima.”

    In another post, Aden spoke about the feeling that comes with being a “minority within a minority”.

    “Thanks to COVID and the break away from the industry, I have finally realised where I went wrong in my personal hijab journery,” shared Aden.

    “What I blame the industry for is the lack of Muslim stylists. She said this has led to very little understanding of the hijab in the fashion industry.”

    The former supermodel also shared instances where she was forced to compromise on her hijab.

    She added that she had “sobbed” in her hotel room after shooting some campaigns over not speaking up about what she thought was right.

    “The truth is I was very uncomfortable,” she wrote on Instagram.

    Halima said that she can “now sleep in peace” because she has said her peace and is leaving it there.

    Meanwhile, the Hadid sisters Gigi and Bella extended their support towards Aden and sent love her way.

    Aden first made headlines in 2016, when she was the first woman to wear a hijab. Since then she has appeared on the cover of British Vogue and on runways at New York Fashion Week.

    Aden was the first model to wear a hijab and full-body burkini in Sports Illustrated’s annual swimsuit issue. The spread was shot at Watamu Beach in Kenya.

  • Abhishek Bachchan is unrecognisable in leaked pictures from upcoming film

    Abhishek Bachchan is unrecognisable in leaked pictures from upcoming film

    Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan is unrecognisable in the pictures leaked from the sets of his upcoming thriller Bob Biswas. Pictures of the actor wearing a blue shirt and dark pants, a wig and large glasses have gone viral on social media.

    Bachchan is even sporting a big paunch.

    According to details, the actor is currently shooting for the film in Kolkata. In the film, he will be playing the character of Bob Biswas, an intriguing character from Sujoy Ghosh’s Kahaani, starring Vidya Balan. The film also stars Chitrangda Singh.

    The movie is a spin-off to the 2012 thriller Kahaani. It is produced by Gauri Khan and Gaurav Verma under Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment alongside Sujoy Ghosh’s Bound Script Production.

    It is directed by debutante filmmaker Diya Annapurna Ghosh. The film went on floors on January 24, 2020. Balan is most likely to have a cameo in the thriller.

    Bachchan’s last release Ludo was well-received by audiences and critics alike.