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.

  • “Allah is watching and He knows what’s in your heart,” says singer Akon

    “Allah is watching and He knows what’s in your heart,” says singer Akon

    Akon was in the UAE this week and and instead of singing his famous tunes, he delivered a keynote address at the Sharjah Entrepreneurial Festival.

    He spoke about his journey from being a car thief to becoming one of the biggest pop stars but said that his social entrepreneurship is what gives him the most satisfaction.

    Originally from Senegal, Akon is a Grammy award winning singer and has now launched a solar-powered energy project of his own. He says that his decisions are based on his faith and there is a spiritual side to business that entrepreneurs ignore.

    “It makes you ask the question: what is success? Is it fame or fortune? Does that measure what success means to you? Or is it faith?” he asked, “For me, real success is faith. If God is not smiling upon me I am not successful. I don’t care even if I have a billion dollars in the bank. And what good am I if have a billion dollars sitting in the bank in the first place?”

    One of Akon’s biggest hits: Right Now (Na Na Na)

    Akon had spoken to The National, a UAE based newspaper and said that he was born a Muslim and in some places of Senegal it was considered haram. But he said that the intention has to be good and even in daily prayers, “we pray in melody.”

    He also added that he would not judge anyone because, “at the end of the day, Allah is watching and he knows what is in your heart.”

    Akon was going to visit Pakistan in April of this year but was not able to. In January he had uploaded this message for PM Khan,

  • Paresh Rawal speaks up for Muslim professor’s hiring in India

    Paresh Rawal speaks up for Muslim professor’s hiring in India

    Bollywood’s veteran actor Paresh Rawal is raising his voice in support of an Indian Muslim university professor Feroz Khan. According to reports, Dr Feroze was being hired to teach Sanskrit and people were protesting against that because they thought that the language needed to be protected.

    Paresh voiced his disbelief at the protest and highlighted the “irony” that Professor Feroze had done his Masters and PhD in Sanskrit.

    He added that if that if the protestors logic was to be followed, the “late Shri Mohammad Rafi ji should not have sung any BHAJANS and Naushad Saab should not have composed it!”

    Hardline Hindu students at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) are holding a sit-in outside the vice-chancellor’s office against the appointment of Professor Feroz Khan. Their stance is that since most Hindu religious text is in Sanskrit, they don’t want a Muslim professor for teaching linguistic lessons about Sanskrit.

    On the other hand, there were a few students who were in favor of the Muslim professor’s appointment.

  • The Current Life with Ahsan Khan

  • What really happened between Ali Rehman Khan and the McDonald’s employee?

    What really happened between Ali Rehman Khan and the McDonald’s employee?

    As promised by Ali Rehman Khan, there is more to the story than what initially met the eye.

    A day after a video of Ali losing his cool at a McDonalds employee went viral on social media and became the number one Twitter trend, McDonalds has released a ‘Behind the Scenes’ video which shows the crew of the fast-food joint and the actor delivering their takes and sharing a few laughs.

    On Saturday afternoon, a video of Ali Rehman Khan screaming at a cashier of a local restaurant went viral. The ‘leaked’ video showed Ali shouting at a McDonald’s employee, saying “Aapko pata hai main kaun hoon? Aapne kabhi mujhe TV pe dekha hai? Aap employee hain, aapka kaam hai meri baat maanna.” (“Do you know who I am? Have you ever seen me on TV? You are an employee, your job is to listen to what I am saying.”)

    The restaurant employee responds by saying, “Please sir, don’t be angry with us. You’re absolutely right. I was just joking.”

    The employee tried apologising to Ali multiple times but the actor only stopped when he realised he was being recorded.

    Following the outrage on social media, Ali released a video in which he explained his actions and revealed that the video was part of a marketing campaign. He also said that more details will be revealed soon.

    Ali, in his video message, said that the purpose of making the video viral has been fulfilled and it was done to highlight the #TumJantayHoMainKaunHoon culture.

    Ali elaborated that the video was shot to highlight the “so-called VIP culture in our country” and that he is very glad that his video sparked a debate on the topic and made people “uncomfortable”.

    Sharing his own thoughts on the matter, Ali said that we often talk about and raise voice about a matter on Twitter but don’t act upon it.

    Ali also thanked the staff at McDonalds for being the “best partners in crime.”

    He ended his video by requesting people to focus more on the message and less on his actions.

  • Danish in hardcore action in Meray Paas Tum Ho’s latest episode

    Danish in hardcore action in Meray Paas Tum Ho’s latest episode

    YES. Seems like its finally time to see Danish (Humayun Saeed) stand up for himself and fans of the drama are loving it. Episode 15 promises that the future of the drama isn’t going to be with weak and sad little Danish but someone who is ready to be strong, for the sake of his son.

    Mehwish (Ayeza Khan) is adamant to take her son with her and Shehwar will go to any lengths (for now) to make her happy. Shehwar calls Danish and tells him to make sure that Mehwish meets her son in three days or else.

    Shehwar doesn’t know what’s coming when he tells Danish to get Rumi to meet his mother

    Danish, scared that Shehwar and Mehwish will take his son away because they are rich and powerful, tries to convince his son Rumi to meet his mother.

    Rumi looking at his dad as Danish tries to convince him to meet his mother

    Rumi looks at his father and says, “you are not my strength, you are my weakness,” which could mean two things: he will do anything for his father or he believes that his father is not strong enough to take a stand against his mother and her lover. Danish believes its the latter and finally gets the courage to stand up to Shehwar.

    The slap we have all been waiting for

    He barges into Shehwar’s office and grabs him by the collar, threatening him against physical harm if he ever comes near his son or tries to take his son away. Shehwar’s employees watch the whole thing and one thing is obvious – money cannot buy courage.

    Finally, finally, we see Danish as the hero. A man who didn’t stand up for his wife (not that what she did was worth standing up for) but as a father, he realizes that his strength is his child and he won’t let anyone take that away.

    He speaks to Rumi on the phone before he goes to warn Shehwar and tells him that Rumi doesn’t need to meet his mother if he doesn’t want to and that he, Danish, really is his son’s strength.

    Shehwar realizing the game has changed when Danish throws his rich and powerful behind on the table

    The strength isn’t about physical strength at all but it is about standing up against being bullied and bullies is exactly what Mehwish and Shehwar are. Danish has sold his apartment as well and is about to start his business and with his newfound strength, he is bound to be successful. What is so riveting about this drama is that it is no longer going to be about the love of a woman but the love of family and children. And one has to give it to Rumi (Shees Sajjad Gul) for his fantastic acting in this episode. The way he cries, silently, in his bed, while the scenes change between a deliriously happy mother and her lover and a lost father, reflects brilliant acting. We actually feel for him.

    Fantastic acting by Rumi

    Mehwish tells Shehwar in one of the scenes that Danish will give into anything because he is a coward. After last night’s episode one thing is for sure. He’s not going to give up on his son – come what may.

  • Two ‘Coke Studio 12’ songs taken down because of copyright issues

    Two ‘Coke Studio 12’ songs taken down because of copyright issues

    Coke Studio Season 12 seems to have found itself in the middle of a copyright controversy yet again after two songs of the season were deleted from Youtube.

    Sanam Marvi’s first song for the season Hairaan Hua has been taken off YouTube days after it’s release. According to the message displayed by Youtube on the Twitter link, “the video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Abida Parveen.”

    Abida

    Other than that, Abrarul Haq’s rendition of his iconic Billo has also been removed due to “copyright claim by Karman Entertainment Limited.” Billo was a roaring success and people loved this remake.

    Previously, Shuja Haider and Rachel Viccaji’s Saiyyan was not released on Youtube due to copyright infringement. It was revealed that EMI Pakistan had the rights of the Noor Jehan classic and they stopped the song from being aired. However, the matter got resolved and the song was released.

    Needless to say, fans and listeners are quite upset with the latest developments.

    https://twitter.com/Ssupernovah/status/1197112302518050816?s=20

    And then there is always someone who has a jugaar for such problems.

  • ‘Laal Kabootar’ wins another award

    ‘Laal Kabootar’ wins another award

    Pakistan’s official submission for the 92nd Academy Awards in the ‘International Feature Film Award’ category, Laal Kabootar has bagged yet another award.

    It won the Best Feature Film Award at the Vancouver International South Asian Film Festival 2019.

    Director Kamal Khan received the award on the Closing Night and Awards Ceremony held at Surrey City Hall in Surrey, British Columbia on November 17.

    However, this is not the first award the film has won. Laal Kabootar also won the Archana Soy Audience Award for ‘Best Feature Film’ at the Tasveer South Asian Film Festival 2019 in Seattle. In addition to this, it was screened at the Singapore South Asian International Film Festival 2019 and at the prestigious Washington DC South Asian Film Festival 2019, where Ahmed Ali Akbar, won the ‘Best Actor Male’ Award for his performance.

    Laal Kabootar is centred around a hustling taxi-driver Adeel Nawaz (Ahmed Ali Akbar) looking for a way out of Karachi. But with his back against the wall, Adeel has some hard choices to make. He crosses paths with Aliya Malik (Mansha Pasha) a strong-headed and stubborn girl. What follows is an action-packed rollercoaster ride.

    The film has been directed by Kamal Khan with Harvard graduates Hania Chima and Kamil Chima as Executive Producers.

    Ahmed shared the film’s win on his social media.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B5CdgIIHIWs/

  • Meray Paas Tum Ho is a drama which has never been done before

    We assumed it was going to be a drama about love, betrayal and revenge. But Episode 13 shows it’s a lot more than that. Meray Paas Tum Ho is slowly building into a drama about child custody and the battle between being a wife or a lover.

    Mehwish (Ayeza Khan) is slowly realizing that she’s missing her son Rumi, as the high of divorcing her husband for a rich guy is wearing off. She asks Shehwar (Adnan Siddiqui) if she can bring her son home and Shehwar agrees.

    Shehwar telling Ayeza he’s cool with her bringing her son to his place

    Danish (Humayun Saeed) is mourning the loss of his best friend Mateen Sahib and when Mehwish goes over to speak to him about Rumi, Danish tells her that he’s put Rumi in boarding school. He also tells her that she shouldn’t upset him or do anything drastic since Rumi has just settled in and had almost been expelled. Mehwish doesn’t listen and heads to the school to take her son home, only to find out that she needs Danish’s permission to take her son out of school.

    Mehwish confronting Danish about taking her son with her

    The most interesting part of the drama was when Danish consults his lawyer and the lawyer tells him to wait it out saying that no man would want his lover to bring home her ex husband’s son. And at the end of the episode, that’s exactly what happens. Shehwar tells Mehwish that her desire to have Rumi with her on the weekends isn’t one that he’s willing to indulge. He gets the weekends off and he wants her around for him – not have to deal with her former husband’s child.

    Shehwar telling Mehwish he wants the weekends with her

    The episode is the most realistic episode in the show yet. A custody battle, harsh truths and the dark face of reality are revealed – your lover is only your lover until you do what he or she says. When you make a decision based on greed, then it will come back to bite you and you can see the ripples of uncertainty that are affecting Mehwish.

    Also, where is Shehwar’s wife? Mehwish is living in his house like she owns it and there is no sign of the real lady of the house. There should definitely be an introduction to his wife when she comes back to town and that will be an episode which cannot be missed.

  • Ushna Shah questions morality in Pakistan

    Ushna Shah questions morality in Pakistan

    Ushna Shah recently penned a powerful message on the rape and murder of Nimrita Kumari and ⁣questioned the standards and definition of morality in Pakistan.

    Sharing a picture of herself from a protest held for Nimrita, Ushna wrote, “Rape has always plagued mankind, especially the subcontinent; but because I live in Pakistan I would like us to question our society.”

    “Children abducted for child porn rings, my work with animal organisations leads me to cases of dogs being brutally gang raped. Women, children, minorities & even dogs/donkeys/dolphins/goats aren’t safe.⁣”

    She continued, “In a country where a picture with my bare arms warrants being asked the question “Are you Muslim” repeatedly, why is there so much moral corruption? So many vanguards of morality online yet the stats don’t make sense.”

    “When I was only six, within one summer in Pakistan, I learnt of two rapes. This was one summer in Pakistan and both of these atrocities happened near my house hence I knew about them. One. Summer.⁣”

    “I am not demeaning our country, I am simply stating facts & asking WHY these figures are so high in our pious nation,” Ushna lamented.

    “Could it be that the over-segregation, over sexualizing the most basic aspects of a woman’s body, the most strict taboos against any hint of sexuality have created a sickness beyond repair? Pakistan has topped the list of the most porn searching country yet there is an army of piety trolls issuing online fatwas against actresses baring their arms. Something isn’t adding up,” she concluded.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B44g1vPB7CO/

    Nimrita Kumari Chandani, a final year student at Bibi Aseefa Dental College (BADC), was found dead in mysterious circumstances in her hostel room on September 16, 2019. The university, intially claimed that the student has committed suicide. However, on the insistence of her brother and massive province-wide protests, a judicial inquiry was ordered to look into the matter.

    While the probe is still underway, the final postmortem report issued by Chandka Medical College Hospital (CMCH) Woman Medico-Legal Officer (WMLO) Dr Amrita revealed that the deceased was subjected to rape before being murdered.

    As per the autopsy report, Nimrita’s death was determined to be caused by suffocation as asphyxial signs caused by a ligature on the neck were seen during the autopsy. The report further stated that a DNA test confirmed the presence of male DNA profile indicated from semen residue on the deceased’s clothes whereas a vaginal swab tested positive for a forced sexual act.

    It is pertinent to mention here that Usha in her recent drama Cheekh played a young woman who was physically assaulted and murdered. The superhit drama also starred Saba Qamar, Bilal Abbas Khan and Aijaz Aslam among others.

  • What’s so special about Disney Plus?

    What’s so special about Disney Plus?

    Two weeks after Apple rolled out its own streaming service Apple TV+, Disney launched its own streaming service Disney Plus.

    While Netflix, Amazon Prime and Apple Plus are spending money on original content featuring big celebs, Disney Plus offers you something different: ALL Disney content. From Disney animated classics to Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars and even 20th Century Fox content, everything under the Disney banner and more is included in Disney Plus.

    Disney Plus released a 3-hour trailer last month to showcase all its programs.

    By comparison, Apple had a relatively subdued launch earlier this month. At $6.99 per month, Disney Plus debuted with 10 original movies, specials and series. It is also expected to release more than 45 original programmes within a year of its launch. 

    A recent study said that 40 percent of consumers would sign up for Disney Plus just because the content reminded them of their childhood.

    In fact, on the first day of its launch, Disney Plus was hit by technical issues. There were many reports on social media platforms about problems accessing the service. Many users shared screenshots of error messages.

    Disney
    Plus launched in the US, Canada and the Netherlands on Tuesday. Disney Plus
    will arrive in Australia and New Zealand on November 19.

    Globally,
    Disney plans a progressive rollout worldwide over the next two years. The
    company provided a generalised timeline for when it will expand the service to
    the world’s major regions.

    Disney
    Plus is slated to roll out in:

    • Eastern Europe over the course of a year starting as early as October 2020.
    • Latin America over the course of three months starting as early as October 2020.
    • Asia Pacific over the course of two years starting anytime.

    Pakistan comes in the Asia Pacific region which means we’ll have to wait a little longer than others.