Category: Uncategorized

  • Richa Chadha’s ‘Madam Chief Minister’ is ambitious

    Richa Chadha’s ‘Madam Chief Minister’ is ambitious

    After the success of Sacred Games and Mirzapur, political and crime thrillers set in the corridors of power have become a thing in Bollywood. Indian politics has a history of being mired in plenty of controversy, drama and action and provides ample inspiration for gripping political dramas – one that will keep audiences engaged throughout the runtime.

    Madam Chief Minister featuring Richa Chaddha in the lead is the latest political drama to come out of Bollywood and while it may not be able to match the class and finesse of Raajneeti or Tandav, it follows closely behind and is an entertaining watch, though a little devoid of logic at places.

    Set in Uttar Pradesh (UP), Madam Chief Minister follows an ambitious, young Dalit woman Tara Roopram (Chaddha) and her journey to becoming the Chief Minister of India’s most populous province. However, it doesn’t stop there. The film also shows Tara as she manoeuvres the ‘kursi‘ battling misogynist and racist allies and opposition.

    According to reports in the Indian media, the plot of the film has been loosely inspired by the life and political career of Mayawati, India’s first Dalit chief minister. Dalits are a marginalised community and a Scheduled Caste in India and are considered to be ‘untouchables’. She was also the youngest chief minister in the history of UP and her rise in the world of politics was referred to as a “miracle of the democracy” by former Prime Minister PV Narsimha Rao. Other characters, including Tara’s mentor Master Surajbhan (Saurabh Shukla) have also been inspired by Maya’s close associates. Master Surajbhan’s character has purportedly been based on the founder of the Bahujan Samaj Party Kanshi Ram. Nonetheless, creative liberty has been taken and Tara was given a husband, though Mayawati chose to remain unmarried.

    Mayawati with Sonia Gandhi

    While Chadda gave a solid performance as Tara and shouldered the role well, it was Manav Kaul, who shines as Danish Rehman Khan, Tara’s secretary and later husband. His performance, especially in the second half of the film was strong.

    Written and directed by Shubash Kapoor, Madam Chief Minister is ambitious given how the makers tried to squeeze a lot into just two hours. The writing was weak with too many jumps, leaving plenty to be desired. However, it was entertaining, gripping and feel-good – especially where seeing a woman shine in the male-dominated world of politics is concerned.

    On a parting note, the film doesn’t appear to have a very high budget which makes you wonder why Pakistan does not attempt to produce such thrillers. Not only are they entertaining but they also subtly pass messages and challenge societal norms.

    Madam Chief Minister is currently trending in the top 10 on Netflix Pakistan.

  • Cop among three killed, over 100 arrested as Labbaik protesters resort to violence

    Cop among three killed, over 100 arrested as Labbaik protesters resort to violence

    • Interior minister announces action against those breaking law; necessary measures to reopen roads, entry/exit points also ordered

    At least two protestors and a policeman were killed Tuesday in violent clashes between members of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and police in Lahore early Tuesday morning, less than a day after police arrested party chief Saad Rizvi.

    According to reports, the policeman was killed in overnight clashes with the supporters of Rizvi, Lahore police chief Ghulam Mahmood Dogar said. Ten policemen were also wounded in these clashes in the Shahadra neighbourhood.

    Two members of the TLP were also reported dead in Punjab.

    As the protests spilled over into other cities on Tuesday, the police arrested more than 100 supporters of the party.

    The violence began late on Monday after police arrested Rizvi for threatening protests if the government did not expel the French ambassador, Marc Baréty, over blasphemous cartoons.

    According to Dogar, the arrest was aimed at maintaining law and order. But Rizvi’s detention quickly sparked violent protests by Islamists in cities around the country. The protesters blocked highways and roads in several cities.

    The deadly clashes come two days after Rizvi in a statement asked the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan to “honour” a commitment it made in February to his party to expel Baréty before April 20.

    However, the government has said it only committed to discussing the matter in the National Assembly.

    The reaction from Rizvi’s supporters against his arrest was so swift that police in Lahore could not clear a main highway and roads. Thousands of people were stranded in their vehicles.

    Monday’s clashes initially erupted in Lahore. Rizvi’s supporters later clashed with police in Karachi and they continued rallying on the outskirts of Islamabad, disrupting traffic and inconveniencing residents.

    INTERIOR MINISTER:

    Meanwhile, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed has ordered action against those who take law into their own hands, besides putting in place measures needed to reopen roads as well as entry and exits points of major cities across the country.

    The Interior Ministry decided to take strict action against those creating law and order situations, and ordered to suspend cellular and internet services in affected areas.

    The decisions were taken during a high-level meeting chaired by Rasheed.

    It was attended by federal minister for religious affairs, chief commissioner, Islamabad and Punjab inspector generals (IGs) and chief secretaries concerned.

    BACKGROUND:

    Saad Rizvi emerged as the leader of the party in November after the sudden death of his father, Khadim Hussain Rizvi, due to the coronavirus. His supporters have previously held violent rallies to pressurise the government not to repeal the blasphemy laws.

    Blasphemy is punishable with a mandatory death sentence, and the very mention of blasphemy is enough to inflame violent reactions.

    The TLP wants the government to boycott French products and expel the French ambassador under an agreement signed by the government with Rizvi’s party in November.

    TLP and other religious parties have denounced French President Emmanuel Macron since October last year, saying he tried to defend blasphemous caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as freedom of expression.

    Macron’s comments came after a young Muslim beheaded a French school teacher who had shown caricatures in class.

    The images had been republished by the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, best known for vulgar irreverence, to mark the opening of the trial over the 2015 attack against the publication for the original caricatures.

  • ‘Forbes 30 under 30 Europe’: Chef Zahra Khan makes Pakistan proud

    Chef Zahra Khan, who hails from Pakistan, has made it to Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe in the Retail and E-commerce category, making Pakistan proud.

    Read more – This girl just made Pakistan proud but here’s why you might’ve missed it

    Sharing the news on social media, Zahra said: “Truly blessed to have been recognised amongst the top emerging and game-changing entrepreneurs.”

    “Deeply humbled and so thankful to my family, my girls- who are my biggest inspiration, my friends and lastly my teams at Feya and Dyce without whom none of this would have been possible,” she added.

    Writing about Zahra, Forbes said: “Immigrant Zahra Khan defied Pakistani cultural stereotypes and launched a career in the UK focused on empowering women.”

    “The chef and mother of two runs Feya cafes and shops. She employs 30 full-time staff, hires female illustrators to design packaging, and donates 10% of retail profits toward professional coaching for women.”

    Zahra opened her debut eatery Feya Café on Bond Street just months after the birth of her first daughter in 2018. Following the unprecedented success, the award-winning DIY dessert parlour and interior masterpiece DYCE was opened in quick succession, followed by flagship Feya Knightsbridge in December 2019. Zahra now employs a 75% female workforce across her three restaurants.

    Meanwhile, the Forbes ’30 Under 30 Europe’ class of 2021 includes 300 honourees across each of the 10 categories, all under 30.

    “Against the backdrop of turbulent social and economic conditions across the region, the sixth annual Under 30 Europe list celebrates the young visionary leaders and entrepreneurs who have made their mark on business and society in the past year,” says a statement by the publication.

  • IN PICTURES: Sunita Marshall celebrates 40th birthday

    Sunita Marshall recently rang in her 40th year with with close friends and family.

    Sharing pictures from her birthday, Sunita joked: “Yes, I’ve turned 40. Koi shak?”

    She also thanked everyone for their birthday wishes.

    The model-turned-actor looked radiant in an off-white dress by Zuria Dor.

    Check out pictures from her celebrations below:

    Sunita Marshal is big a name in the Pakistani modelling industry. In addition to that, she has appeared in many famous drama serials including Qaid-e-Tanhai, Mera Saaein and Kitni Girhain Baaki Hain.

  • ‘Friends’ reunion episode wraps up shooting

    ‘Friends’ reunion episode wraps up shooting

    The unscripted reunion episode of the 90’s popular sitcom Friends has wrapped up shooting which means that it will be coming to our screens very soon. The reunion episode was originally announced in February 2020 and will see Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer together on the screen for the first time since the show wrapped in 2004.

    As per details, the special episode was recorded at Warner Bros Studios in just three days. While a release date has not been announced, the episode will be available to stream on HBO Max.

    Earlier, Perry accidentally shared a behind-the-scenes picture of himself prepping for the episode, only to delete the post moments later.

    “Seconds before eating a makeup brush, not to mention reuniting with my friends,” he had captioned the photo.

    Though creators of the show are trying to keep details tightly under wraps, pictures from the sets emerged on social media and it has been reported that the special was shot on the show’s original soundstage on the Warner Bros lot in Burbank, California.

    It has further been reported that while a live audience participated in the reunion, they were “mostly union extras, Covid screened and hired for the gig”, after the pandemic prevented fans from attending.

    The revived set – partially based outdoors for COVID safety protocols – includes the iconic water fountain that the cast splashed around in during the show’s intro, sound-tracked by The Rembrandts’ theme tune, I’ll Be There For You.

    Friends aired for 10 seasons between 1994 and 2004. It was also nominated for 62 Primetime Emmy Awards and won the Outstanding Comedy Series award in 2002.

  • Scandals related to my marriage have nothing to do with reality, says Meera

    Scandals related to my marriage have nothing to do with reality, says Meera

    Meera has said that all scandals related to her marriage are baseless and far from reality.

    “There are many scandals which have nothing to do with me,” said Meera, while talking about her various controversies on Ahsan Khan’s show Time out with Ahsan Khan. She added that one video scandal associated with her had nothing to do with reality and were mere rumours. The actor had come on the talk show with Javed Sheikh.

    When asked if she succeeded in love or not, Meera said she does not know that if she succeeded but admitted that she has been in love.

    Meanwhile, talking about when and why she decided to become an actor, Meera said she wanted to be an actor since her childhood even though she was very good at her studies. The actor added that there’s a lot left that she wants to do, adding that she will continue to work in films and television.

    Meera also praised her co-guest Javed Sheikh for supporting her and being there for her.

    “Javed Sheikh and her family supported me a lot,” said Meera. “All my initial movies were with Sheikh Sahab.”

    At this point, Sheikh recalled the time when the two shot for Chief Saab, sharing that, as the director, he would tell Meera what to wear and what nail polish to apply.

    Sheikh also narrated a funny incident from the shoot, saying: “She [Meera] was playing this rich girl who comes to meet her lover, who’s not as fortunate, in this basti. She was wearing a skirt and it looked like she’s going to a club which made me angry. When she asked what she should have been wearing instead, I told her a simple white shirt with jeans would do.”

    “After 20-25 minutes, Meera came back wearing a white shirt with jeans, which she borrowed from a local resident living nearby the set,” he added.

    Meera in Chief Saab

    Meera also revealed that her favorite song from her movies is Suno Suno Bolo Bolo, she also sang the song.

  • Interior Ministry to launch e-passport system by June

    Interior Ministry to launch e-passport system by June

    Federal Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed has announced the launch of the e-passport system by June 2021. The minister made the announcement when he visited Jinnah International Airport, Karachi.

    The e-passport will have an embedded chip that will contain all the biometric information of travellers. It will be used to authenticate the identities of the passport bearers. Along with the chip, the passport will have two pictures of the passport holder.

    The minister had inspected the immigration counters at the airport and ordered to increase the number of immigration counters to facilitate the overseas Pakistanis. He said that the role of overseas Pakistanis is crucial for the economic development of our country.

    The immigration officials also briefed the minister on immigration procedures. The minister instructed the director of the FIA-Sindh to install new counters in a maximum of two months.

    “Promotion of tourism and trade are key aspects of the Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan vision, and online visas will boost the tourism sector. The government is taking steps in this direction, and it will also benefit the country’s economy,” the Interior Minister said.

    Along with e-passports, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed also announced the opening of more NADRA and passport offices in Karachi.

  • ‘Govt working to introduce royalty payments for artists’

    The federal government is working to introduce a comprehensive bill to ensure that artists are given financial credit for their work, PTI Senator Faisal Javed Khan has announced.

    “Most countries around the world give royalties to artists every time a show, their work is re-run, a second time or more,” wrote Faisal on Twitter. “Sadly in Pakistan where many artists are already underpaid, there is no policy or law ensuring that artists be given financial credit for their work.”

    The Senator further said that it is “very critical to fill the gaps and bring proper framework via amendments in legislation to ensure that our producers [and] artists get their rights to royalties.”

    Khan added that he is in touch with all stakeholders and is looking to introduce a comprehensive bill to address the matter.

    Speaking exclusively to The Current on the matter, Senator Faisal said: “Royalty is very important and I am working on this bill to ensure our artists get their due right. I am hoping to get it passed soon without any further delays.”

    Asserting that the government is committed to addressing this issue, Senator Faisal said: “Actors, musicians, singers – all artists must be supported,” adding that they will soon be entitled to royalties.

    Responding to Senator Faisal’s announcement, several artists including Mikaal Zulfiqar, Ali Zafar, Ali Safina and Sakina Samo lauded the initiative and hoped that it would resolve artists’ concerns.

    https://twitter.com/SakinaSamo/status/1381551181483413504?s=20

    Ever since Naila Jaffery appealed to producers and the government to pay royalties to actors for the work and content that is re-run, the conversation around royalty payments for artists has gained momentum with several actors demanding it.

    “Why is it even a matter of discussion?” Siddiqui had questioned. “Artists rightfully deserve to be paid royalty.”

    “So many producers and channels rake in copious amount of money through reruns. It is only ethical to pay actors their due,” he added.

    “We as a community of artists, singers, actors, writers, producers, directors, composer, editors and so on, need to be recognised by our government as an industry,” asserted Ahmed Ali Butt had.

    Zulfiqar was the first one to demand payment for reruns and after Jaffery’s appeal, several artists including Yasir Hussain, Sabeeka Imam, Ayesha Omar and Mansha Pasha had demanded TV channels for royalties.

    Earlier in July 2020, the government had announced that it will be creating a film task force to promote the entertainment industry and resolve its issues. Members of the government including Senator Shibli Faraz had held a virtual meeting with artists and stakeholders involved and shared the government’s intentions. They also discussed issues being faced by the film industry and their proposed solutions. Among those present during the meeting included Humayun Saeed, Vasay Chaudhry, Ali Zafar, Fizza Ali Meerza and Nadeem Mandviwala.

    Chaudhry, while speaking to The Current, had said that Senator Shibli had shown a “keen interest in the issues of royalties when it was brought up by me.”

    “He told us that the issue of royalties of artistes is very close to his heart and he will make sure to do something about it,” shared Vasay.

  • Which Dating App Do You Use?‍‍

    Which Dating App Do You Use?‍‍









    *|MC:SUBJECT|*

    It’s Monday again, *|MERGE1|*! And April 12. Ramzan starts this week! I hope you had a great weekend and got to enjoy the glorious sunshine. Today will be sunny as well.

    This weekend, I decided to step into the new territory of online dating. I downloaded this application, and what I like most about the app is that men cannot initiate a conversation with women. In the app, women always have to make the first move. It’s cool but found it very shallow to judge people based on their pictures alone. Have you ever tried a dating app? 

    Have a great week! 

     

     

    Laila-The Current 

    MORNING MEME
     

    PM Imran expands ‘Koi Bhooka Na Soye’ programme to three more cities ?

    In a virtual ceremony in Islamabad yesterday, PM Khan launched the ‘Ehsaas Koi Bhooka Na Soye’ programme in Peshawar, Lahore and Faisalabad. Under the new scheme, free meals will be served to labourers,  daily wage earners, and piece-rate workers via food trucks. 

     The PM remarked that the pilot project was first launched in Islamabad to understand the challenges that the government may face in the implementation of the new scheme. 

    Remaining matches of PSL 2021 to be held from June 1

    The remaining matches of PSL 6 will be held from June 1, said the Pakistan Cricket Board.  

    The PCB announced that the tournament will resume after the players and officials undergo a seven-day quarantine stay at one hotel and another following three training sessions, PSL will resume from June 1. 

    You can check the schedule of the remaining matches on PCB’s website.

     Saeed Ghani | The Current Life

    One of PPP’s faces in Sindh, Saeed Ghani is a man of the people. A dog lover and the holder of many ministries, we ask him about the rumour that he hangs out with murderers and hitmen and ask him about the photo with Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari in his office — where Ghani has a big smile on his face. Catch it in this week’s The Current Life.   

    Watch

    On this day: 12 April INTERNATIONAL DAY OF HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT 

     On this day, we celebrate the start of the space era for humankind, reaffirming the important contribution of space science and technology in today’s world. Also, today is remembered as the first human space flight, carried out by Russian Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. This historic event opened the way for space exploration.

    Current Baba’s prediction

     Go easy on yourself today, don’t overstress, things will work out! ?

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  • Lahore declared Pakistan’s first ‘polio-free city’

    Lahore declared Pakistan’s first ‘polio-free city’

    Lahore has become the first polio-free city in the country.

    According to details, the Lahore deputy commissioner said that the fifth environmental sample taken from the city for the poliovirus tested negative. Earlier four environmental samples for the virus had tested negative, he added.

    He credited the achievement to the doctors, polio workers, and the parents for making the city polio-free.

    Earlier on April 3, around 3.5 million children got vaccinated during the first four days of the nationwide polio campaign in the country.

    Read more – Here’s where you can find COVID-19 vaccine in Karachi, Lahore

    A five-day polio vaccination campaign commenced across the country on March 29 to vaccinate over 40.1 million children under the age of five.

    As many as 290,000 polio workers were administering anti-polio drops across the country while following COVID-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs). Security forces were providing foolproof security to the teams to avoid any unpleasant situation.