Netflix India’s recent original series, the Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives has been in the news for multiple reasons. The show has been the talk of the town since it gave a glimpse into the lavish lives of these Bollywood wives.
Starring Maheep Kapoor, Bhavna Panday, Seema Khan and Neelam, the show had received mixed reviews. However, the guest appearances kept audiences engaged and on their toes. But you all might not know that these ladies were not the first choice of the makers.
According to reports, the original plan of the makers was to give fans a glimpse into the lives of some of the high-profile star wives namely Gauri Khan, Tahira Kashyap Khurrana, and Malaika Arora (Arbaaz Khan’s ex-wife).
After they turned down the offer, these four ladies were picked up to be a part of the show.
However, Malaika and Gauri did have special appearances in the show. Gauri’s husband Shah Rukh Khan also made a guest appearance much to the audience’s delight.
Karan Joahar, who happens to be the producer of the show also appeared in the series, was trolled and labelled the “Favourite Wife” of the show.
Coke Studio 2020 unveiled their third episode with three powerful songs featuring veterans Umair Jaswal and Sanam Marvi and budding artists Sehar Gul Khan and Zara Madani.
The first song of this episode is a powerful solo performance by Sehar Gul, written and composed by lyricist Asim Raza. Ishq da Kukkar has a spiritual message with a prayer of love towards God. The song is an early morning call to prayer being given by a bird deeply in love with the Almighty and in profound devotion, it beckons the believer to come to say a loving prayer alongside.
Speaking about how much the song touched her, Sehar said, “As I sang the song, with each verse, I felt like I was being transported, elevated into a completely different world. I’ve tried my best to share that experience through the song.”
Pardesiya, the second song of this episode is an eastern classical-inspired raga rock track performed by classically trained singer Zara Madani. The song is about one’s search for God and the longing for peace which one prays to the Almighty for in times of distress.
Explaining the concept of the song, Zara said: “In life, as humans, we are constantly in search of something. We await the arrival of something bigger, some form of an answer. This thirst for an answer or an impending destination is common to us all.”
This experimental song has a bluesy feel and has been sung in Raag Bhimpalasi in madh laya of eastern classical music. Raag Bhimpalasi has originated from thaat Kafi and is considered to be the Shanti Rasa (a conscious cultivation of inner balance, equilibrium, wisdom, and serenity) of Indian classical music.
The third song for the episode, Har Funn Maula, has been written by Shuja Haider and is a Sufi dhamaal power track with drums giving it a rock element. Har Funn Maula has been performed by Umair Jaswal and Sanam Marvi. Despite the upbeat music, this song curiously touches upon the chords of one’s soul with its spiritual message. It is man’s quest to make him better at everything he does, it is his prayer and longing for perfection.
While the song starts off in Jaswal’s rock musician voice, it borrows elements from the dhamaal, a devotional dance/music practice that honours qalandars or Sufi saints bringing in a Sufic flair to the message.
Talking about the song, Marvi said, “When you set foot on the first step of love, without even realising it, you take a step in the direction of Ishq-e-Haqqiqi (love for God Almighty). Somewhere along the way, you feel the pain of heartbreak, loss and you realise that only prayer can give you a sense of peace and calm.”
Coke Studio 2020 also marks the return of the house-band, with Asad Ahmed on the electric guitar, Kamran ‘Mannu’ Zafar on bass, Babar Khanna on eastern percussions, Shehroze Hussain on the sitar, Nawazish Nasri on rabab, and Abier ‘Veeru’ Shaan on percussions. On backing vocals, this season will feature Nimra Rafiq, Wajiha Naqvi, Kumail Jaffery, Shahab Hussain, and Zara Madani.
Given the new format and advantages of technology, this season has also collaborated with international musicians from across the world including Turkey, Nepal, Lebanon and Serbia. In fact, Turkish artist, Volkan Öktem, has also joined the house-band this season featuring on the drums.
Good Morning. Today is the 18th of December and Lahore is FREEZING. Karachi wale are saying that it is finally cold in Karachi too lekin Punjab aur KP ki sardi kaise beat karein? But the coldest city in Pakistan right now is Quetta. Here’s to hoping everyone has a cosy weekend. Nawaz Sharif tou pizza kha rahe thay, aapka kya order karne ka plan hai? Reply to this newsletter and let’s talk! – Marium, Founder, The Current
PMLN’S Maryam Nawaz defended her father Nawaz Sharif’s right to eat pizza, after Nawaz ki aik picture pizza khaate huye viral hogayi. Viral honay kay baad, PTI nay Nawaz ko bohat criticise kia. When a reporter asked her yesterday about the pizza controversy, she said, ‘kis doctor nay kaha hai k jo platelets ka mariez hai, kia woh kabhi kabhar pizza nahin kha sakta?’ She further said that, ‘I did not know Nawaz Sharif to have any particular fondness for pizza.’
‘Jalan’ comes to a predictable end after 31 painful episodes
2020 ka sabsay controversial Pakistani drama, Jalan came to a close on Wednesday night after 31 painful episodes which had all the ingredients of an over-the-top soap opera. There was a love triangle, infidelity, abortion sprinkled with lots and lots of drama to draw all the ‘haw hayees’ and ensure that audiences are hooked. The end was as expected and predicted. Fahad Mustafa, who produced the drama, had something to say about his drama. We didn’t saw that coming.
Does your head burst into tiny little pieces when you look at a maths equation? Well not to worry, our Tech Guy will tell you how to manage stress while preparing for GRE and GMAT tests. Fahad thinks you just need to follow the right structure and work in one direction. Check out the video to know some of the tricks.
Another MN update: She deletes a tweet on alleged Pak-Israel meeting
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz has deleted a twitter post pertaining to an alleged meeting between the prime minister’s aide and Israeli officials after backlash on the social media platform.
The PML-N vice-president had retweeted the tweet of Noor Dahri, the founder and executive director of UK-based Islamic Theology of Counter Terrorism (ITCT), who gave an interview to Israeli TV channel i24TV. Unho nay yeh tweet delete kyun ki?
Your actions have not gone unnoticed. Sab kuch monitor hota rehta hai so don’t worry, agar tou sabar kiya hai tou uska phal milega aur agar tou koi ghalat kaam kiya hai tou it’s never too late to fix it. Result tou jald hee miljaega.
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Senior PTI leader Senator Faisal Javed Khan has advised Fahad Mustafa to not view Diriliş: Ertuğrul as a threat but as an opportunity after Mustafa in a recent interview commented that the star of the Turkish show Engin Altan Düzyatan came to Pakistan, made money and left.
“Ertuğrul [Düzyatan] also came, posed with a lion, took money, and left, didn’t he?,” Fahad had said. “That’s all you guys were for him. For you, there is Humayun Saeed. It’s us. Admit it or not, we were here and we will be here in the future.”
In response to his remarks, Khan tweeted: “Engin Altan is one of the finest actors we have seen on TV and Diriliş: Ertuğrul brought him a huge fame across the world.”
“A lot to be learnt from such a great production and director’s meticulous attention to detail,” he added. “It is not a threat, it’s an opportunity.”
Engin Altan is one of the finest actors we have seen on TV and Dirilis Ertugrul brought him a huge fame across the world. A lot to be learnt from such a great production and director’s meticulous attention to detail. It is not a threat, it’s an opportunity. https://t.co/NfjiOQoJPK
Interestingly, in the same interview, Fahad had said that he is here to make money and entertain the masses not educate them while talking about why his production house chooses to make dramas like Jalanand Nand.
Earlier this month, Engin Altan came to Lahore for a short visit on the invitation of a private company. The actor toured Lahore on his visit and met with Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar.
In a press conference, Engin said that his trip was the first of many more visits to come. He even said that he would “love to work in a Pakistani drama or film, given the right opportunity”.
“If the script is good then why not,” the actor had said.
Imran Abbas, in a recent Q&A session on Instagram, spilled all the beans, and answered a number of questions ranging from marriage to acting to religion and his relationship with Allah.
Here are some of the most interesting replies from his session.
Imran shared that he offers his namaz five times a day and said that his relationship with Allah is private.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Friday said India was planning to undertake a surgical strike against Pakistan to divert the attention of the world from its worsening domestic situation.
Addressing a press conference in Abu Dhabi, Qureshi said that India’s irrational approach was driven by its frustration emanating from internal unrest due to the RSS-BJP regime’s policies.
“India is planning a false flag operation … we are well aware of the Indian designs. We have intelligence reports about a potential false flag operation,” the FM said. “I want to share all this information with the UAE government and rest of the world,” Qureshi added.
“Pakistan is a peaceful country, but it would give a befitting response in case India tried a military misadventure,” he warned. “We will do it […] as we did respond immediately and effectively in February 2019,” he added.
Qureshi urged upon the world to take notice of India, which was playing a “dangerous game of targeting peace in the region”.
He said the situation in Indian Occupied Kashmir had further deteriorated due to India’s oppression of Kashmiri people.
He also mentioned the country-wide protest of Indian farmers and mishandling of coronavirus pandemic, that led to the agitation of citizens against the incumbent BJP government.
Qureshi mentioned that Pakistan had exposed the nefarious designs of India to create instability and presented before the world the credible evidence in this regard.
He said the Indian Chronicles report by EU DisInfo Lab was proof that India was misusing the platforms of international bodies, such as the United Nations and the European Union.
The FM is on a visit to the United Arab Emirates, where he held meeting with his counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The FM said he held a wide-ranging meeting with his Emirati counterpart and discussed issues of bilateral importance. He said Pakistan and the UAE enjoyed close relations and stood by each other in difficult times.
As the debate surrounding convicted former prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif’s extradition to Pakistan from the United Kingdom (UK) intensifies, Federal Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed has said that “only Allah can bring Nawaz back to Pakistan”.
Speaking to journalists in Islamabad, the minister said that the current government could bring neither Nawaz nor former finance minister Ishaq Dar back to Pakistan because there existed no extradition treaty between the two countries.
“Now, only Allah can bring them back,” he said while speaking of the former chief executive of the country, Nawaz, and his finance minister, Dar.
Dar had left the country for “medical treatment” in the midst of investigations by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against him, whereas his ex-boss, ailing Nawaz, had left the country after bail on medical grounds while serving a jail term.
While the government has been trying its best to bring the two back, they have managed to remain in London and appear on talk shows or at anti-government public gatherings via video link.
Earlier this week, it was reported by a local English daily that British Home Secretary Priti Patel had written to PM Imran Khan’s adviser on accountability, Shahzad Akbar, pointing out that the UK government was subject to international law in the case of Nawaz.
The home secretary had reportedly confirmed that the British government would give Pakistan’s extradition request full attention under the provision of UK law if a formal request were received. At the same time, Patel had stressed that the UK was subject to international law and could not go against the established legal principles.
The report had quoted sources as saying that Pakistan had asked for the deportation of Nawaz in a letter sent via British High Commission but a formal extradition request had not been filed. The home secretary’s letter to Pakistan meant that the UK would not consider deporting Nawaz, acting on the deportation request made by Pakistan.
A man on Friday approached a consumer court for seeking action against a shop owner who allegedly sold his wife a pair of poor quality shoes.
As per reports, the claimant stated that his wife bought a pair of shoes from a shop at Tariq Road worth Rs1,600. One piece of the pair broke into two pieces in a few days. The man also added that the shoes were his wife’s favourite ones.
He said he contacted the shop owner to tell him about the broken show but he didn’t listen. He requested the court to take action against him. He further demanded that the court charge the shop owner with a heavy fine for selling low-quality shoes.
After initial arguments, the court admitted his application for hearing and called in witnesses to record their testimonies.
After reports of mistreatment of animals in zoos and the successful transfer of Kaavan, Suzie and Babloo to sanctuaries abroad, Hamza Ali Abbasi took to social media and demanded zoos across Pakistan be shut down.
Quoting Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) Chief Justice Athar Minallah, Hamza said: “IHC rules that zoos are concentration camps for non-human living beings. It’s true.”
“Caging animals for public entertainment is cruel and evil,” he continued. “Pakistan has a chance to earn the respect of the world and make God happy by freeing all the animals in captivity.”
“Close all Pak zoos please,” asserted the actor.
Abbasi also urged his fans to use the hashtag #CloseAllPakZoos to support the cause and raise their voice on the matter.
If you agree, please be the voice for those who cant speak for themselves and make this hashtag trend for as long as we can so maybe someone in the decision making arena may listen especially after IHC ruling. #CloseAllPakZoos
Earlier, the IHC while ordering the transfer of the two Himalayan bears to Jordan had said: “The natural habitat of Suzie and Bubloo was the high altitude plateau of Deosai National Park in the Himalayas. It was indeed inhumane to have deprived them of living in their natural habitat merely for the entertainment of the human species.”
“They have remained caged in the Marghazar Zoo for more than a decade. A zoo, no matter how well equipped, is no less than a concentration camp for living beings. They were born free and taking them out of their natural habitat and caging them was in violation of the natural rights bestowed upon them by the Creator.”
“They have suffered enough and they lack the ability to let the human species know what they must have gone through. Their abnormal behaviour while imprisoned was sufficient to speak volumes for the unimaginable pain and suffering.”
“The relocation of Kaavan the elephant, and the two Himalayan brown bears, Suzie and Bubloo, to appropriate sanctuaries has set a precedent for others to follow. They will always represent the people of Pakistan and their resolve to treat living species with respect and dignity,” it added.
Meanwhile, Ayesha Omar also expressed joy over the closure of Islamabad Zoo.
Earlier, Mehwish Hayat had also urged authorities to close all zoos across the country.
In a country where we’re still fighting for human rights,animal rights are a long way off. But come on,why do we only take action when foreign celebrities get involved?This is so embarrassing.Animals are born free- the authorities must shut these zoos now!https://t.co/jY6MzNXu7W
Attorney General of Pakistan Khalid Jawed Khan has said that the government cannot hold the Senate election via ‘show of hands’ as it is not possible to conduct the polls through such an exercise.
The top lawyer said that the government does want to abolish the secret ballot system, but it will bring in an ‘open ballot’ system for free and fair elections instead of opting for the ‘show of hands’ method being reported by the media.
The comments from AG Khan came amid reports that the government has decided to approach the Supreme Court for advice on the issue. It was being reported that the government would seek the top court’s help and introduce the ‘show of hand’ system in the elections.
On Tuesday, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz said that the government was striving to make the Senate elections “free and fair”.
“Controversies have always surrounded the Senate elections. It is such an old practice that it is assumed that in the elections, [horse trading] will surely take place,” he had said.
He said the government has decided to move the apex court regarding the reforms in Senate elections. “The government seeks an election that is conducted through a “show of hands”, Faraz had said, adding that the government expects to get guidance from the SC long before the elections.
“This is in favour of all parties,” he had said.
The opposition, however, opposes the idea. It claims that the government’s decision to hold the Senate polls a month early reeks of a “conspiracy”.
Maryam Nawaz, the PML-N vice president, has said that the party didn’t oppose the open ballot system, but it would resist the change of the elections’ date.
