As ‘Diriliş: Ertuğrul’ fever continues to grip Pakistan, TikTok celebrity Hareem Shah has made headlines for saying that she is ready to play the role of Halime Sultan — the wife of Ertuğrul — if Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan plays the lead of the hit Turkish series.
“Turkish actor Esra Bilgiç performed so well in the drama. Her acting made me travel back in time to the era depicted in the series,” Shah said in an interview with vlogger Moin Zubair.
It wasn’t later that the internet celebrity expressed her desire to play the role of Halime Sultan, to which she was asked who would she want to play the lead role of Ertuğrul.
“[Prime Minister] Imran Khan can be Ertuğrul,” Shah said.
WATCH VIDEO:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmFg43_k1eg
Turkish historic fiction series ‘Diriliş: Ertuğrul’ has been trending ever since its first episode aired on PTV Home. Pakistanis are loving the drama series and it has become a sensation in the country to the point that PTV is now aiming to set a new record with the series.
In an exclusive interview with The Current, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Faisal Javed Khan revealed that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan gifted the drama series to Pakistan as a goodwill gesture.
The series set in pre-Ottoman era centres around the life of Ertuğrul, the father of Osman I.
Despite coronavirus continuing to spread across the country, the Supreme Court (SC), which seems to be at odds with the government over the latter’s handling of the pandemic, has ordered the reopening of shopping malls across the country.
According to the details, a five-member larger bench of the apex court was hearing a suo motu case regarding measures taken to curb the spread of COVID-19.
The bench was headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed while Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel, Justice Sajjad Ali Shah and Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmed were also on the bench.
During the hearing today, Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed remarked that if the shops are shut down then shopkeepers will ‘die of hunger rather than the coronavirus’.
CJP Ahmed said that in Karachi, except for five big malls every market has resumed operations.
Upon which, Commissioner Karachi Iftikhar Shallwani said that a few markets were sealed for not following the Standard Operating Procedures laid out by the government.
“The sealed markets should be opened and instead of intimidating them (shop owners) make them understand (the situation and SOPs),” remarked the top judge.
The CJP noted that the SOPs will be ‘better implemented’ at the big shopping malls.
The apex court also ordered that on the weekends, all the small markets should remain open to public.
Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan, who hit out at former Pakistani skipper Shahid Afridi for his comments on Kashmir during a recent visit to the Pakistan-administered side of the valley, is being trolled by Pakistanis for saying that “Kashmir belongs to India” and “one Indian is enough for 125,000 Pakistanis”.
As per the details, a video clip of Afridi speaking to the people of the Azad Kashmir village went viral on social media, which showed the former Pakistani cricketing star criticising Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi for deploying forces in Kashmir and making it a living hell for Muslims.
“At a time when the whole world is fighting corona[virus], you are concerned about Kashmir. Kashmir is ours and will remain ours. Bring your 220 million, one [Indian] is enough for 125,000. You do the math,” Dhawan tweeted while tagging Afridi.
Is waqt jab saari duniya corona se lad rahi hai us waqt bhi tumko kashmir ki padi hai. Kashmir humara tha humare hai aur humara hi rahega. Chaiyeh 22 crore le ao, humara ek, sava lakh ke barabar hai . Baaki ginti apne aap kar lena @SAfridiOfficial
It wasn’t later that Pakistanis started trolling the Indian batsman, reminding him of what happened last year when an Indian Air Force (IAF) jet violated Pakistani airspace.
The jet was shot down by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and the pilot captured. Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was released a day later by Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan as a goodwill gesture to promote peace between the two countries.
While Afridi himself is yet to respond, here are some other responses to Dhawan’s tweet:
Tumhari yahi Bateen sun k Abhi nandan yahan agya tha or hum ne jahaz sy utar k chae pila k wapis bheg dia is bar awo to peshawar k chappli kabbab khaye bghair Nahi Jana wrna hum naraz hojayen gy.
Atleast corona main to Kashmir ka khayal hai. Aap logon ko to round the year khayal nai hai. Forced unconstitutional integration is not an achievement.
The federal government has announced Eid holidays from 22nd to 27th May (Friday to Wednesday).
According to the notification, all businesses, public places, community markets and shops, etc will remain closed during these holidays. Only essential items’ shops and medical stores/pharmacies will remain open.
Turkish drama Diriliş: Ertuğrul has taken Pakistan by storm ever since it was released in the country in Urdu on Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s advice to “help youngsters connect with their roots”.
As praise pours in for the historical fiction over the internet by both celebrities and the general public, fans have started following the show’s actors on social media. While a handful of people were disappointed with the real lives of the actor, many sent their praises and love to the actors.
Esra Bilgiç, who essays the role of Halime Sultan, Ertuğrul’s wife has now responded to Pakistanis fans and thanked them for the love they have sent her way. She also added that she would love to meet all her fans in Pakistan once the pandemic is over and the situation normalises.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAQEy7bjYiU/
Similarly Gülsim Ali, who plays Aslihan Hatun in the third edition of Diriliş: Ertuğrul also expressed her desire to visit Pakistan once the coronavirus pandemic is over.
“I’ve never been in Pakistan before but I hope one day I’ll be there to meet with you after this pandemic period,” she wrote on Instagram.
She was recently invited as a live caller on Jeeto Pakistan League, where Mahira was the celebrity guest, and while speaking to the host Fahad Mustafa, couldn’t resist roasting her daughter, much to the actor’s surprise.
When Fahad asked Mahira’s mother what Adnan Siddiqui was doing wrong on the show, she replied, “Yeh mujhe nahi pata magar meri beti nihayat confused insaan hai (I don’t know this, but my daughter is a very confused person).”
Her comments sent everyone present into a fit of laughter. But she was still not done roasting Mahira.
She continued, “Yeh jhoot bol rahe hai. Yeh nihayat jhooti insaan hai. She’s just going to confuse you.”
In response, Adnan said, “Thank you Aunty. You made my day.”
Later, when Fahad asked Mahira’s mother what the other celebrity contestant Waseem Badami was doing wrong, she was all praises for him and said she was very fond of him.
Watch video:
Meanwhile, Humayun Saeed thanked Mahira for being on the show.
I’m pretty sure that this is the umpteenth review on Pyar Ke Sadkay you’re reading because this romantic comedy has been trending all around. The drama has received rave reviews from audiences and critics alike and has gone onto become one of the most popular dramas currently on-air. When the drama first aired, it didn’t really seem like my cup of tea so I skipped watching it and caught a few glimpses here and there, enough for me to understand what the story was about. However, after reading glowing reviews, I decided to jump the bandwagon and give it a watch. And let’s just say two episodes in, I figured out why.
Pyar Ke Sadkay is about two simpletons Abdullah and Mahjabeen who, due to a twist of fate, end up getting married to each other. Abdullah — played by Bilal Abbas Khan — is a shy, under-confident young man who lives in the shadow of his stepfather, Sarwar (Omair Rana). He does anything and everything to win his stepfather’s approval, who uses his simplicity to manipulate him. He is in love with his classmate Shanze (Yashma Gill) who isn’t interested in him (until now) and belittles him when he asks for her hand in marriage. Hence, the ‘aik tarfa pyaar‘. It’s obviously not as intense as the one we saw in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, but just for reference.
Abdullah
On the other hand, Mahjabeen (Yumna Zaidi) is the daughter of an accountant who works in Sarwar’s office. She doesn’t want to study and hopes to get married so she that can avoid giving her matric exams. Mahjabeen is all set to marry Dr Hammad (Khalid Malik) but when he ditches her, a heartbroken Abdullah steps in to marry her and save her izzat. As the two begin their wedded life and start developing feelings for each other, Shanze also gets married to a narcissist and when her marriage doesn’t turn out to be the way she imagined, she is impressed by Abdullah’s attitude towards his wife and sets her sights on him — giving birth to a love triangle.
Mahjabeen
As they say, ‘jorian asmano main banti hain’, Mahjabeen and Abdullah are perfect for one another and their compatibility has been perfectly encapsulated with Bilal and Yumna’s chemistry which is lit. Atiqa Odho, who plays Bilal’s mother in the drama has even compared their chemistry to Mahira Khan and Fawad Khan’s in Humsafar and I have to say that I do agree with her to an extent. Playing simple and comic characters is never easy but both the actors have outdone themselves with their performances. The romance between the two leads is perhaps the main reason why this drama has made it into the hearts of the audiences. It is so innocent, yet so endearing that you can’t help but sigh. Add to that, a strong performance by Rana as the devilish Sarwar and you have a winning team.
Sarwar
Meanwhile, the writing and direction is also brilliant. The dialogues are fun and witty and each scene has been well thought out and director Farooq Rind has made sure that everyone puts forward their best fronts. Another thing I’d like to point out here that the drama is not without a message. The writer and director have neatly weaved the concept of harassment into the storyline making the drama a perfect example of how to use entertainment to create awareness without making it sound like a sermon.
Pyar Ke Sadkay is a delightful watch and one you should definitely watch while in isolation because it is bound to put a smile on your face and make you forget about ‘corona times’ for a while.
The drama also features Khalid Anam, Gul e Rana, Shermeen Ali, Danish Aqeel, Ashan Mohsin among others and airs every Thursday at 8 pm on Hum TV.
Last week when we wrote our editorial, there were a little more than 30,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases. At the time of writing this today, Pakistan’s confirmed coronavirus cases are more than 41,000. Deaths, too, have increased — last Sunday, they were more than 600… this Sunday, they are almost 900.
A spike of around 11,000 new cases and almost 300 deaths in just one week. This is the reality of coronavirus even though we will have to live with it. At least for a year or more.
And since we have to live with corona now, we should at least have some rules: face masks should be mandatory and for those who can’t afford them, the government should provide them. Qatar has made the wearing of face masks compulsory and anyone defying the order can face a jail term of up to three years. A fine of up to $55,000 has also bee announced for those who repeatedly fail to cover up.
We need to make and implement rules like these. If malls and shopping centres are open, proper protocols like social distancing must be followed and implemented by the local administration. Businesses and factories that have opened up or will be opening up soon should also follow strict SOPs. Anyone who fails to follow these rules should face imprisonment or heavy fines for endangering people’s lives. If there are no strict penalties, there will be no deterrent. And if there is no deterrent, then it is open season for coronavirus.
Just look at what happened at retail shops earlier this week. People thronged clothes shops and other markets. It was sheer madness. Some say it is because of the timings (shops are not allowed to open past 5 pm or over the weekend). But there is another view that says how many people still think of COVID-19 as flu and are not really bothered unless and until they or their loved ones get it. This is downright dangerous. Coronavirus is not flu. It has already taken more lives in just a few months than flu takes in an entire year. The damage coronavirus causes to vital organs of even those who survive it is way more dangerous than anything else.
Pakistan will see a peak at the end of this month and we can only hope that our health sector is able to deal with it.
We understand the economic implications of stricter measures but we should also realise that the global pandemic is leading the world to recession in the first place. Pakistan will be no different. The post-corona world is one that we may not even recognise. It will cause a lot of misery around the world, both in terms of being deadly and when it comes to financial hardships.
14-year-old singer Sirine Jahangir – the only contestant of Pakistani origin on Britain’s Got Talent – has gone on to become a huge sensation on the show. She hopes to make it to the final.
Born in 2005 in London, Sirine started losing her eyesight gradually from the age of five. By the time she was 10, she had completely lost it. Sirine excelled at sports and dancing was her favourite pastime.
Speaking to a news outlet, Sirine’s father Kafeel Jahangir shared that during his trips to the UK, the late Junaid Jamshed used to sing with Sirine and teach her about music. Sirine uses music and her story to inspire other people with disabilities.
Sirine is also the granddaughter of Sahibzada ‘Chico’ Jahangir who is an active Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) member. He is currently serving as Prime Minister Imran Khan’s spokesperson on Trade & Investment in UK & Europe. Fauzia Kasuri is Sirin’s aunt while the late singer Junaid Jamshed was her uncle.
Every Monday she visits a school to teach a young 6-year-old boy who has the same condition as her. She teaches him Braille and gives him the confidence to believe in himself and not let his challenges hold him back.
The debate around the airing of Diriliş: Ertuğrul doesn’t seem to end.
After Shaan and Reema, Yasir Hussain has also come forward and urged PTV to make a historic drama using those artists and technicians who pay taxes to the country.
“Landy k kapray aur Turkey k dramay, dono hee local industry ko tabah kardein gay,” wrote the actor.
It appears that actor received criticism for his comments because, in a successive Instagram story, Hussain said that when someone’s father or brother lose their jobs to Turkish people, only then will they understand what he is saying.
Meanwhile there are some actors who have praised the series.
Great example of how to use television to spread what is good. My beloved Rasool Allah SAW was indeed Rahmat al lil Alameen…. Allah’s mercy upon mankind. pic.twitter.com/urqIKLSCGG
This tweet is in praise of Dirilis: Ertugrul. The Turkish dramas I’ve seen are generally all bingeable but I’m consuming an unholy amount of this show. Is it a GoT fix? The excellent cast & plot? The intrigue, the reverence for customs & traditions? All of the above?
Turkish historic drama series Diriliş: Ertuğrul has been trending ever since its first episode aired on PTV Home. Pakistanis are loving the drama series and it has become a sensation in the country to the point that PTV is now aiming to set a new record with the series.
In an exclusive interview with The Current, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Faisal Javed Khan revealed that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had gifted the drama series to Pakistan as a goodwill gesture.
