Tag: adnan siddiqui

  • Shoaib Akhtar receives flak from celebrities for his comments on ‘Groove Mera’

    Shoaib Akhtar receives flak from celebrities for his comments on ‘Groove Mera’

    Shoaib Akhtar has come under fire for mocking and ridiculing the anthem of the sixth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). The former cricketer had trashed Groove Mera, calling it the worst anthem ever. He also said that he uses the song to put his children to sleep as they are scared of it.

    Following Akhtar’s comments, several celebrities including Adnan Siddiqui, Hassan Sheheryar Yasin (HSY), Hira Mani, Ahmed Ali Butt and Wasim Akram stepped forward to defend the song. Though they did not name Akhtar directly, they subtly shaded him for his comments.

    “Least we can do for our artists is respect them,” said Adnan. “It’s very easy to be keyboard warriors and shred someone’s hard work to pieces.”

    “Naseebo Lal doesn’t deserve to be trolled like this,” added the actor.

    Sharing his thoughts on the brouhaha, Wasim Akram said: “Hope all this well. Aap log theek hain, exercise kar rahay hain or mou chukk kay criticise kar rahy ho har cheez nu. That’s you guys.”

    “Abhi mene PSL anthem pay bohat saray views sunay or theek hai, har aik ki marzi hoti hai magar ennay Tan Sen therday ni tussi, har gal tey bolna hai. Tareef na karna tussi,” he added in Punjabi.

    Sharing Wasim’s video on Twitter, Omair Rana said: “I love this man! Wasim Akram. Jewndy raho!”

    HSY also praised Groove Mera, saying that he is listening to it on repeat.

    “When will we learn to take things in perspective and react accordingly,” questioned Faysal Quraishi.

    “Let’s go with the spirit of sports and celebrate little things. I personally think Naseebo Lal who is very popular with masses will rock the stadium with her ‘groove’ and high notes,” remarked the actor.

    Similarly, in a detailed note posted on Instagram, Ahmed Ali Butt said: “For people who don’t know… Naseebo Lal is a Pakistani folk singer with over 30 years of singing experience. She never got the limelight that she deserved because most of her songs were during the “raunchy” Punjabi film era. But that does not change the fact that she is a Pakistani folk legend with hundreds of songs to her credit.”

    “Groove Mera is a great song and a bold step by PCB. For all the people making fun of her pronunciation are the same people who love UK or Canadian Punjabi singers,” he said further. “So shut up and be proud of your nation’s talent. God knows you didn’t contribute to their success or hard work, so the least you can do is be respectful towards them.”

    “Ab volume kholo or bolo…aaj vaykhay ga crowd mera groove TV tay,” he concluded.

    Hira Mani, in a lengthy note posted to social media said: “We respect you madam. Bas yeh so-called elite burgers music critics internet kay dour kay hum jese chunnay munnay followers walay. Inko kia pata kay asal fan following houti kiya hai.”

    Meanwhile, other celebrities, including Farhan Saeed, Anoushey Ashraf and Haroon Shahid directly responded to Akhtar for his comments.

    “It’s his opinion, that’s ok! He has the right, but that’s a stupid opinion is what is my opinion,” stated Farhan Saeed.

    “This song will be a winner in the stadiums, mark it,” he added.

    Haroon Shahid also directly responded to Akhtar saying: “So when Shoaib Akhtar was being paid millions by Kolkata Knight Riders and this song came up I bet he would have danced on this track at the Eden Gardens just to impress Shahrukh jee.”

    In a later tweet, the singer-turned-actor said: “This guy talks about aesthetics! Here’s a guy who commentates in English defining ‘Groove’ for us in musical terms.”

    Sharing her thoughts on the controversy, Anoushey Ashraf said: “Oh dear, this is in bad taste. One thing to not like a song, another thing to run down artists, musicians this way. Big fan of Shoaib Akhtar but not the way he’s bashing the anthem.”

    Television actor, Naveed Raza also participated in the debate, commenting: “Learn to appreciate Shoaib Akhtar bhai. The worst virus is a human, dehumanising another human. Groove Mera is a solid stadium-feel song.”

    Groove Mera is currently trending at number one on YouTube Pakistan with more than five million views till the filing of this report.

    What did you think of Groove Mera? Let us know in the comments below.

  • IN PICTURES: Nida Yasir’s star-studded birthday

    IN PICTURES: Nida Yasir’s star-studded birthday

    Queen of morning shows Nida Yasir celebrated her birthday on a bright Sunday afternoon at The Forest in Karachi.

    All of Nida and husband Yasir Nawaz’s friends including Bushra Ansari, Javed Sheikh, Zeba Bakhtiar, Humayun Saeed, Adnan Siddiqui, Iqra Aziz, Yasir Hussain and Faysal Quraishi were present on the occasion.

    Check out pictures and videos from the star-studded party below:

    The birthday girl also shared a short video of her birthday highlights on social media the next day.

    Meanwhile, this year Nida is all set to make her debut as a film producer with Chakkar.

  • Adnan Siddiqui, Sheheryar Munawar lambast Cannoli owners for mocking manager’s ‘English’

    Adnan Siddiqui, Sheheryar Munawar lambast Cannoli owners for mocking manager’s ‘English’

    Sheheryar Munawar, Adnan Siddiqui, and Ahsan Khan among other celebrities have slammed the owners of Cannoli Café Soul in Islamabad, Uzma, and Diya, for mocking and ridiculing their restaurant manager for his English speaking skills.

    Sharing his thoughts on the incident, Adnan Siddiqui in a long note posted to Instagram said that he “wish[es] someone had taught them basic courtesy”.

    “The joke’s on them because they just exposed their class, rather lack of it,” said the actor. “Do yourself a favour and find a cure for your colonial hangover.”

    Similarly, Munawar condemned the behaviour of the owners, writing: “Seems like an exaggerated scene out of a 90’s movie, where the mean rich kids pick on the protagonist, making fun of his humble background.”

    “Shame,” he added.

    Expressing his outrage, Ahsan Khan said: “I find it very distasteful that even in today’s world we demean people who work for us just because they can’t speak English.”

    “Such pretentious snobs,” added the actor.

    Ahmed Ali Butt, Sarah Khan and Mushk Kaleem also expressed their distaste over the incident and criticised the disgraceful remarks by the two women.

    Mushk also reminded her followers of the time when Iman Aly had passed a “condescending statement about the current models of our industry.”

    Meanwhile, the owners later issued an apology, saying that they “are saddened and appalled by the reaction of the people, how they have misconstrued our banter with a team member”.

    Social media users, however, are not buying their “fake apology” and have criticised them further for being tone deaf and arrogant.

  • Adnan Siddiqui, Christian Turner pledge to promote cultural ties

    Adnan Siddiqui and British High Commissioner to Pakistan Dr Christian Turner have pledged to promote cultural exchange between the United Kingdom and Pakistan.

    Sharing pictures of their meeting, Siddiqui said: “In these times of global inclusivity, the world is an oyster in every sense of the word. I firmly believe that cross-cultural exchange across all fields will shape the new order of diplomacy.”

    He said the two have pledged to further Pakistan-England ties through “education, entertainment, and cricket.”

    The actor also thanked the British High Commissioner for his time, writing: “May our friendship grow personally and diplomatically.”

    Responding to Siddiqui’s post, Dr Turner said: “The pleasure was mine.”

    “Great to hear about Mere Pass Tum Ho and discuss UK-Pakistan dosti,” he added.

    Later, Dr Turner shared another picture with Siddiqui and The Legend of Maula Jutt producer Ammara Hikmat and wrote: “Pakistan’s TV and films attract a big following in the UK, working to boost the industry”, hinting towards future cross-cultural collaborations between the two countries.

    Recently, Humayun Saeed announced that he and Siddiqui are working on a project in collaboration with Turkish artists.

  • Humayun Saeed is ‘thrilled’ to be bringing the ‘biggest project ever’

    Humayun Saeed is ‘thrilled’ to be bringing the ‘biggest project ever’

    A Turkish delegation comprising of Diriliş: Ertuğrul executive producer Kamal Tekdin and actor Celal Al recently visited Pakistan where they met Prime Minister Imran Khan, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz, Shehryar Afridi, Humayun Saeed and Adnan Siddiqui. According to details, the two countries are working together on a joint production to strengthen ties and people-to-people contact.

    Sharing pictures from their visit on social media, Humayun wrote that “it was an absolute pleasure to host our Turkish guests”, adding that he and his “friend Adnan Siddiqui are absolutely thrilled to be bringing to you the biggest project ever in collaboration with Kashif Bhai and our Turkish brothers.”

    The Jawani Phir Nahi Ani actor then thanked the authorities responsible for making this collaboration possible.

    “I would like to especially thank Prime Minister Imran Khan, President Arif Alvi as well as our esteemed ministers Mr Shibli Faraz and Mr Shehryar Afridi who have pledged their full support in bringing this historic project to life.”

    Saeed reinstated that the upcoming venture “will be shot in and feature actors from both countries.”

    “Here’s to the beginning of a new chapter in Pak-Turkey friendship,” he concluded.

    According to a press release by the PM’s office, the meeting between the two parties discussed in detail the proposed television series being created in collaboration between Pakistan and Turkey on the Khilafat Movement among other future projects and the lost glory of the Pakistani entertainment industry.

    PM Khan, during the meeting, emphasized on showcasing the golden era of Muslims’ Rule in the subcontinent in dramas and films to apprise the youth about that golden age and to foil negative propaganda and designs.

    The PM said that the Pakistani film and drama industry needed to work for the promotion of local culture to apprise western-influenced youth of their indigenous values and to protect them from social evils, adding that the Pakistani film and drama industry will flourish by producing quality content. This will also provide a substitute for the superficial and glamourized broadcast content to the youth.

    Meanwhile, producer Tekdin said that the Turkish team is very happy over Pakistan’s cooperation in this project, which will highlight cultural commonalities between the two countries.

    The Prime Minister assured the Turkish team that his government will provide full cooperation in this regard.

    Meanwhile, Diriliş: Ertuğrul’s Nurettin Sönmez (Bamsı Beyrek) and Ayberk Pekcan (Artuk Bey) also arrived in Pakistan on Wednesday along with a 20-member delegation including Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

  • Ertuğrul delegation enjoys a delightful dinner in Islamabad

    Ertuğrul delegation enjoys a delightful dinner in Islamabad

    The team behind Diriliş: Ertuğrul, including Celal AL (who plays Abdur Rehman Alp) and producer of the Ottoman epic Kamal Tekdin, after being welcomed by Adnan Siddiqui and Humayun Saeed, enjoyed a delightful dinner in Islamabad on Thursday.

    The dinner, which was hosted by The Legend of Maula Jutt producer Ammara Hikmat saw several Pakistani celebrities including Imran Abbas, Faisal Qureshi, Ahmad Ali Akhbar, Yasir Jaswal, Adnan and Humayun in attendance.

    Pictures of the guests enjoying themselves were widely shared on social media.

    Earlier in the day, the delegation met with Adnan and Humayun, with whom Tekdin Films and TRT production have signed a deal with as partners. Adnan had earlier shared that the partnership will infuse freshness in Pakistani content. Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz and Chairman Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir Shehryar Afridi were also part of the meeting.

    Sharing pictures from the meeting, Adnan said that it didn’t feel like they were meeting Celal for the first time. He added that Celal says that he’s fallen in love with Pakistan and our hospitality.

    Later, the delegates also had a meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan. According to a press release, the meeting discussed in detail the proposed television series being created in collaboration between Pakistan and Turkey on the Khilafat Movement among other future projects and the lost glory of the Pakistani entertainment industry.

    PM Khan, during the meeting, emphasized on showcasing the golden era of Muslims’ Rule in the subcontinent in dramas and films to apprise the youth about that golden age and to foil negative propaganda and designs.

    The PM said that the Pakistani film and drama industry needed to work for the promotion of local culture to apprise western-influenced youth of their indigenous values and to protect them from social evils, adding that the Pakistani film and drama industry will flourish by producing quality content. This will also provide a substitute for the superficial and glamourized broadcast content to the youth.

    Meanwhile, producer Tekdin said that the Turkish team is very happy over Pakistan’s cooperation in this project, which will highlight cultural commonalities between the two countries. He said it will also help strengthen people to people contact.

    The Prime Minister, while appreciating the project, assured the Turkish team that his government will provide full cooperation in this regard.

    Pakistan’s Turkish guest Celal is thoroughly enjoying his stay in Pakistan and prayed that the love and brotherhood between Turkey and Pakistan lives long.

  • Highest-viewed Pakistani drama episodes in 2020

    Highest-viewed Pakistani drama episodes in 2020

    2020 has been an interesting year for Pakistani dramas with several controversial dramas hitting our screens this year. In terms of popularity, there is no denying that Meray Paas Tum Ho was television’s highest-watched dramas with a cult following. As we look back on this year, here’s a list of dramas which had the maximum number of views on YouTube till the filing of this story.

    Note – We are only including episodes that aired in 2020 in this list. Views have been indicated in brackets.

    Nand Episode 1 (12M)

    Despite having close to 100 episodes, Nand continues to trend on YouTube and social media. The first episode of the show was fast-paced and thrilling. Not only are we introduced to nand Gohar (Faiza Hassan) and the rest of the family, we dive straight into the story, which is about a woman who likes to control everything and everyone around her. Apart from being very masalaydar and spicy, the drama also boasts solid performances by the lead cast.

    Deewangi Last Episode (13M)

    Danish Taimoor and Hiba Bukhari’s Deewangi ends with Nageen (Hiba) killing Sultan (Taimoor) and getting her happily ever after with Haroon (Ali Abbas), who first divorced her. Audiences loved the drama for its depiction of love that reached a point of madness and continued to root for Sultan till the very end, even though he commits several mistakes along the way because of his mad love for Nageen. The last episode of the drama was thrilling, intense and fast-paced with viewers hooked to it.

    Ishqiya Episode 1 (15M)

    The first episode of this intense romance involving two sisters featuring Feroze Khan, Hania Aamir and Ramsha Khan opens with a scene which will instantly remind you of Rahul and Anjali’s basketball matches in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. The rest of the episode introduces us to the different characters and their relationship dynamics. Its ends with Azeem’s (Gohar Rasheed) family asking for Hamna’s (Ramsha) hand in marriage, who is in love with Hamza (Feroze).

    Read more – ‘Ishqiya’ ends on a bittersweet note

    Ehd e Wafa Last Episode (16M views)

    The last bumper episode of Ehd e Wafa was initially scheduled to hit theatres but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the plan couldn’t fall through. The grand finale, which included a special appearance by Humayun Saeed, saw Captain Saad (Ahad Raza Mir) get injured in tensions on the Line of Control (LOC) in Kashmir, following which all four friends gather at the hospital to be on his side as he battles between life and death. The final episode was emotionally charged but ended on a happy note leaving viewers satisfied.

    Read more – Did you know ‘Ehd-e-Wafa’ was shot in 16 cities?

    Meray Paas Tum Ho 2nd Last Episode (21M)

    Though the second-last episode of the immensely popular Meray Paas Tum Ho was a slow one, it is one of the highest-viewed ones. The episode saw Mehwish (Ayeza Khan) shift back into her old house and use a wazeefa to try and win Danish back. She regrets the decisions she made and is wallowing in misery. On the other hand, Danish (Humayun Saeed) agreed to marry Hania (Hira Mani) and wore the ring she bought for him after Roomi proposed to her on behalf of his father. Meanwhile, Maham (Savera Nadeem) made sure she reminded Shehwar (Adnan Siddiqui) of his aukaat.

    Which 2020 drama was your favourite?

  • Mawra Hocane to Adnan Siddiqui: celebs celebrate Christmas

    Mawra Hocane to Adnan Siddiqui: celebs celebrate Christmas

    ‘Tis the season to make merry and celebrate the end of a terribly challenging year. To commemorate the occasion, several celebrities including Mawra Hocane, Yasir Hussain, Adnan Siddiqui and Bilal Ashraf took to social media to extend warm wishes for Christmas.

    Mawra Hocane shared a Boomerang of herself sitting next to a beautifully decorated Christmas tree, wishing everyone a “Merry, merry Christmas.”

    Adnan Siddiqui also wished everyone a Merry Christmas, saying: “It’s the season to be jolly and spend time with your loved ones. To all my Christian brothers and sisters may this Christmas bring you to cheer, joy and lot of blessings.”

    While greeting people on Christmas Humayun Saeed wrote: “Lots of love, prayers and best wishes for everyone celebrating Christmas”

    Armeena Khan extended Christmas greetings by sharing a picture of herself holding a unicorn.

    “Happy Christmas to everyone everywhere, especially to the Pakistani Christian community,” she wrote.

    Yasir Hussain also sent out Christmas greetings and shared a quote by Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

    Saheefa Jabbar Khattak too extended her greetings.

    “Merry Christmas you’all. Have a great weekend ahead”, she said.

    Juggun Kazim shared a picture of Christmas tree on her Insta Story and wished everyone a Merry Christmas.

    Bilal Ashraf also extended Christmas wishes.

    Amna Ilyas also posted a Christmas wish.

    Meanwhile, Zara Noor Abbas shared adorable pictures of herself and husband Asad Siddiqui celebrating Christmas.

  • ‘Shehwar aur thappar ki goonj’: Adnan Siddiqui recalls the iconic slap from MPTH

    ‘Shehwar aur thappar ki goonj’: Adnan Siddiqui recalls the iconic slap from MPTH

    Remember the iconic scene in which Danish (Humayun Saeed) burst into Shehwar’s (Adnan Siddiqui) office and slapped him in Meray Paas Tum Ho?

    Siddiqui, who has recently been sharing his highlights from 2020 on social media, recalled memories of the famous slap scene and revealed what transpired behind the scenes on the sets.

    Read more – Adnan Siddiqui says he was double-minded about ‘Meray Paas Tum Ho’

    “So I reach the set and see Humayun and Nadeem Baig talking in hushed tones, darting glances at me all this while,” said Adnan while talking about what happened on set while this scene was being shot. “‘Perhaps they sold me off to aliens last night,’ I try to make light of it to myself when they decide to include me in the discussion.”

    “Turns out, the matter on hand is much more serious. In the first-ever scene that will commence MPTH, Danish will be slapping Shehwar in his office as his employees look on. ‘Not bad’, I chuckle though both Humayun and Nadeem look nervous about my “seniority” and the close friendship I share with Humayun.”

    “Cameras roll and there is pin-drop silence. Danish raises his hand on Shehwar and before we know it, we are rolling into full-throttled guffaws Nadeem included,” he continued. “When Humayun and I are shooting together, especially an intense scene, it is a laugh riot and this couldn’t be an exception. In fact, it became essential to put everyone at ease.”

    Concluding his remarks, Adnan said: “I still joke with Nadeem why did he stop at just one slap? For a woman as beautiful as Mehwish, Shehwar would have easily taken a few more.”

    Meray Paas Tum Ho also featured Ayeza Khan and Hira Mani in the lead. Written by Khalil ur Rehman Qamar and directed by Nadeem Baig, the drama was produced by Humayun and Shahzad Nasib under their production house Six Sigma Plus.

  • ‘A Year To Remember’: Adnan Siddiqui on why he ‘admires 2020’

    ‘A Year To Remember’: Adnan Siddiqui on why he ‘admires 2020’

    2020 has been quite the year, for all of us and none of us would like to relive it. But Adnan Siddiqui, who had a great year as far as his acting projects are concerned (Meray Paas Tum Ho, Ye Dil Mera) says that he admires 2020, calling it ‘A Year To Remember’.

    “In three weeks from now, 2020 will be behind us,” wrote the actor on Instagram. “A most extraordinary year. When we rang it in, I don’t think anyone had even a vague idea that three months into it and our lives, as we knew it, would come to a halt. A thriving world came to an abrupt standstill and we are still waiting for normalcy to return. No wonder, our most common refrain since March 2020 is, ‘when will life be back to old normal’.”

    He then went on to share why he admires 2020 so much.

    “I often get asked why I admire 2020 so much when it caused a life-altering crisis across the globe. I have always felt that in every adversity lies an opportunity. We only need to discover that. The amount of free time I had on my hands, thanks to the lockdown, was God sent. I loved the languid pace at which life was moving all those months. And as Mac Davis crooned, I stopped and smelled the roses,” the actor added.

    Sharing about time spent with his kids, Adnan wrote: “My kids were the happiest to have me around 24 hours and I would like to imagine myself as a more patient and wiser parent while dealing with the millennials. I finished a book that was mocking me for years for having left it in between. Caught up on sleep, wrote poetry.”

    Read more – Quarantine turns Adnan Siddiqui into Wolverine

    “But most of all, 2020 enlightened me to a new perspective of life–to accept it in a larger scheme of things. I learnt that man, even if he fancies himself as omnipotent, can never conquer nature.”

    “2020 also taught me to slow down a bit, to hold my loved ones closer, to pray a little longer, and never to take life for granted,” concluded Adnan.