Tag: backlash

  • ‘Spread love not hate’: AP Dhillon supports Shubhneet Singh

    ‘Spread love not hate’: AP Dhillon supports Shubhneet Singh

    Canadian-Indian rapper Shubhneet Singh is facing backlash from conservative politicians and social media users accusing him of being a Khalistan supporter, after the rapper’s post from March recirculated around social media. Several cricket players like Virat Kohli, Hardick Panday and KL Rahul had unfollowed the rapper on Instagram following the controversy.

    Singh’s tour in India in September was cancelled, after sponsor BoAt announced they were no longer sponsoring the tour as they announced in a post on their X, formerly Twitter, account.

    “At boAt, while our commitment to the incredible music community runs deep, we are first and foremost a true Indian brand. Therefore, when we became aware of the remarks made by artist Shubh earlier this year, we chose to withdraw our sponsorship from the tour.”

    BookMyShow, the online ticket portal confirmed on their X account that they were refunding customers who had purchased ticket’s for Shubh’s concert in Mumbai and other cities.

    In light of these accusations, Indian rapper AP Dhillon released a lengthy statement on his Instagram stories where he publicly sided with the ‘We Rollin’ rapper, condemning the way artists are targeted by special interest and political groups.

    “As an artist it has become almost impossible to stay focused on your craft and do what you love. I try to be mindful of everyone’s sentiments but it has gotten to a point where we have to second and triple guess our every move due to the fear of unintentionally fueling even more division.”

    “Spread love, not hate,” wrote the ‘Brown Munde’ rapper. “Let’s start thinking for ourselves and not let hateful influences program our beliefs. We are ALL one. Let’s not let man made social constructs divide us. Division has gotten us to this point but unity is the key to the future.”

    Shubhneet Singh addressed the backlash in a lengthy statement posted on his Instagram account and said he found the allegations “extremely disheartening.”

    “My intent in resharing that post on my story was only to pray for Punjab as there were reports of electricity and internet shutdowns throughout the state. There was no other thought behind it, and I definitely didn’t intend to hurt anyone’s sentiments.”

    The backlash to Shubh arrives after relations between India and Canada took a sour turn when Justin Trudeau publicly accused the Indian government for being involved in the death of the Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who had been a vocal supporter of setting up a separate state for Sikhs living in India.

    “Any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty,” said Trudeau.

    “In the strongest possible terms, I continue to urge the government of India to cooperate with Canada to get to the bottom of this matter.”

    READ MORE: Canadian Punjabi rapper’s India tour cancelled as diplomatic row continues

    After the Instagram post by Shubhneet went viral, the youth wing of the BJP party in India BJYMP filed an FIR against the rapper with the Mumbai Police, calling Singh a Khalistan supporter.

    “Shubh is openly a Khalistani supporter,” the complaint read. “And if he is allowed to hold a concert here, he will be influencing a lot of youth in Mumbai and our country to support his agenda…He has evidently proven that he is a pro-Khalistani activist and openly supports their agenda and [he] is also influencing the youth of the country to do the same and wage a war against the Government of India by posting such absurd and derogatory post about Government of India.”

  • ‘Leave her alone’: fans defend Sehar Khan after trolls mock her once more over viral clip

    ‘Leave her alone’: fans defend Sehar Khan after trolls mock her once more over viral clip

    Maybe its time we stopped over piling on actresses for mistakes they admit to?

    ‘Fairy Tale’ actress Sehar Khan came under fire a few days ago when a clip went viral from her interview with Something Haute. The actress was seen speaking about wanting to play roles similar to Priyanka Chopra’s “psychopath” role in Bollywood film ‘Barfi’. Her comments were slammed by social media users who pointed out that Priyanka’s character Jhilmil is autistic. However, the actress was quick to apologise in a detailed Twitter thread, admitting that she should have expressed herself better.

    “In a recent interview I meant to say I want to do a role of a differently abled person but due to slip of tongue, I mistakenly said something else. I should have gathered my thoughts before answering the question to express myself better.”

    “Mental disabilities and special needs are a very important matter,” continued Sehar. “And I have immense respect for people who are dealing with them; hence I apologize if I unintentionally hurt anyone.”

    But soon after this 2 Instagram influencers Aadi Adeal Amjad and Naveed Raza mocked the newcomer actress by recreating the viral clip, and fans slammed them for bullying Sehar after she had apologised.

    Many pointed out that the 23-year-old actress, who has stepped into limelight because of ‘Fairy Tale’, shouldn’t be trolled over her English skills.

    Others said that this sort of behavior reeks of the sexist trolling many female celebrities face when they reach the peak of their careers. An X user shared a clip from Mashion’s Actors Roundtable where Mahira Khan talked about female actors being brought down by audiences over small things, leading to them doubting themselves and their success.

    In the gist of all of this, we’d like trolls to remember that before rushing to pile on an actress, remember that Sehar Khan is still a newcomer, and someone who has already expressed regret at the ableist comment. Also, direct your energy towards dramas that are promoting domestic abuse and child marriages to actually bring about some change within the industry.

  • ‘I asked is this related to the motorway incident’: Hadiqa Kiani on motorway rape survivor statement

    ‘I asked is this related to the motorway incident’: Hadiqa Kiani on motorway rape survivor statement

    Intense backlash rose on Monday when journalist Fereeha Idress revealed how the drama ‘Hadsa’ was similar to the horrific motorway rape crime, stressing that the survivor was traumatised after seeing her ordeal being depicted online without her consent. Now actress Hadiqa Kiani has responded to the backlash with a lengthy statement where she clarified that initially while reading the script, she had found a lot of similarities between the crime and the storyline, but agreed to do the project after several discussions with the writer.

    “When I was asked to do the role of Taskeen for Hadsa my first question was ‘Is this related to the motorway incident?’ ‘Is this based off the true incident?’ – I made it clear that I would not do the project if it was based off anyone’s story. The team behind the project explicitly told me ‘No’. After many conversations with the team and only after reading the script I understood that Hadsa was not related to or based off on the motorway story.”

    The ‘Janaan’ singer then shared how necessary she felt it was to do a project like Hadsa which was about how rape was a reality of the world that we live in.

    “These are the realities of the world we live in. I have sadly been exposed to so many stories like this one but I can say that Hadsa is not based off on any one’s story, but based off on a sickly common part of our reality.”

    While we appreciate the fact that Hadiqa recognised the reason behind the backlash and came forward to give her side of the story in, the reality remains that the team behind ‘Hadsa’ should have done a better job in executing such a sensitive topic. If the actress had felt in the beginning while reading the script that it was quite similar to the 2020 crime, it should have been her duty right away to step away from a project that was profitting off from the misery and trauma of a survivor, or even chosen to consult her to keep them in the loop.

    Also, ‘Hadsa’ team should have consulted with experts about depicting sensitive topics- such as calling rape a “misfortune”‘, or displaying acts of violence and sexual abuse so graphically, so that rape and sexual abuse survivors are not forced to relive their trauma.

    Actress Hadiqa Kiani is starring in a new drama series ‘Hadsa’ which depicts the life of a headstrong woman, who is raped while travelling with her son on an empty highway. Many users since the drama began airing, pointed out how the drama’s storyline was similar to the horrifying motorway rape case of 2021, when a woman travelling on motorway with her two children was assaulted and raped by two men infront of her two children. The drama is written by Zanjabeel Asim Shah, and directed by Wajahat Rauf, and stars Aly Khan, Romaisa Khan, Khaqan Shahnawaz.

    Journalist Fereeha Idress, who reported the account of the anonymous survivor, has now taken to X, formerly Twitter, to slam the makers behind ‘Hadsa’ for violating the privacy of the lone survivor, who revealed that the makers, nor the star-studded cast and crew, had approached her for consent on making a drama about a horrifying ordeal she had undergone.

    In a lengthy statement, Fereeha said the survivor, Z, had tried to keep her and her family’s identity protected, after undergoing the trauma, but was once more triggered by the depictions in the show.

    “They have made a drama on my life,” Fereeha tweeted Z told her. “As if I am nothing, no one asked me, it’s same, they are showing the same things, oh my God! Why didn’t I die before reliving this again? You know , I didn’t sleep after the incident for many many nights and it’s all back now, I haven’t slept a wink since I saw this terrible, horrendous depiction of the most terrible moments of my life which I so want to forget. It’s unbearable, I start shivering every day at 5 pm because I know the drama is coming at 7 pm. Why are they doing this to me?”.

    The journalist slammed the creators for forcing the survivor to re-live the trauma and not taking into consideration the ordeal she, her loved ones, including the children had gone through. Rather than allowing her to heal and tell the incident on her own choice, they made a drama out of it.-

    “The moment the drama episode goes on air, all comments start talking about motorway incident. Can’t they let me forget about this? They have followed my life. Isn’t this harassment? How they traced things in my life when I was so clear of keeping everything so private? My in laws must be watching it, my brother in law, my mother, my neighbours, oh my God! No one even cared to ask me? I am not dead yet! Do they want me dead? Can’t I just forget about this and move on?”

    In the next tweet, Fereeha wrote that Z, the survivor, was in extreme distress, speaking to the journalist on the phone. The drama had forced her to re-live the ordeal all over again.

    “My question is when everyone knew I never wanted to come in the limelight, why was I thrown into it again and again? So many known people, celebrities, politicians etc wanted to come and meet me or talk to me post incident, but I always declined because I wanted my privacy and didn’t want anything else but the culprits punished. Is it all about making money? Does no one care what I am going through by this triggered trauma? What my kids and husband will be going through? Do they even know how I am spending my life? Everyday is a struggle. I am being thick skinned and staying alive only for my children. They didn’t even care for my children. Do you know my kids have not forgotten..”

    Z requested the journalist to get the drama stopped, so that she would stopped being approached by public figures or being recognised as the ‘motorway wali’.

    “Can you pls get this drama stopped? Can Pak pls help me stop this? It’s like whole world is watching my misery and pain as I am reliving it. Pls tell them to make this once I am dead, I am alive right now or did they think I would have died? And pls not even after my death as I have children, they can make this after we have all died”

    There has been no response from the makers behind the drama, or from the lead star Hadiqa Kiani and the rest of the actors on this accusation.

    This is not the first time Pakistani dramas have been accused of ripping of the trials and ordeals of survivors, without taking consent from the family members or giving them a portion of the profits earned. Previously, it was Bhaagi, starring Saba Qamar, which was accused for depicting the life of the social media star Qandeel Baloch, without the consent of her family members. As Nighat Dad tweeted the father of the murdered star, Azeem Baba, was informed by other villagers that a drama was made on his daughter’s life.

  • ‘Hadsa’ writer Zanjabeel Asim Shah refutes allegations from motorway rape survivor

    ‘Hadsa’ writer Zanjabeel Asim Shah refutes allegations from motorway rape survivor

    After Hadiqa Kiani, the writer behind the controversial drama ‘Hadsa’ has come forward to address allegations that the script is based on the horrific motorway rape case, in which a woman was gang-raped in 2020 in front of her young children. Episode 5 of the drama shows the female lead, Taskeen, and her son driving down a highway at night when their car suddenly stops. Soon after, a group of men arrive who subject the female lead to torture and rape. Journalist Fereeha Idrees called the story a serious violation of privacy, and demanded that PEMRA shut down the show for exploiting a survivor’s trauma for ratings, without her or her family’s approval.

    Now, in a conversation with BBC Urdu, the writer has denied these allegations, pointing out that every woman, regardless of her background, can suffer from rape:

    “The similarity is just a coincidence. Every woman who goes through this incident, whether she is rich or poor, or whether she comes from an educated family or not, will get affected. Our dramas speak about our sufferings and our situations.”

    ‘When you fight this war, you’re also getting your catharsis,” he said.

    Zanjabeel went on to discuss writing on other topics like child sexual abuse and said that sometimes, drama scripts can bear resemblance to real life cases.

    “I have shown a young son who was getting married. We often say that a woman is going out alone, but she would still be helpless even if her husband went with her.”

    Since the allegations by Idrees went viral, on X, formerly Twitter, the hashtag #banhadsa began trending, with social media users criticing the cast and crew behind for violating the privacy of the rape survivor, and called for PEMRA to ban the drama. To which, Zanjabeel had responded:

    “PEMRA had banned my drama ‘Pyaar Ke Sadqaay’ too. But does this mean girls are not abused inside their homes? PEMRA had annoyed even Bee Gul so much over her drama ‘Darr Si Jaati Hai’. If they keep doing this, then should we only make dramas about saas-bahu conflicts? If we can’t make dramas about sensitive topics, then should we only make romance dramas,” he asked.

    Hadiqa Kiani released a statement on her social media account, saying that when she first read the script there were similarities with the motorway rape case, but after discussions with the writer and team, she understood that the drama was entirely different.

    Her statement was slammed by social media users, who demanded that she stop gaslighting survivors of rape and trauma.

  • Mountaineers in pursuit of records accused by climbers of ignoring dying Pakistani sherpa on K2

    Mohammad Hassan, a 27-year-old Pakistani porter, lay severely injured just 1,300 feet from K2’s summit, a peak known for its unforgiving nature. Shockingly, as he battled for survival, fellow climbers allegedly chose to prioritize their ascent records over extending a helping hand. Drone footage captured at the grim scene reveals climbers navigating around Hassan on the precarious ledge, effectively leaving him to his fate.

    The incident has ignited controversy, centering on Norwegian climber Kristin Harila and her team, who were captured passing by the injured porter. Accusations have been leveled against them, claiming that their pursuit of a new world record took precedence over providing aid to Hassan. Adding to the outrage, reports said that a celebratory party followed shortly after the team achieved the record of conquering 14 of the world’s highest peaks in just over three months—despite the tragic loss of Hassan’s life, Daily Mail has reported.

    Kristin Harila has defended her actions, stating that she and her team attempted to assist Hassan. However, the treacherous conditions on K2 made any rescue attempts perilous.

    Austrian mountaineer Philip Flämig, who was climbing alongside Wilhelm Steindl, has drawn attention to footage captured by their drone. The footage allegedly depicts a grim sequence of climbers stepping over the stricken body of Mohammad Hassan rather than offering assistance.

    Flämig described the scene in Austria’s Standard newspaper, highlighting the heart-wrenching footage. He expressed dismay, pointing out that while one person tended to Hassan, others surged onward toward the summit. Flämig criticized the absence of an organized rescue operation despite the presence of Sherpas and guides who could have acted.

    Flämig denounced the incident as a “disgrace” and compared the stark contrast to practices in the Alps, highlighting the ongoing debate regarding the treatment of Sherpas in the Himalayas. He asserted that if Hassan were a Westerner, immediate rescue efforts would likely have been deployed. The tragedy, he lamented, highlighted the callous disregard for human life in favor of record-breaking pursuits.

    In response to these claims, Harila defended her actions and decisions, countering accusations of inaction. She refuted the notion that no effort was made to help Hassan, stating that her team attempted to lift him for over an hour. She also explained the hazardous conditions on the mountain, particularly on the treacherous part where Hassan fell.

    Drone footage of the incident revealed individuals climbing over Hassan as he lay helpless in the deep snow. The video offered a glimpse of the thin air at such high elevations, as climbers wore oxygen masks to combat the thin atmosphere.

    Despite differing accounts of the incident, the unsettling scene has prompted renewed debate about the ethics of mountaineering and the value of human life in extreme circumstances. Steindl, who had to retreat to base camp due to perilous conditions, expressed his disgust at fellow climbers’ inaction, stressing the importance of lending aid.

  • ‘Rosy glow, hazel eyes, no curly hair’: Rishta demand has internet in stitches

    ‘Rosy glow, hazel eyes, no curly hair’: Rishta demand has internet in stitches

    Are rishta aunties looking for a suitable woman for men or do they want Miss Universe to become their bahu?

    Rishta proposals that come to light are getting increasingly absurd. A tweet is going viral on the internet in which a woman shared a list of demands by an aunty. Included among the ludicrous list are demands that the girl must not have curly or short hair, must have completed her bachelors at the age of 22, as well as have no scars on her face or hands.

    She should also have a “rosy glow” and light coloured eyes, with a concession made for hazel eyes.

    Are you looking for a wife or for a robot, maam? And the sheer audacity of demanding unachievable perfectionism in a woman, while this man couldn’t even find a woman on his own? Twitter was in fits on how unabashed and demanding the rishta circus was for women.

    https://twitter.com/strawb1erry/status/1688609914330230784?s=20
  • Zara Shahjahan’s Pakistani passport tweet triggers debate on privilege

    Zara Shahjahan’s Pakistani passport tweet triggers debate on privilege

    Designer Zara Shahjahan landed in a social media storm on Friday when her tweet about a recent survey that ranked Pakistani passport as the fourth worst in the world, went viral.

    Her take divided social media with most agreeing with her, while others saying she was unaware of the privilege and wealth she had, easing most travel hurdles

    She had written:

    “This shows nothing. I’ve travelled he world with my Pakistani passport and would never give it up for any other. This is a lie.”

    Some people agreed with the fashion designer, saying that they never had a problem in travelling abroad with the Pakistani passport.

    While others called her out for what they said was an elitist take, sharing their own experiences of difficulty in getting visas.

    One user wrote: “I got my visa after a whole damn year to come to Australia. I applied in 2015 and made it there in 2017. The problem was, that I had a full scholarship and not a lot of my own funds to show. See, if you’ve got a lot of $$$ in the bank, visas can come as easy as this stupid take.”

    https://twitter.com/theD_inDNA/status/1682366267775385601?s=20
    https://twitter.com/someaningfull/status/1682328267515211778?s=20

  • Buzzfeed’s AI-generated Barbie Dolls article faces backlash for racial stereotypes

    Buzzfeed’s AI-generated Barbie Dolls article faces backlash for racial stereotypes

    Popular website Buzzfeed published an article featuring AI-generated images of Barbie Dolls from every country around the world. The piece has received extreme backlash for promoting racist micro-aggressions and cultural inaccuracies, which prompted the website to delete the article from all of their social media pages.

    Buzzfeed had given a brief disclaimer before the article that they acknowledged the biases and stereotypes demonstrated by AI models, clarifiying that these depictions should not be seen as accurate or comprehensive portrayals of human experiences.

    The article featured Barbies from all around the world, including one from Pakistan, who looked more like she stepped out of an Arabian fantasy book rather than from the streets of Lahore or Karachi.

    And the Barbie from India looks a lot more like subcontinent’s colonial masters than Deepika Padukone, the ACTUAL Barbie.

    And don’t even get me started on what the Afghanistan Barbie looks like. It’s a shame how a vibrant culture is reduced to burqas by racist algorithms

    A lot of the dolls featured in the article from Asian countries like Vietnam and Korea were wearing inaccurate clothing along with white-washed features.

    A Barbie from South Sudan was seen carrying a gun, drawing outrage from users.

  • Vasay Chaudhry apologises for ‘overseas Pakistani’ joke on Mazaaq Raat

    Vasay Chaudhry apologises for ‘overseas Pakistani’ joke on Mazaaq Raat

    A clip from the Dunya News comedy show ‘Mazaaq Raat’ featuring model and actress Sarah Neelum went viral on social media.

    Neelum was seen mocking overseas Pakistanis for pretending to be well-established and wealthy in Pakistan, while they are actually washing toilets abroad.

    The clip received severe backlash from overseas Pakistanis. One user wrote:

    “This unknown model on national television is claiming that overseas Pakistanis clean gutters abroad and come to Pakistan to show off by wearing cotton clothes. Meanwhile, these very overseas Pakistanis contribute $32 million through their hard work abroad.”

    Actor Shaan Shahid was among the voices who critcised Neelum’s opinion:

    “Our overseas Pakistanis .. from all walks of life are our pride .. none should show disrespect .. towards them .. as the country and we the nation owe them much more than respect .. as their sacrifices are beyond words.. much respect.”

    The host of the comedy show, Vasay Chaudhry, stepped in to apologise for the tasteless joke by calling it a “ridiculous comment”.

    “I want to publicly apologise on behalf of my whole team at #Mazaqraat ,a very stupid,Vile & ridiculous comment was made recently abt overseas’s Pakistani’s by one of the guests in our show which was followed up by an attmepted joke by one of the comedians(again in bad taste).”

    The ‘Punjab Nahi Jaugni’ actor further added:

    “A formal apology will be aired in tonight’s episode. However , I wanted to personally apologise to all the Pakistanis living abroad.We Love you , even though you might not feel the same at this point, but ” ghalatiaan apnoo say he hoti hain.”

  • Ferrari drives into trouble with controversial post featuring Masjid-e-Nabvi

    Ferrari drives into trouble with controversial post featuring Masjid-e-Nabvi

    Ferrari, a prominent supercar manufacturer, faced significant criticism after a social media post promoting its event in Jeddah was received poorly.

    The post included an edited image of a Ferrari model pictured in front of the Masjid-e-Nabwi, a sacred site in Islam, instead of the intended location, Jeddah.

    This post was met with widespread disapproval on various social media platforms, with many individuals accusing the company of insensitivity and disrespect towards the Muslim community.

    Some users even called for a boycott of Ferrari products. It remains unclear whether Ferrari was aware of the importance of the location to the Muslim community or if this was an inadvertent mistake.

    While some social media users made light of the situation by praising the beauty of the site, the majority of the comments were critical.

    Responding to the massive backlash from the Muslim community, Ferrari promptly removed the post from its Twitter and Instagram accounts, as well as deleted the image from its website to prevent further complications.