Javed Sheikh and Behroze Sabzwari have been acting since decades yet both the veteran actors are still fit as a fiddle. The two have been friends since long and their friendship got stronger when Behroze Sabzwari married Javed Sheikh’s sister Safina.
The two recently appeared on The Knock Knock Show, hosted by Mohib Mirza. They talked about how they stay fit and shared advice for people who want to have successful careers in acting. Javed Sheikh said, “Staying fit is something we can control. We make a lot of effort, watch what we eat, and avoid thinking negatively about others. I count my calories from breakfast to dinner and skip lunch so I’m really hungry by dinner time.” Behroze Sabzwari added that he eats everything but in small amounts. Javed Sheikh also mentioned that he enjoys eating traditional Pakistani foods like paaye. When it comes to being successful, Javed Sheikh had some advice for young actors: “I tell everyone, ‘if you want to reach high, stay grounded’. And for young actors, I advise three things: passion, patience, and punctuality.”
Period dramas are all the rage now days, with Queen Charlotte becoming Netflix’s biggest hit this year, and more film adaptations like ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’, ‘Macbeth’ releasing in the last few years. But what we have yet to see, and are patiently waiting for, is Pakistani writers picking up their pen and writing a desi adaptation of a popular period book.
Because as we all know, there is literally no difference between societies during the Victorian era, and how women in Pakistan are treated today. We’re still told that marriage is our biggest accomplishment, restricted to our homes and only allowed to visit relatives rather than travel independently on our own.
So this idea flouted around the internet, when a twitter user Aimun asked how in the world has there not been a good Pakistani adaptation of Jane Austen’s popular novel ‘Persuasion’.
“So much discourse on Pakistani dramas but imagine a desi adaptation of Persuasion,” she wrote.
so much discourse on Pakistani dramas but imagine a desi adaptation of Persuasion 😭
If you’re living under a rock and have poor reading taste, let us treat you to some culture. Persuasion revolves around a woman, Anne, who is in her late twenties and living with her family. When she was 18, she had rejected the marriage proposal of her true love, Frederick Wentworth, because of her family’s elitist assumptions that he wasn’t fit to marry into their family, a decision that breaks her heart and because of which she decides to remain single. But years later, when Wentworth becomes rich and comes back in town in search for a bride, both of them chose to avoid each other, yet cannot deny that they’re in love with each other.
And like the rest of Twitter, we are down with the idea, infact we are pitching in our own idea about who we feel should direct, write and act in this adaptation.
Marina Khan is the perfect choice for directing the project.
Why? Because Marina Khan knows how to play powerful, independent and strong-minded women from dramas like ‘Tanhaiyaan’ and ‘Tum Se Kehna Tha’. So who better than her to take on Jane Austen and give the book the justice it deserves?
For screen writing: Sarah Majeed
For someone who wrote such a compelling and gorgeous drama like ‘Fairy Tale’, we would be anticipating the project with glee if she decided to take on this drama and rewrite it for the Pakistani audience.
For our broody and lovelorn Wentworth, we think no one but Ahad Raza Mir can capture the character.
As for the leading lady, we think Dur-e-Fishan Saleem would capture the tenderness and warmth of Anne so well.
When it comes to Anne’s father, Sir Walter Elliot, who would capture his snobbery and entitled attitude better than Behroze Sabzwari?
As for Anne’s confidant and best friend, Lady Elliot, who helps her navigate coming out of her shell and becoming brave enough to go after what she wants, we think Saba Qamar would do this character justice.
As for the villain, William Elliot, who aspires to marry Anne in order to steal her wealth, Bilal Abbas would be a great choice.
President Dr Arif Alvi conferred Pakistan’s civil awards on 135 citizens as well as foreign nationals on Pakistan Day i.e. March 23, in recognition of excellence and gallantry in their respective fields.
Among the civil awards, many renowned personalities were awarded Sitara-e-Imtiaz which is the country’s third-highest civilian honour.
Pakistan cricket team captain Babar Azam became the highlight of the event, becoming the youngest cricketer to hold this honour.
Media personality Fakhar-e-Alam, actor Behroze Sabzwari and journalist Nadeem Malik were also conferred with Sitara-e-Imtiaz.
Muhammad Afzal Javed and Zafarulah Khan (services to Pakistan), Dr Saeed Akhtar (medicine), late Humayun Khan (agriculture), Dr Sharif Malik (medicine), Mahfoozur Rehman (education), late Saghar Siddiqui (poetry), late Shama Khalid (art); late Ziauddin, Javed Chaudhry (journalist); Dr Anees Ahmed and Maulana Hanif Jalandhari (religious scholar), and Waqar Ahmed Malik (public service) were included.
Among others who were also conferred the Sitara-e-Imtiaz award were Syed Murataz Mahmood (public service), Imdadullah Bosal (public service) and Mirza Ishtiaq Baig (social service); Lt Gen Noman Zakaria, Major General Muhammad Idris Dastgir, Brigadier Salman Rashid Hussain, Muhammad Iqbal Khan, Asim Ali Khan, Samina Chagali, Dr Amir Malik, Tahir Rai and Riazuddin Sheikh (public service) and Tariq Mahmood (art).
Actor Momal Sheikh recently made an appearance on The Talk Talk Show hosted by Hassan Choudary, where she shared her thoughts on Behroze Sabzwari’s claim that ladies shouldn’t wear tight clothing while traveling on bikes.
The Daraar star said, “it is his point of view, maybe it was something he observed while he was coming to the interview and he expressed his thoughts, Maybe it was something that stuck in his mind and he wanted to talk about it, whenever we come to the show we don’t talk the scripted things, we speak our heart out, so I can give him the benefit of doubt, maybe it was something disturbing him, hence he said it, so people should move on and let it go, and if anything needs to be requested, it should come from Behroze Sabzwari rather than me.”
On being asked about the public’s perception of her clothing, Sheikh replied she couldn’t influence anyone’s opinions or change their minds, so she should just let it be and do whatever she wanted. In the end, the public makes you famous.
Last year she stated in another interview that she is not afraid of her father (Javed Sheikh) but she is scared of her brother Shahzad Sheikh.
“I’m not scared of my father but I am scared of Shahzad,” said Momal while talking to Momina on her show Momina Mixed Plate.
She said that he is a little bossy and asks questions. “Even coming to this field, he said that tumhara kya kaam hai? Tum ne kyun karna hai?“
While talking about his protective behaviour, she further elaborated: “It’s just that he is a little protective to her little sister, not that he really don’t want me to work, of course, it’s not that. Uska ek roub hai, bharam hai like I want her to be under me, and islie bhi kyunkay mein argue bhi bohat karti houn.”
She said, “Sometimes I say that to him If I were your elder sister then you would see.”
Last year the Happy Bhaag Jayegi diva appreciated her cousin Shahroz Sabzwari and Syra Yousuf for handling social media scrutiny post their split, “The way Shahroz and Saira handled all the criticism was the best thing and that’s the way it should be. People always talk about something, they used to talk before and they will continue to talk no matter what.”
“My personal statement on their separation is that they are two individual and mature adults, they know what is good for them. Saira and Shahroz are two beautiful and kind hearted people”, she added.
Senior actor Behroze Sabzwari appeared on Nadir Ali’s podcast and shared his take on the “inappropriate” dressing of women and the increasing “vulgarity” in dramas. After the host highlighted how “vulgarity is becoming a norm in Pakistani dramas,” the Chauraha star immediately confessed to taking part in such projects as well.
“Yes, I am against all of this but I am also acting in these dramas and that’s the bitter truth. In these narratives, sisters are having affairs with their brothers-in-law. I don’t like these scripts and watching them with family is absurd to me. I mean what is this nonsense, is there no other subject left to explore for writers?” lamented Sabzwari.
The Diyar-e-Dil actor also disclosed why penning such scripts are in fashion today. He said, “It’s wrong, but the viewership is massive and the ratings of these dramas always skyrocket. Now if one takes their clothes off onscreen that will do the trick too.”
Taking his moment, Ali then diverted the subject to female actors and how they wear “see-through pajamas on sets to grab attention.”
In response to Ali, Sabzwari then advised actors to take pay more attention to their dress code. He remarked, “They should think about this. [Their choice of clothing]. It is the responsibility of an actor to take control of their attire and make sure they aren’t dressed in something that doesn’t look pleasing.”
Sabzwari also pointed out that the clothes in style today are mostly adopted from other cultures. “Why don’t we wear our own cultural attire like shalwar kameez and dupatta? Allah will grant you respect even in these clothes. You don’t get popular by copying clothes from foreign countries, you actually get disrespected in society,” added the Tanhaiyaan actor.
Talking about women wearing tight clothes, he said, “In Pakistan a lot of people have motorbikes, obviously, everyone can’t afford cars, there is inflation and people are barely surviving, but, I have noticed one thing that the dressing of women is not appropriate while sitting on bikes, some women wear weird clothes which cannot be called appropriate, they are not good at all, the clothes are not only see through but usually are very tight, it shows home training, women should be fully covered while sitting on the motorbike. This should be strictly kept in mind. Men should also control their eyes and women should be dressed up in an appropriate manner.”
After this interview went viral, actor Iffat Omar slammed Behroze on her Instagram story for his stance on women’s choice of clothing. She termed him a hypocrite and an illiterate.
Netizens also shared their take on Sabzwari’s remarks.
Actor Syra Yousuf appeared on Pyar Zindagi Aur Karachi for Fuchsia Magazinewhere she and the host strolled through Karachi, talking about their earliest memories of famous landmarks, and food items as well as how life has been for both of them. As they started their mini trip, Yousuf shared a lot about Karachi’s famous food places, her life as a teen, and her routine with Nooreh.
Then came a much-pondered question about Nooreh’s bond with the latest addition to the Sabzwari family, her younger sister Zahra.
“You know all of her friends have siblings and even Alishba [Yousuf’s eldest sister], she has two kids, so she has seen siblings everywhere and she wanted one. So when Zahra was born she was on top of the world and it’s lovely to see, it makes me very happy to see her feel that way towards [her sister],” the Sinf-e-Aahan actor said.
When the host brought up videos that show Nooreh’s bond with the newborn, Yousuf added that she’s glad those videos steered clear of all forms of negativity. “I don’t think we should pollute the minds of children. They are innocent, they are pure and we should keep it that way,” Yousuf added.
Yousuf also shared that she wants to do a TV drama and is currently in the process of reading different scripts. “I’ll be very honest, I’ve come to the conclusion that dramas and films take a lot of time. There are grueling working hours, it takes a lot of time. I’m not going to pick up crappy scripts just because I have to be on screen. I’m a mother, I’d much rather spend time with my child. Till I don’t get a good script until I don’t feel like this is what I want to give my time to, I don’t see why I should pick a script.”
When asked if she’d be absent from the screen for long because of these scripts, Yousuf said people “should be able to accommodate each other” because she’s a single mother and cannot leave her daughter for days on end.
Earlier this year, the Mera Naseeb star spoke about her widely speculated divorce with Shahroz Sabzwari, the media’s insensitive coverage of the issue, and how she battled with that phase in a recent interview.
She also revealed how her personal life was sensationalised across the board, with her divorce being highlighted in the media repeatedly. Syra shared, “I don’t feel betrayed because I didn’t expect much. But I do find it very insensitive because where you are recycling a story and making connections again and again for the sake of likes and numbers, it’s very important for you to understand that someone else is actually living through what you are constantly talking about.”
She elaborated further, “For me, it was my life in real-time, and I was experiencing it already, and that kind of bombardment from the industry, I feel like it was insensitive. Personal lives should stay personal, and if you do end up finding something out from some source, there’s a way to put it out there.”
Speaking about how, initially, the media storm made her feel vulnerable, the Project Ghazi star added, “I felt very exposed. I just kept wondering when people would stop talking about it so that I could process it on my own.”
However, the actor explained how she found light at the end of the tunnel, sharing, “I feel like in shutting out the outside world, I had the opportunity to go inwards. So, sometimes uncomfortable situations can actually help you end up in a better place.”
Syra and Shahroz tied the knot in 2012 after a long on-off relationship that began in 2006. The celebrity couple separated in late 2019 and later confirmed their divorce in February 2020. The very same year later, Shahroz tied the knot with model Sadaf Kanwal.
On the work front, Syra was last seen in ARY’s Sinf-e-Aahan, written by Umera Ahmed and helmed by Nadeem Baig.
Writer-director Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar recently appeared on SAMAA TV ‘s show Super Over, hosted by actor Ahmad Ali Butt. The Sadqay Tumhare writer made some revelations about his colleagues, Humayun Saeed, Mehwish Hayat, Mahira Khan and Naumaan Ijaz.
Qamar talked about his feud with superstar Mahira Khan, and said that he has forgiven her for calling him out post his brawl with Marvi Sirmed, but he will never forget any of it.
The Raees star tweeted on March 4th, 2020, after Sirmed and Qamar’s heated argument on the show Aaj Ayesha Ehtesham Kay Saath.
I am shocked at what I have just heard and seen!! Sick to the core. This same man who abused a woman on tv is revered and given project after project because of what? We are as much to blame if not more for perpetuating this thinking! #khalilurrehmanqamar
“This same man who abused a woman on TV is revered and given project after project because of what?”
While talking about Mehwish Hayat, who recently made Pakistan proud with her stint in the Disney+ superhero series Miss Marvel, Qamar said stated that London Nahi Jaunga was his last film with her.
He continued by saying that Hayat has worked a lot in the industry and now others should get a chance too.
Moreover, he also mentioned, “I’m tired of writing roles for Humayun Saeed as well.”
The Pyarey Afzal writer also disclosed that the famous actor Nauman Ijaz proposed a partnership in Khalil’s first drama serial Dastak aur Darwaza.
The writer said, “I auditioned Nauman Ijaz, and he failed, and then Usman Peerzada was selected.”
Actor Behroze Sabzwari has opened up about his equation with former daughter-in-law Syra Yousuf in his latest interview with a digital magazine.
The veteran actor said, “Syra is my daughter, even now. If their chemistry wasn’t compatible, we can’t do anything about it, it is up to God. All the people who trolled us, that was a difficult time for us to go through, it was harsh for Shahroz, for Syra and for the families. It was a very personal matter but people think they have a right over us, it’s not like that, we all have a personal life and social media has destroyed lives.”
The Tanhaiyaan star is supportive of Syra’s moving on and starting another family. “We’ve never seen Syra as separate from us and we never will. I’ve said to her many a time, ‘Beta, get settled down. Why not? I’m standing behind you.’ Why not? She’s our daughter and Nooreh is our life.”
Behroze opened up about the birth of the newest addition to the family, his second granddaughter and revealed her name. “She was born on 10th of Muharram, seven to eight minutes before 12. I think that 10th of Muharram is a big day for any Muslim. It is very important to me, Shahroz and the entire family. One of our elders, in connection to that, suggested Syeda Zahra Sabzwari. This is a really big present to us from Allah.”
Shahroz Sabzwari and Sadaf Kanwal tied the knot in May 2020 and their union attracted a lot of buzz as the timing overlapped with the announcement of Shahroz’s divorce with his ex-wife Yousuf. The couple welcomed their daughter earlier this month. It was Behroze who had announced that Kanwal was expecting in April.
Talking about the bond between the two half-sisters he said, “You cannot even imagine how excited Nooreh is, you can’t believe it, even we can’t believe it! Yesterday she was with Zahra all day and she kept her in her own room. She said to Sadaf, ‘If you want to feed her, come here and feed her’. I swear, she said to me and Safina, ‘Out, papa out.’ She calls me papa, she calls Shahroz baba, Safina mumma, Syra mimi and Sadaf Sadaf as she’s good friends with her.”
Earlier this year the father-son duo appeared together on Nida Yasir’s morning show.
On being asked by the host that who amongst the two is a more expressive husband, Behroze was quick to answer that he doesn’t believes in being expressive in public and finds expressive couples to be fake.
His son Shahroz added that he doesn’t like Public display of affection and he can’t do it. He also mentioned that it’s indeed fake love that couples express in public.
The Teri Rah Mein star added that he finds it weird when couples sit very close to each other, its just a pretense according to him and he can even challenge on this.
“I can challenge, its fake, yeh 2 number miyan-biwi hain, isko 2 numbri kehte hai. Dikhaway ke liye kartay hain.”
On the work front, Sabzwari was last seen in ARY’s Teri Rah Mein.
Senior actor Behroze Sabzwari made a revelation on Aagha Ali and Hina Altaf’s chat show, The Couple Show about Zubab Rana.
The Teri Raah Mein star was asked to name an actor who comes late to the shoot and doesn’t care about the time of his or her’s co-stars, Sabzwari was quick to take Zubab’s name.
He also said that he is very punctual and values time and money being spend on the sets. Behroze also adviced Zubab that, “You have to be on time, because when the time will pass, it will never come back.”
The father-son duo of Shahroz Sabzwari and Behroze Sabzwari appeared together on Nida Yasir’s morning show.
On being asked by the host that who amongst the two helps their wife while she’s doing the house chores, Behroze was quick to add that, “Zanana kaam koi hai hi nahi humaray pass. (We don’t take any feminine work).”
He added, “Hum haath hila dete hain, haath btatay nahi.”
When Nida asked if the Wafa Bemol star gets angry about cleanliness at home, he answered that that’s his wife’s department to take care of.
Shahroz mentioned, “Me to nahi (I don’t).”
He later added that however, if the women of their home ask them for help, they’ll do it.
Later when Nida asked that who amongst the two is a more expressive husband, Behroze mentioned that he doesn’t believe in being expressive in public and finds expressive couples to be fake.
Whereas the Nand star added that he doesn’t like public displays of affection and he can’t do it. He also mentioned that it is indeed ‘fake love’ that couples express in public.
The Teri Rah Mein star added that he finds it ‘weird’ when couples sit very close to each other and feels that it is just a pretense. He said he can even challenge this.
“I can challenge, its fake, yeh 2 number miyan-biwi hain, isko 2 numbri kehte hai.”
“Dikhaway ke liye kartay hain.”
On the work front, the duo is currently featuring in ARY’s Teri Rah Mein.
