Tag: Bollywood

  • Here’s why Laila Zuberi turned down Raj Kapoor’s Bollywood offer

    Here’s why Laila Zuberi turned down Raj Kapoor’s Bollywood offer

    What would you do if a Bollywood legend like Raj Kapoor offered you a role in his film?  For veteran actress Laila Zuberi, the answer was simple: stay true to Pakistan. 

    Appearing as a guest on  Tabish Hashmi’s Hasna Mana Hai, Laila revealed a significant offer she once received and declined from Bollywood legend Raj Kapoor.

    One of the audience members asked, “You have done many famous and hit dramas, Mashallah. Have you ever received an opportunity or an offer from another country, and you chose Pakistan over that?”

    To this, Laila replied, “Yes, absolutely, something like that happened once. We were invited to the Sharjah Cup, where we met Raj Kapoor Sahab, and he offered me a role in his film. 

    “We even had some pictures taken, and he asked me for an autograph. He said they show our dramas at his Pune Academy for teaching purposes. It was a very proud moment for me, but I thought that I should work for Pakistan.”

    In the same conversation, the Jafaa actress shared a surprising and slightly unsettling experience with an overly excited fan.

    “Another time, a fan followed me around so much that she said, ‘I want to wash your feet,’ and she was that persistent. One day, she came to me and said her only wish was for me to give her the water I used to wash my feet so she could drink it. I was quite disgusted by the thought and couldn’t bring myself to do it,” Laila shared.

    The host, Tabish Hashmi, asked, “I heard that beggars have often interacted with you in life. Once, when you were playing the role of a gypsy in a drama, a group of nomads approached us. Where was this?”

    Laila Zuberi also spoke about her immersive acting experiences, including playing a nomadic girl in the drama Khak Ja.

    “This wasn’t on set. We were shooting a drama called Khak Ja in Quetta. I was playing the character of a nomadic girl wearing tattered clothes and looking rugged. We were shooting on the streets, and many beggars gathered around us. The producer asked them to move because the shoot was in progress. The beggars replied, ‘You’re making something for her. Why not make something for us too?’” she explained.

    Laila Zuberi starred in dramas such as  Aabroo, Chhaon,  Koshish, Guest House, Durr-e Shehwar,  Muhabbat Gumshuda Meri, and  Pagal Khana, and is currently starring in Jafaa.

  • Decided to prioritise Pakistan after Mumbai attacks: Mikaal Zulfiqar

    Decided to prioritise Pakistan after Mumbai attacks: Mikaal Zulfiqar


    Actor Mikaal Zulfiqar’s journey in the entertainment industry has been full of twists, turns and hard decisions. Despite recognition for his work in Indian films, the actor says he made a life-changing decision to “prioritise Pakistan” after the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
     
    Appearing as a guest on AK Buzz ‘Persona’, Mikaal shared some candid insights into his career, explaining how his approach towards work and priorities has evolved over the years.

    “After 2008, I decided Pakistan would be my priority. Even though I had aspirations for Hollywood due to my background, Bollywood opportunities came my way and I took them. But after the Mumbai attacks, I firmly shifted back to working in Pakistan,” he said.
     
    When asked how he got the opportunities in Bollywood, Mikaal said he was lucky. “I started with Bollywood early. I used to go to India for modeling and fashion shows in Delhi. Especially for bridal events. I think it was 2002 when I first went to India… just a year into my modeling career. We did this for two or three years.”
     
     
    “Later, I was part of a film called ‘Godfather’ that was produced by Aslam Bhatti. It featured some Indian and Pakistani actors and was shot in Dubai as well as Bulgaria. I got a role there, thanks to Ahsan Khan, who was initially cast but couldn’t do it. We were friends, so he suggested I talk to the team. That’s how I ended up doing the role,” Mikaal revealed.
     
    The Aap Jaise Marzi actor also praised the relationships he built along the way. “Vinod Khanna recommended me for my next project, ‘Shoot on Sight,’ an Indian-English production. It was a major turning point for me as I worked with legends like Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri. Their craft is recognised not just in Bollywood but across the globe.”
     
    “That film gave me confidence as director Jagmohan Mundhra told me how they had considered actors like Abhishek Bachchan and Vivek Oberoi but eventually decided I was the right fit. That acknowledgment made me feel like I was on the right path,” he added.

    When asked if it was challenging as a Pakistani artist in India at the time amid political tensions, Mikaal said it was “indeed tricky”. 


    “Bollywood is a bigger industry with more opportunities, fame and larger-scale projects. Around that time, I started focusing on India and took fewer projects in Pakistan. Things changed after the 2008 Mumbai attacks that strained Pakistan-India relations. The projects I had lined up in India were put on hold or cancelled,” he said, sharing how it prompted him to decide to focus entirely on Pakistan. 


    Mikaal Zulfiqar has starred in dramas such as, Saiqa, Dil Hai Chota Sa, Kiasay Kahoon, Pani Jaisa Piyar, Shehr –E- Zaat, Talafi, and Mann Pyasa. 
    Dil-e- Nadaan , written by Sadia Akhtar and directed by Saima Waseem, is his latest offering.

     

  • Adnan Shah Tipu missed a chance to share the screen with THIS Bollywood superstar

    Adnan Shah Tipu missed a chance to share the screen with THIS Bollywood superstar

    Every actor hopes for a big break, but sometimes chances are lost, leaving behind feelings of regret.

    Adnan Shah Tipu recently opened up about a major career regret during his appearance on the Faysal Quarishi podcast.

    The host asked him ‘Tipu you mentioned that you realized that it wasn’t in your destiny to be in ‘Dedh Ishqiya’ with Madhuri Dixit.’”

    Adan replied, “I had given around nine or ten auditions for the character of Nawab, which was played by Vijay Raaz, who is an amazing actor. I even received a call from Vishal Bhai, telling me to prepare. Then, Vishal Bhai himself went to Delhi for the audition, and they said, ‘We can’t do it.’ It’s all about fate, when it’s meant to happen, it happens. “

    Instead of Vijaz Raaz, Adan Shah Tipu would have been playing the character of Nawab opposite the legendary Madhrui Dixit.

    He also reflected on his relationships within the industry, saying, “I have a good relationship with Imran Abbas, and he is our colleague, but we don’t meet often, we rarely discuss work. One time, someone was saying that they needed a certain type of role, and he mentioned that only one person in all of Pakistan could play that role: ‘Tipu.’ Everything just fell into place, and if it wasn’t meant to be, it wouldn’t happen.

    Tipu also opened up about his experience meeting with American actor Robert De Niro.

    “I’m heading there, and I see Robert De Niro. You know how big of a fan I am of De Niro. I was wearing a tuxedo, and there he was, standing right in front of me, coming down. When he saw me, our eyes locked, I waved, and he waved back. I was watching him, and even as I climbed up, I was still looking at him. Our eyes were locked in that moment, and it felt like I knew him, like he was my friend or my mentor. That moment at the Cannes Film Festival was an experience I can’t even explain,” the Parizaad actor added.

    Dedh Ishqiya, written by Vishal Bhardwaj, was released in 2014.

  • Fawad Khan returns to Bollywood opposite Vaani Kapoor in ‘Abir Gulaal’

    Fawad Khan returns to Bollywood opposite Vaani Kapoor in ‘Abir Gulaal’

     
    The wait is over for Bollywood cinema fans as heartthrob Fawad Khan is set to make his highly anticipated comeback, starring opposite Vaani Kapoor in a new film tilted ‘Abir Gulaal.’
     
    The film is directed by Aarti S. Bagdi and produced by Indian stories, A Richer Lens and Aarjay Pictures. The producers of the film are Vivek B Agarawal, Avantika Hari and Rakesh Sippy.
     
    The shooting of the film will take place in London in October and November.
     
    According to Variety, director Bagdi has said, “The film explores the journey of two individuals who unintentionally help each other heal, with love blossoming as an unexpected consequence.”
     
     
    Fawad Khan starred in Bollywood films ‘Khoobsurat’ (2014), ‘Kapoor & Sons’ (2016), and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016).

  • Why Nadeem Baig thinks Humayun Saeed can lead in action films

    Why Nadeem Baig thinks Humayun Saeed can lead in action films

    Director Nadeem Baig is known for openly sharing his thoughts about his favourite actors, and Humayun Saeed is definitely one of them.

    Recently, Baig appeared as a guest on Say It All with Iffat Omar, where he discussed how Humayun Saeed compares to Bollywood’s Khans – Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, and Aamir Khan – in terms of suitability for action roles.

    The host asked, “I heard that you are going to work on an action film with him, should we expect a transformation like Shah Rukh, Aamir, or Salman?”

    Nadeem Baig responded, “I think the disadvantage Shah Rukh and Aamir is their body types. The advantage for Humayun is his personality and physique. If I didn’t know these three people and they were not stars, and they stood in front of me wanting to be cast in my next film, I would physically cast Humayun because he is tall and broad, which suits action characters, much like actors in Hollywood or South Indian films.”

    “Since he was a romantic hero, the trend for romantic leads has faded, and such films have become less accessible for him. So he had to rediscover himself to survive in the action genre. Salman Khan has been the most successful in this transition because his body, face, and eyes suit action roles. I don’t think Aamir Khan suits action, but he does well in drama and other genres. Shah Rukh tries hard to look good in action roles.

    “However, I tell you, if I have the same facilities and budget, and if you see Humayun doing action, he would outshine all of them. I would like him to work out for a year so he can become someone who is physically fit. But he really loves food,” Nadeem Baig added.

    He also talked about how Arsalan Naseer won the Best Actor award, beating Naumaan Ijaz.

    “For instance, in front of Naumaan Ijaz, Arsalan Naseer, who just entered the industry through YouTube, he gets an award for Best Actor. I’m sorry, this surprises me. Actually, such awards don’t exist in Pakistan. There is one award for fashion, and they have to include the film and TV category so that they have good attendance and good faces sitting in the front row. They give five awards each for film and TV. So it’s about the category. You cannot put Sajal Aly and Saba Hamid in the same category, it will be very unfair.”

    Talking about the credibility of the current awards show, he categorically stated:

    “I think the awards that are being given, they hold no value. I’m not saying this lightly, I mean, when something is so public, if you don’t acknowledge it, it diminishes your worth. The awards you give then lose their significance. It’s as if everyone just shows up today and gets one of these social media awards, including Lux, I don’t know what the format is, but when the public is voting, it can be hacked. You can hire 500 people to vote or do something else. At the end of the day, what happens is that you receive a surprise there that leaves you stunned.”

  • Amitabh Bachchan apologises for mispronouncing Marathi

    Amitabh Bachchan apologises for mispronouncing Marathi

    Bollywood’s legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan recently found himself in the spotlight for mispronouncing a Marathi word in a video, but he handled the situation with grace.
    The way Amitabh Bachchan mispronounced the Marathi phrase ‘Kachra,’ which means ‘garbage,’ in his video message went viral and sparked criticism.

    On September 19, Bachchan immediately apologized and corrected his mistake and shared the video again.

    Bachchan said, “Namasakar, I am Amitabh Bachchan a few days ago, I posted a video saying that ‘I won’t litter’. I also said this in Marathi too and my pronunciation in Marathi was not correct.My friend Sudesh Bhosale told me that my pronunciation of the Marathi word ‘Kachra’ is incorrect.”

    “I’m sharing this video again, as I say ‘Mi Kachra karnaer nahi,” the Sholay actor added.

    Recently he starred in the Kalki 2898 ad 2024 where Amitabh Bachchan palyed the character of Ashwattama.

    Here is the video:

  • ‘Stree 2’ breaks box office record set by ‘Pathaan’

    ‘Stree 2’ breaks box office record set by ‘Pathaan’

    Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan’s film Pathaan whose box office collection record broken by Shraddha Kapoor and Rajkummar Rao Stree 2.

    A day after breaking the record of Hindi version of ‘Baahubali 2’, Amar Kaushik’s horror-comedy has now become second highest-grossing Hindi film in India with a total gross collection higher than that of forthcoming Shah Rukh Khan release Pathan.

    According to Indian media reports, Stree 2 grossed INR 527 crore at the box office within one week of its release.

    After earning INR 10 crore on Sunday, September 8th, the film has added a total of INR 527 crores so far and is now India’s second-highest-grossing Hindi release.     

     The sequel to the 2018 film Stree2 is called Stree and it follows what happens after a great evil returns from her grave leading an entire village of men into war.

  • ‘I love his work, he’s a phenomenal actor,’ Vaani Kapoor praises Fawad Khan

    ‘I love his work, he’s a phenomenal actor,’ Vaani Kapoor praises Fawad Khan

    Bollywood and Lollywood cinema fans have something exciting to look forward to, as heartthrob Fawad Khan will soon share the screen with Bollywood actress Vaani Kapoor in a highly anticipated film.

    While details about the film remain hidden from the public, Vaani has spoken up about Fawad. During an interview with BBC Asian Network’s Haroon Rashid she was asked that several publications including film fare and deadline, have reported that she is doing a film with Fawad Khan. “I know you can’t speak about whether or not you’re doing this film. Hypothetically, if you were doing a film with Fawad, how exciting would that be for you? And how much of a fan are you of his work?”

    Vaani Kapoor replied, “I love his work. I’ve seen a couple of his shows on the streaming platforms. Back in the days, I used to watch it with my mom, and I love him. I think the audience here in India has loved him for the artist that he is, the craft that he possesses, and the fact that he is supremely talented.”

    The host followed up asking, “You mentioned you’re a fan of his OTT platform work. Are you team Humsafar or team Zindagi Gulzar Hai?”

    The Khel Khel Mein actress replied, “I love them both I do, I can’t differentiate, I think he is a phenomenal actor.”

    According to reports from Film Fare, Fawad will play a British chef in the film which will be directed by Aarti Bagdi, and will be shot in London and Dubai.

  • Bollywood actress Seema Pahwa is also a fan of Pakistani dramas

    Bollywood actress Seema Pahwa is also a fan of Pakistani dramas

    Indian actress and director Seema Bhargava Pahwa has added her voice to the growing praise for Pakistani dramas.

    Pahwa appeared as a guest on the ‘Hindi Rushi Podcast’ along with her husband, Manoj Pahwa. The host, Neha Singh, asked Seema about her views on Pakistani dramas, asserting that the Pakistani drama industry is doing much better than films, the proof being the Indian platform Zee TV’s collaboration with Pakistani artists.

    Seema Pahwa replied, “Web series or serials, whatever you want to call them, I feel that their stories are exceptional. Besides that, the language they use is something my ears long to hear, the Urdu language, which has become so rare these days.”

    “The way they use the language there [in Pakistan] and the level of detail in relationships is incredible. We can’t even imagine such detailing in our films or our serials. The small, intricate details. They create these characters with such beauty, layer upon layer, and I wish we could perform something like that. My heart aches for the kind of writing that would allow us to produce such beautiful work if we had it here,” she elaborated.

    The host asked about her favourite Pakistani drama, which she named ‘Sang-e-Mar Mar’.

    “The most beautiful aspect of it was the negative character, the daughter-in-law. I have never seen a song for a negative character before. I’ve always seen songs for heroines or positive characters, not for negative characters. They showed that even a negative character has pain”, she said.

    “If you think about it, nobody wants to be negative. It’s often circumstances that make them that way or some grudge. But the character is still a person. When her child dies, and she imagines the child with a piece of cloth and sleeps with it, the song they gave her makes you cry. Even though she has done terrible things, when her mother’s love makes her cry, you start crying too. That’s the beauty of writing and making: you can add emotion even to a negative character. You can’t get more detailed than this; it’s amazing,” she added.

  • Babrik Shah explains why he said no to Bollywood

    Babrik Shah explains why he said no to Bollywood

    Actor and model Babrik Shah has gone through all the ups and downs of the entertainment industry. After a hiatus away from the limelight, he appeared as a guest on GNN Studio Podcast where he talked about professional setbacks. During the podcast Shah said that in 2006, he received the opportunity to move to India for work, but he refused.

    “I felt that I cannot live in India because India is a very dirty country, which is considered to be the second dirtiest country in the world,” was the unusual reason he cited.

    Babrik then revealed a second reason for not moving to India. “The second reason for not moving to India was the halal food of Muslims, the third reason was the riots in India, because there is no peace there. One reason was that the Indian government does not issue us any passport, and neither can we marry anyone in India nor can we buy a house.”
    The host asked, “Adnan Sami sahib has left everything and gone away.”

    Babrik replied, “Whatever Adnan Sami got from India was found on the British passport, India does not even issue a passport to anyone on a Pakistani passport. And the other important reason is that Adnan Sami is a singer and a singer for India. They produce 2000 films in 29 languages every year and 10,000 songs are made in these films, so Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Atif Aslam, and others all of them manage to work in India.”

    The Zameen Kay Khuda actor shared the experiences of other Pakistani artists who had traveled to India, saying, “After Muammar Rana, I also went to India for work, at that time. The artists, directors, assistant directors, and cameramen there told me that you stay here, you are a talented actor, we will make you a star, you will be cast as a hero in films.”