Two enormous explosions ripped through Beirut’s port on Tuesday, wrecking buildings across the Lebanese capital. The explosions — which were heard in Nicosia, 240 kilometres (150 miles) away in Cyprus — were logged by seismologists, registering as the equivalent of a 3.3-magnitude earthquake. According to the Lebanese Red Cross, more than 100 people have been killed while over 4,000 have been injured.
“Until now over 4,000 people have been injured and over 100 have lost their lives. Our teams are still conducting search and rescue operations in the surrounding areas,” a statement said.
Following the devastating incident, Pakistani celebrities including Mahira Khan, Humayun Saeed, Mehwish Hayat, Hamza Ali Abbasi, Saba Qamar and Asim Azhar extended their prayers to those affected by the tragedy.
Prime Minister Imran Khan also said that he was “deeply pained to hear” of the incident.
Deeply pained to hear of the massive explosions in Beirut with precious lives lost & thousand injured.We stand in solidarity with our Lebanese brethren in their difficult hour, sharing their sorrow & grief. May Allah grant speedy recovery to the injured & strength to the bereaved
My heart goes out to you Beirut! Heartiest prayers for all those who have been affected by this tragic blast. Such a beautiful country going through the worst of times! #Beirut#Lebanon
The footage coming in from Beirut is truly devastating. My heart grieves for all the people suffering… Sending them lots of prayers and love #Beirut#BeirutExplosion#Lebanon
This is devastating. I just called every friend and family member I have in Beirut and each of them were directly impacted. Praying for Lebanon. https://t.co/jvElTyCEOU
Authorities are appealing to residents of #Beirut to remain indoors, wear a mask or leave the city for the mountains as the air has become highly toxic. But the residents are out on the streets going through rubble or to hospitals looking for their loved ones. #BeirutBlast
The apocalyptic carnage caused by the #BeirutExplosion has left me speechless. May the people of #Beirut find strength somehow – sending lots of love and prayers their way#Lebanon لبنان#
Horrific scenes emerging from videos regarding the Beirut Blast. Our thoughts and prayers go out to their people in this time of need. Stay strong Lebanon #PrayForLebanon#prayforbeirut#BeirutBlast#Beruit
Later, Humayun celebrated his day with his boys gang which included Adnan Siddiqui, Nadeem Baig, Asim Jofa, Farhan Saeed and Imran Ashraf.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CDKeeNqnvoH/
Wishing our favourite actor a very happy birthday! If it was not for COVID-19, we would have been seeing Humayun on the big screen this Eid ul Azha in London Nahi Jaunga.
Following the deaths of legends Sabiha Khanum and Tariq Aziz, Farhan Saeed has taken the initiative to celebrate and honour the living legends of Pakistan. The actor-singer also requested his followers to join him in honouring them for their services to the country.
“2020 has been revelatory for so many reasons. A pandemic has pushed the world to its limits. Racial differences have sparked outrage and so many revered innocent souls have left us,” said the singer.
Remembering those who passed away, Farhan said, “In this uncertain age, we Pakistanis must not waste time in appreciating the Living Legends among us.”
He added: “I wish to honour their lives and cherish their presence among us, and I wish to express gratitude for sharing this world with someone of their stature.”
Please support me in my humble attempt to celebrate Pak’s #LivingLegends – those who have selflessly served our country. I invite you to be part of my ode to their excellence and unmatched dedication and join me in saying thank you to them for all they have done #PakistaniHeroespic.twitter.com/UCZeFbbNXd
Saeed has so far honoured four legends including Qavi Khan, Javed Miandad, Abida Parveen and Umer Sharif.
Writing about Qavi Khan, Farhan said: “As my first tribute to the #LivingLegends of Pakistan, I pay homage to Qavi Khan sahab, the legendary actor par excellence who has been serving the country since 1952.”
“I recently had the privilege of sharing the screen with him – both on television as well as in a film. Anyone who has worked with Qavi sahab would know his demeanour only commands the utmost respect. He is an institution,” he continued.
Farhan added: “He motivates younger actors by encouraging them to push the bar with each performance. To encourage us, Qavi sahab always tells us, we are better at what we do than his generation was. His wealth of experience is a guide book for those who have only just recently joined the industry.”
Celebrating the #LivingLegend that is Qavi Khan – an institution in his own right and an inspiration for us all!
Next Farhan, celebrated Abida Parveen, whose soulful voice has touched hearts across the world.
“Abida Parveen is globally recognised as an iconic representation of the Sufi genre. Her soul-stirring voice and melodies have long had listeners across the globe in absolute awe,” wrote the singer, adding: “As a person, Abida Ji embodies the very essence of Sufism. The few times I have had a chance to meet with her, I have witnessed first hand her absolute humility and respect for others.”
“Abida Ji is undoubtedly a source of pride and inspiration for every Pakistani. She has paved the way for generations to come and pursue their journey. I too take inspiration from her unmatched passion – her work has always been a major source of inspiration and motivation for me.”
Farhan then paid a rich tribute to comedian Umer Sharif, describing him as “an absolute showman for whom no specific place or audience is required to exhibit the versatility of his craft. He will undoubted have you laughing hysterically, anywhere and everywhere you meet him.”
“I can’t forget his very gracious advice: “Yeh log hain, tou hum hain – inko kabhi inkaar nahi karna“. His words have since been etched in my memory,” said Saeed.
Join me in celebrating the artist par excellence, the unmatched, Umer Sharif.
Farhan’s latest tribute was to “legendary cricketer extraordinaire – the one and only, Javed Miandad sahab“.
“I am grateful for the privilege of knowing Javed sahab off the pitch. He is friends with an uncle and is undoubtedly one of the most down to earth human beings I have known. He is a true friend and showers love and affection upon everyone around him,” said Farhan.
“Javed sahab, aap sada khush rahain, salaamat rahain, aabaad rahain. Pakistan kay liyay aap ki khidmaat ka bayhad shukriya.”
Earlier, Yasir Hussain and Shaan also honoured legends and thanked them for their services.
#Letsbringourprideback#PTV Qawee Khan sb such brilliance in his craft , and such humbleness in his personality. an institution from whom one can learn so much . We are indeed in your debt for your endless entertainment and services to the nation ❤️ #muchrespectsirpic.twitter.com/puzkXJ0nMz
The tragic suicide and death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajputhas prompted a debate on mental health and the importance of being there for your friends and loved ones. Yasir Hussain, in a social media update, has told his friends and colleagues in the industry that he is available for them and is just a phone call away.
“Koi bhi depression ka shikar ho, toh mujhe call karay. Aap ko hasana mera kaam hai (Anyone who is experiencing depression, please call me. Making you laugh is my job then),” said the actor, adding “Love you all”.
Other than Yasir, Mahira Khan, Maya Ali, Osman Khalid Butt and Mawra Hocane also urged their followers to be kind and listen to the silent cries of those around them.
Why have we made it cool to be ‘straight up’? That isn’t called honesty, it’s downright apathy! Be kind and proud. Wear it like a badge. Be kind. Be kind. Be kind. There is much more to people than they show. Be kind ffs.
Why do we realise only when someone is gone forever, why can’t we be kind to them when they need it the most. Please don’t wait for anyone’s call or message. Call or message or just say hi before it gets too late…
It’s so important for all of us to be Kind, to be compassionate, to be polite. We all have a role to play in each other’s life. Let’s all have a big heart for one another. Let’s please be KIND!!!!! ❤️#SushantSinghRajput RIP!
Someone’s depressive episode might seem ‘dramatic’ to you, but that doesn’t invalidate what they’re going through. There is already such a stigma regarding mental health: we’re conditioned to combat this on our own, to dismiss and suppress.
The untimely demise of Sushant Singh is yet another reminder for us to be there for our loved ones making sure they know they aren’t alone. Mental health is a serious issue and should be dealt with as such. Take care of ppl around you#RipSushantSinghRajput#MentalHealthMatters
Time and time again Farhan Saeed has entranced us with his melodious voice. The singer-turned-actor isn’t as active on the music scene as he used to be but he makes sure to keep reminding us that he has still got it.
Saeed recently dropped a new single titled Baliyay. The song is soft, melodious and almost like a lullaby.
According to the composer and producer of the song, “Baliyay is about spreading peace and working together to make the world around us a better place.”
Baliyay has been written, composed and produced by Saad Sultan.
Listen to it here:
Earlier, Farhan had shared that he will be releasing a new single soon.
Ever since the second season of Suno Chanda was announced, fans, including myself, had been waiting with bated breaths for the return of their favourite characters. Expectations were naturally high but unfortunately, the show fell a little short of them and left us wanting a lot more.
The season started the day after Arsal and Jiya’s wedding and ended with the season’s new characters Mithu and Maina getting married. As a result, the new season saw the focus shift from Arsal, Jiya and the rest of the family to the new characters of Mithu, Maina and Bebe. But that is not what the fans had been anticipating. They were more interested in seeing how Arjiya’s married life progressed and how they, and their family members, dealt with the changes.
Unfortunately, Arsal and Jiya pretty much spent the entire season fighting with one another only to reconcile in a rushed final episode. Shahana’s scenes were limited and scattered. We barely saw Sherry and Kinza who were reduced to just advertising the sponsors of the show. Bi Jaan, Agha Jee, Nazakat, DJ, Naeema, Masooma and Jamshed were also seen more in the first half of the season. The punch lines which became so popular in the first season were limited in this one and the season jumped from being a light-hearted comedy to more of a family drama.
I simply failed to understand why Jalal Phuppa was given so much screentime considering his character was hardly likable. Throughout the season, he was either throwing his weight around because he’s the “ghar ka aklota damaad” or he’s out hitting on various women in the family. I was also not a big fan of Pino, Mithu and Maina but considering a lot of people liked their characters, I will reserve my thoughts on them.
My biggest disappointment from this season was Arsal and Jiya’s characters. Arsal’s character was nothing more than a man-child who sulked every time things did not go this way, while Jiya was like dynamite, ready to blow up any minute. Instead of showing them bickering and ignoring one another, the writers could have shown their struggle as a young, married couple learning to live with one another.
On the contrary, one of the highlights of the season was Shahana as the mother-in-law. She was supportive of her daughter-in-law and did not hesitate to call out her son every time she felt he was getting out of line. She was without a doubt the one person who pulled together the show and I can confidently say that she was the one who brought in the viewers each night. That along with the chemistry of the cast with one another.
Despite all the shortcomings, the serial pulled in viewers each night because there is a dearth of such shows on our television screens. Most TV serials either focus on unrequited love or saas-bahu tensions which have now been done to death. Apart from that, a lot of drama nowadays focus on society’s ills and while those are amazing for spreading awareness, they also dampen our already depressed moods.
Suno Chanda provided a light-hearted, mindless watch even though it became boring to some extent. Aehsun Talish is a brilliant director who really knows how to bring out the best in his actors while Saima Akram Chaudhry deserves a round of applause for her writing. The cast’s performances were also brilliant apart from a few opening episodes in which Iqra Aziz and Farhan Saeed went overboard with their acting.
If Hum TV is planning on bringing back a third season, I hope they will focus more on Arsal and Jiya instead of bringing in other characters. Oh and the OST was lovely. Kudos to Farhan for writing such beautiful lyrics.
At the end of the day, the numbers were not because of content, but because of a lack of other content.
