Tag: Fawad Khan

  • Beat the blues with these six bingeable dramas

    Beat the blues with these six bingeable dramas

    Are you worn out and tired by constantly hustling under capitalism? Adulting can be incredibly hard, especially when you’re working from 9 to 5 on a regular basis, its hard to find a good show to bring some peace of mind.

    With the constant flow of sexist and repetitive plot lines and utlra-cringey jokes that Pakistani dramas can’t seem to put a cap on, we can understand the frustration our audiences could be going through to find something they can binge watch.

    Especially now that one has to fast, you might be looking for a good show to help pass the time.

    So ranging from some iconic Pakistani dramas to a spooky murder mystery and even some captivating Korean dramas, we have carefully crafted a list of shows we know our followers will drain in a day!

    1 Dolly Ki Ayegi Baraat

    How can we forget the iconic Saima Chaudhry, the fashion designer from Faisalabad? The hilarious comedy drama may have aired in 2010, but years later fans still binge watch the iconic drama and its sequels every Ramzan. The series starts with Dolly’s wedding preparations and the cultural clashes between two families as relationships form, misunderstanding emerge and discrimination based on class are pointed out.

    2 Akbari Asghari

    This one is for the ‘Dastaan’ fans, if you couldn’t get enough of Sanam Baloch and Fawad Khan’s jorri in a tragedy, then get prepared to wheeze in this hilarious family drama. A modern adaptation of the popular Urdu novel ‘Meerat-ul-Aroos’, the story follows two sisters, Akbari and Asghari living in the US, and their parent’s plan to get them married to their cousins living in Pakistan. While Akbari is a wild child who is unafraid to be bold in front of her parents, Asghari tries to be a dutiful daughter but resents the idea of marrying her cousin, when she actually wants to marry Roger.

    3 The Haunting of Hill House

    Not a fan of light-hearted comedy? Do you need something dark and spooky to beat the work fatigue? Then this is the perfect series that blends in the works of popular Gothic writers like Shirley Jackson, Edgar Allan Poe and explores themes like trauma, mental health and love. The series drifts between the present and the past, following the lives of five siblings and the aftermath of a tragedy they suffered in a house they moved into for the summer of 92. Slowly, strange events begin occurring, leading to each family member begins doubting each other.

    4 Abbott Elementary

    Have memorized ‘The Office’ and ‘Friends’ and now need another feel-good comedy series that makes you giddy in the same way? This comedy drama has received rave reviews from audiences for its stellar writing and especially performances from the likes of Quinta Brunson. Set at a Philadelphia public school, it follows five teachers who are passionate about their job, despite the limited funding they receive from the district to provide supplies to their children.

    5 Mr Queen

    We obviously cannot form a list of good television shows without including Korean dramas, because literally every one has a comfort K-drama on their list. And this is the one we want our audience to look up, for a feel-good time travel rom-com involving gender bending and romance. When modern chef Na In-Woo accidentally falls from a building while trying to escape cops, he wakes up to realize he’s in the body of a woman, who is set to become the queen in the Joseon era.

    6 Tomorrow

    Need something dark and broody to really draw you in? Fans of heartthrobs Rowoon and Lee Soo-Hyuk would definitely want to include this show in their watch list. When an accident causes Choi Joon-Woong to go into a coma and turn into a half-spirit, he is enlisted in a team of Grim Reapers whose job is to counsel people struggling with suicidal thoughts. Brilliantly performed with a gripping script that engages with a dark topic with humour and gentleness, this is definitely a drama you should look up.

  • Shaniera Akram opens up about first acting experience in ‘Money Back Guarentee’

    Australian-born philanthropist Shaniera Akram is making her film debut with ‘Money Back Guarentee’ which also stars her husband Wasim Akram and Fawad Khan as the main leads. The supporting cast of the movie include Ayesha Omar, Javed Sheikh, Gohar Rasheed among others.

    Akram opened up about why she chose to act in the film, revealing that the director Faisal Qureshi had reached out to her and her husband with the script:

    ‘The director of the film reached out to me and Wasim about whether we would like to take part in his film, and then when he sent us the script, I found it to be incredibly funny and excellent. After that, we both agreed to take part in the project.”

    Akram also talked about the kind of role she would be playing in ‘Money Back Guarentee’:

    “I have a neutral character in this film. I play an American woman who, along with some other Americans, comes to Pakistan… I am not allowed to talk about my role in the film, but I had a lot of fun playing this part.”

    Akram revealed that she loved acting and would like to do more films in the future, as well as write stories for Pakistani cinemas:

    “I will definately keep on acting in the future because i loved this role, and I enjoy performing in front of the camera. I think i would love to play more challenging roles ahead. I would like to do more roles where speaking Urdu is a requirement, I have a really good memory so I can memorize dialogues and speak them in a better manner. I would need to take guidance from a coach as well…I would love to write a few stories, I have a few amazing ideas for Pakistani cinemas. But I would love to act in a role which would reflect my experience of staying in Pakistan, especially when I came to this country for the first time. I think this would be quite an interesting.”

    Akram revealed she was nervous about how Pakistani audiences would respond to seeing her on the screen, adding:

    “I’m not sure if Pakistani audiences would be willing to see me on television screens. I can only find out after they watch me in my first film.”

    Listen to the complete interview below:

  • ‘Small role, big impact’: Seven years later, Fawad Khan still shines in ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’

    Fawad Khan has not acted in many films, but the few select projects he has starred in have become cult favorites among fans.

    Khan, who had made a successful foray into Bollywood before tensions between India and Pakistan forced him to come back home, starred in three films, ‘Khoobsurat’, ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’ and ‘Kapoor and Sons’.

    Seven years later after ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’ was released in cinemas across the sub-continent, it seems like no one has forgotten the charm and appeal Khan oozed, even though it was showcased only a limited number of times.

    On Monday Twitter users were discussing the films in which an actor had a small role, but made a powerful impact. And rightfully, Fawad Khan was the one whom both Indian and Pakistani fans cannot forget.

    Looks like that smoldering stare still has the girls on their knees.

    https://twitter.com/rukhsaaruwu/status/1637535289299329025?s=20

    Lagta hai peace talks shuru ho jani chahiye because asal dukh ho raha hai.

    Lest we forget, Khan was suppose to be the antagonist who was stealing Ranbir Kapoor’s love interest, Alizey (played by Anushka Sharma), but it looks like when the looks are a 10 then there’s no competition.

    Can somebody build a Fawad Khan cinematic universe for us cult followers?

  • Maula Jatt’s iconic gandasa sells for over Rs 1.4 crore at charity event

    Maula Jatt’s iconic gandasa sells for over Rs 1.4 crore at charity event

    The iconic gandasa from the Pakistani blockbuster ‘The Legend Of Maula Jatt’ was sold at a charity auction for more than Rs 1.4 crore.

    At the charity event organized by Sahara Life Trust in Toronto, Canada, props from the film were auctioned off to Pakistani expats. Actor Fawad Khan was also present at the event.

    The replica of the iconic gandasa which had been Maula Jatt’s sole weapon in the film was auctioned off for $50,000 (approximately Rs1.4 crore) at the charity event, with the funds being donated to helping cancer patients.

    Since its release last year, ‘The Legend Of Maula Jatt’ had broken records by becoming the first Pakistani film to earn 1000 crore, almost USD 10 million worldwide.

  • Fawad Khan, Sanam Saeed’s drama ‘Barzakh’ to premiere worldwide on March 18

    Fawad Khan, Sanam Saeed’s drama ‘Barzakh’ to premiere worldwide on March 18

    Maula Jatt fans are in for a feast, because the heartthrob of our dreams is coming back to the big screen once more with a film and a drama!

    Fawad Khan’s film ‘Money Back Guarantee’ is set to release on April 21, while the highly anticipated drama ‘Barzakh’ is set to have a world premiere on March 18 at the Series Mania Festival in France.

    This will be the second time Khan and Saeed will share the screen after their popular drama ‘Zindagi Gulzaar Hai’.

    Production company Zindagi shared the announcement on their social media pages where the caption read:
    “And here we go! Barzakh is to have its World Premiere at International Panorama Series Mania 2023 on 18th March 2023. Let’s spread the word, shall we?”

    Director of this web series Asim Abbasi, who had previously partnered with Zindagi to produce the popular series ‘Churails’, spoke to Variety in Febuary about what ‘Bazarkh’ will be all about:

    “What does it mean to be human? What does it mean to have a soul, and does it survive us? How does one find hope and joy in a perpetual state of limbo? These are the central concerns of ‘Barzakh’.”

    Abbasi also revealed to Variety that the inspiration for the series came from the aftermath of his father’s passing:

    “In the aftermath of my father’s passing, and witnessing my son grow into a young boy, I found myself consumed with nostalgia, and memories of times gone and loves lost. And I began to think about my fears – the end of consciousness, the end of imagination, the end of love. And from these fears, grew a story where love was indeed eternal. Where it survived us – making it the ultimate human legacy,”

  • Some of our favourite OSTs from Pakistani dramas

    It’s an undisputed fact that Pakistani dramas will never stop one-upping each other on who can make the most cringe worthy, mediocre version of the good-girl-saves-bad-boy-by-becoming-his-punch-bag trope. But another important element of Pakistani dramas remain unchallenged as being the best: the title songs. If a drama disappears from public attention because of churning out the same old stale storylines, their title songs will still remain evergreen and loved by the social media users.
    After a lot of careful searching, here are some of our favourite title songs from Pakistani dramas!

    1 Humsafar by Quratulain Baloch

    No one can start an article about this topic without mentioning the song that kickstarted it all. Humsafar will remain a prominent element of pop culture discourse for creating the kind of chemistry between the main leads that no television show has been able to match to this day, but one can’t talk about the drama without acknowledging the grip this song had over the entire country. Even today, this song is considered as Baloch’s finest hit.

    2 Ranjha Ranjha Kardi by the Justin Bibi’s and Rahma Ali

    Fans of ‘Peechay Hutt’ should give this iconic song some justice and credit the prodigious sisters for making something that will forever remain among the best title songs for Pakistani dramas.

    3 Mein Na Munh Kholi by Azad Asim and Shehroze Butt

    This gorgeous, moving song was the title track for the drama ‘Habs’ and had captured the hearts of fans on Twitter as soon as it released. It reflects the anguish of a couple who are unable to express their true feelings to each other, despite being married.

    4 Mujhay Apnay Jeenay Ka Haq Chahiye by Tahira Syed and Roshaneh Zafar Ft. Shabana Azmi 

    Written for the drama ‘Akhri Station’ and penned by legendary Urdu poet and writer Amjad Islam Amjad, the powerful melody is an anthem for every woman out there struggling to find her own voice, and reflects the anguish of the main characters and their difficult backgrounds.

    5 Dil Moom Ka Diya by Soch the band ft Sanam Marvi

    Fans are obsessed with the band’s Coke Studio song ‘Neray Neray Vas’, but please do give this song the acclaim this deserves, as it is rarely mentioned as one of the best written title songs for Pakistani dramas.

    6 Dobara by Sehar Gul Khan and Shuja Haider

    Hadiqa Kiani’s powerful drama ‘Dobara’ about a woman who reclaims her life after the death of her controlling husband deserves an equally gripping song that captures the anguish and nervousness of the main characters and the stigma society has towards aging women, and this song does an excellent job at it.

    7 Asamanon Se by Sohail Haider

    Only real fans who stick with us till the end will be happy to see a timeless classic included in this list. The gorgeous period piece features stunning performances from actors like Fawad Khan, Sanam Baloch, Saba Qamar and is still regarded as one of the best dramas produced in Pakistan.

  • ‘I will visit Pakistan this year,’ Bollywood actress Sonam Bajwa

    ‘I will visit Pakistan this year,’ Bollywood actress Sonam Bajwa

    Bollywood actress and model Sonam Bajwa held a Q&A session with fans on Twitter and announced that she will definitely come to visit Pakistan this year.

    “I will definitely come this year,” she responded to a fan’s request to visit Pakistan.

    Previously, Bajwa had expressed her love for Pakistani actor Mahira Khan on a Twitter post. When a twitter user had asked her to comment on the trolls coming after Mahira Khan for looking similar to her, Bajwa responded:
    “I love love and love Mahira Khan.”

    Mahira had responded with ‘Hey you sending you lots of love x’

    Bajwa had also previously revealed that she had a crush on singer and actor Fawad Khan. In a conversation with Connect FM Canada, Bajwa revealed that if Khan was not married, she would have dated him.

     “I don’t eye on married men. It’s Fawad Khan, so if he wasn’t wed, I’d make my move.”

  • Twitter still can’t forget Fawad Khan’s performance in Kapoor and Sons

    Twitter still can’t forget Fawad Khan’s performance in Kapoor and Sons

    There are few performances on screen that remain etched in our minds even decades later, because of how well the actor was able to make the audience feel for the plight of his character.
    Fawad Khan has had limited roles in the entertainment industry, but with the few characters he has portrayed on screen like Maula Jatt from The Legend of Maula Jatt, Ashar from Humsafar, or even Rahul from Kapoor and Sons, his dedication and talent has always shined through.
    When this twitter user asked his followers to decide which performance by an actor is among the best, Fawad Khan was one of the few desi actors to be trending on the list. Users cited his performance in Kapoor and Sons to be one of the best one’s they’ve ever seen.

    One user explained how well this single conversation captured the dynamics of a toxic family so well
    “The way this movie captures the dynamics of a dysfunctional family, relationships, impact of past events on the present and the different ways in which people cope with loss and grief. And this scene specifically hits home with an argument escalating so quickly.”

    Another user cited this as their favorite scene because of how it demonstrated the way parents can bring up your past in any argument.
    “The way desi families can be so brutal bringing up your past at any given point and the way Kapoor & Sons displays it exactly how it is.”

    Kapoor and Sons released in 2016 to resounding reviews. The film is about a dysfunctional family where after the grandfather Amarjeet Kapoor (played by Rishi Kapoor) is admitted to hospital, his grandsons, the famous writer Rahul (played by Fawad Khan) and bartender Arjun (played by Sidharth Malhotra) decide to come back home to spend time with their parents. When the family is back home, old wounds and the appearance of a new girl threaten to rip the family apart.After Fawad Khan, the most popular male performer who was getting accolades on Twitter was Shah Rukh Khan for his performance in both “My name is Khan” and “Kabhi Kushi Kabhi Ghum”.

    Among female performances, the most popular names showing up was Deepika Padukone, for her debut film ‘Om Shanti Om’.

  • ‘The Legend of Maula Jatt’ enters the ‘200 crore club’, smashes previous records

    ‘The Legend of Maula Jatt’ enters the ‘200 crore club’, smashes previous records

    The Legend of Maula Jatt headlined by Fawad Khan, Hamza Ali Abbasi and Mahira Khan is by far the most expensive film to come out of Pakistan. It is unquestionably the biggest Pakistani release ever internationally.

    The film opened to packed houses on October 13th and earned record-breaking figures on day one despite the fact that it is not currently playing in every theater in the country.

    Bilal Lashari’s directorial has become the first film in Pakistan’s history to earn 100 crore domestically. This achievement was announced by the makers on social media handles.

    Breakdown

    It earned 4.4 crores locally and 4.9 crores internationally on its opening day, making it a total of 9.3 crores.

    Four-day Weekend Collections

    In its extended weekend, the film collected over 50 crores globally.

    According to a recent report in Deadline, this action-fantasy movie has broken box-office records within its opening weekend. So far, The Legend of Maula Jatt has collected over half a million dollars. Across 79 locations in the UK, the film has earned $355,000, making it trend at no. 9 on the charts. In the US and Canada, the film grossed $290,000 and $235,000 respectively. On the other hand, in Australia, it earned $160,000. In both Canada and Australia, the Pakistani movie is trending at No. 6 in the charts, while in the United Arab Emirates, it reached No. 1 after earning over $515,000.

    The Legend of Maula Jatt has opened in 25 markets worldwide, including Norway, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, and South East Asia, and overall it has grossed $2.3 million globally.

    First Week Collections

    The Humaima Malick and Gohar Rasheed starrer has garnered 80 crores, globally in its first week of release.

    These figures surpass the lifetime receipts of every Pakistani movie and have set new records. The Legend of Maula Jatt is poised to set additional records now that the second weekend has begun.

    Second Weekend

    Its second-weekend collections gave a new hope to the industry. The magnum-opus crossed the unprecedented 100 crore mark post its second-weekend collections. This made it the first-ever Pakistani feature film to achieve this target.

    200 Crore Club

    TLOMJ‘s winning streak continues as the magnum opus becomes Pakistan’s first offering to hit the PKR 200 crore mark, globally.

    Producer Ammara Hikmat shared the update on her Instagram handle.

    Earlier this month, the official Instagram account of TLOMJ shared that the Bilal Lashari directorial has beaten the Laal Singh Chaddha and South Indian blockbuster RRR’s box office collection in Britain.

    RRR (2022) - IMDb

    The post read, “Another day, another achievement! The Legend of Maula Jatt beats the highest-grossing Indian movie of 2022, RRR’s lifetime business in just 17 days in the UK.” A few days ago, it was reported that Pakistan’s most expensive movie has beaten the lifetime number of Aamir Khan starer Laal Singh Chaddha in the UK, in just 13 days.

    Laal Singh Chaddha Tamil & Telugu OTT Release Date, Where & When to Watch? - JanBharat Times

    According to British film publication Screen Daily, Maula Jatt, released by Moviegoers Entertainment, accumulated £44,149 (Rs11.5 million) on its fifth weekend. Its performance has dropped considerably lower than many competitors as its run continues at 54.6 percent, bringing the film to almost £1.3m (Rs340 million). That’s more than the £1.26m (Rs329 million) of this year’s Tamil epic Ponniyan Selvan: I.

    The Legend of Maula Jatt has become the highest-grossing Punjabi film globally according to its official Instagram account, the film made $7.8 million (Rs1.7 billion) at the worldwide box office within four weeks of its release.

    The movie’s first teaser was released in 2019, which managed to receive a thunderous response worldwide for its cinematic grandeur, exceptional star cast, and mega-scale production.

    VIDEO] Mahira Khan to come back to television this year - Pakistan Live

  • ‘We need more directors who are telling stories from the heart’ Mahira Khan speaks to Variety on Maula Jatt’s success

    ‘We need more directors who are telling stories from the heart’ Mahira Khan speaks to Variety on Maula Jatt’s success

    The film The Legend of Maula Jatt has become the highest grossing film in Pakistan, breaking all records by making more than $10 million globally.
    Film star Mahira Khan. who starred as Mukho in the film, spoke to Variety along with director Bilal Lashari. Discussing the success of the film, the actress emphasized the importance of filmmakers and storytellers who could take stories from Pakistan to international platforms.

    “Whether it’s Joyland, whether it’s Maula Jatt, the people at the helm of these projects are passionate. They have stories to tell and they are visionaries. We need more directors, more storytellers, who are telling stories from the heart. The other thing we really, really need is that I would like to see our government supporting our industry. And this year, we saw that happen,” the actress told the magazine.

    Khan also spoke about platforms like Netflix and Amazon coming to Pakistan, stating,

    “Cinemas will be opening up and films like Maula Jatt have doubled, tripled, quadrupled footfall. These may be small, little steps, but they are eventually going to be really, really big steps. Netflix and Amazon – I believe they need to come in now because we have amazing content. But before that happens, we can actually put out as many films as possible, even the smaller ones. We don’t have a digital outlet yet. So we can still do that business and we can still put out those smaller films.”

    Director and co-writer of the film, Bilal Lashari, discussed about how heartening it was to watch a Punjabi-speaking film receive immediate international fame the way Maula Jatt has done. He hoped the success of the film will pave the way for more stories from Pakistan to get an international audience.

    “What a fantastic journey our film has had since its release. The love and appreciation from audiences has made this 10-year ride worth every moment. It is heartening to see people embrace regional cinema across the globe. I hope the success of The Legend of Maula Jatt will pave the way for stories from Pakistan for a worldwide audience.”

    Mahira talked about her character Mukkho, Maula’s love interest, and how she was a fiercely independent woman who broke expectations that the film would follow the 1970 film’s representation.

    “The biggest thing that Mukkho had was that she was just such an empowered woman – she loved fearlessly, her moral compass was so intact, she had integrity and she was fierce also. That was a very big thing that the women in this, in today’s Maula Jatt, are very empowered. And I think this is something that a lot of people asked me prior to the release that ‘Are we going to see the same 1970s representation of women?’ I said, no, you’re going to see Bilal Lashari’s representation of women. I’m glad to have been a part of it.”

    When Mahira Khan was questioned about growing tensions between Pakistan and India, which has led to Pakistani artists and films being banned from playing in the former, the actress pointed out that Indian and Pakistani artists look out for each other since they are connected by the thread of art and how they have become soft targets by their countries.

    “I had the most amazing time working in India. I am still in touch with so many people and there’s a lot of love there. Unfortunately, we are easy targets, soft targets, whether it’s us here in Pakistan, whether it’s them there in India. Because we’re artists, and we’re connected by that thread of art, we actually get each other. So we’re trying to look out for each other, more than anything. Even now, we are so careful with what we write on social media. It’s not that we don’t talk to each other. It’s not that we don’t wish each other on our birthdays. It’s not that we don’t meet each other in different countries. It’s not that – it’s just that we are actually not just protecting ourselves but protecting each other.”

    Khan further hoped that there would be an opportunity in the future for artists from India and Pakistan to collaborate on a project, and hoped that things would soon get better for this to happen.

    “Unfortunately, it’s politics, it’s not a personal thing. On both ends, until the time that scapegoats are needed, we will always be that. But let’s say that it gets better. Let’s say that there is someone in power who does not use us as easy targets. That would be lovely. Can you just imagine the collaboration? It would be lovely,” she said.