Aijaz Aslam and Faysal Qureshi’s duo is set to entertain the audiences in a telefilm together this Eid. Producer Aijaz Aslam has roped in Main Hoon Shahid Afridi diva Mahnoor Baloch.
The telefilm is titled Ghan Chakkr and will be aired on ARY Digital.
The stars even shared some quirky BTS moments on social media:
Written by Misbah Ali Syed, the forthcoming telefilm will release on Eid-ul-Azha. Mahnoor was last seen in Apni Apni Love Story co-starring Aijaz Aslam, Azfar Rehman and Sadaf Kanwal.
Any professional achievement is a result of hard work and perseverance, similarly the biggest male superstars have gained the stardom that they own by working hard and constantly investing their efforts on their craft. Our leading heroes have started their careers with rather unusual yet interesting projects and achieved their clout post a journey that screams magic.
Here is the list of top 11 heroes who are ruling the television and cinema screens of Pakistan:
Humayun Saeed is undoubtedly the most commercially successful star of the last decade. He boasts of a diverse range of blockbuster films and extraordinary television dramas that earned him numerous accolades, including Lux Style Awards, Hum Awards and ARY Film Awards. He was also awarded with the pride of performance in 2020.
Saeed began his career as a television producer in the late 80s. After stepping into showbiz, Saeed’s powerful presence caught the eye of directors and he bagged a series of TV shows as an actor. He made his acting debut in 1995 with Karooron Ka Aadmi produced by Nadeem Ali Khan, followed by Ye Jahaan, a musical that was telecast in 1996. Last seen in the blockbuster drama serial Mere Paas Tum Ho in 2019, Humayun’s next project is a film titled London Nahin Jaunga.
Fawad Khan pursued his passion for music as a teenager in Lahore. Although he made his television debut in the sitcom Jutt And Bond (2001), Fawad dedicated his time and energies to his music career with his rock band Entity Paradigm, which he formed with Ahmed Ali Butt. After a successful music career, Fawad made his big-screen debut with Shoaib Mansoor’s Khuda Kay Liye (2007) and officially started his career as an actor. Fawad delivered some of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful dramas in Pakistan. He even won a Filmfare award for his debut film in Bollywood, Khoobsurat (2014). Last seen in the Bollywood film Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016), Fawad’s next projects are The Legend Of Maula Jutt, Neelofer and Money Back Guarantee.
Born to an actor father, Salahuddin Tunio, in a Sindhi household, Fahad started his career in showbiz with the drama series, Umrao Jaan Ada (2003). His role in the ensemble drama was a supporting one but Fahad continued to carve a niche for himself with his following projects. He was noticed for his performance in Veena (2008) in which he played a transgender. After being part of many successful drama serials, Fahad made his big-screen debut with Na Maloom Afraad (2014). Currently serving as the host of the biggest game show in the country, Jeeto Pakistan, Fahad was last seen in the film Load Wedding (2018). His forthcoming project is Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad, directed by Nabeel Qureshi.
Having a degree in Fine Arts from NCA, Ali debuted with the PTV drama Kanch Ke Par (1998/1999) followed by the sitcom Kollege Jeans (2000). After doing a couple of television dramas, he was roped in to sing a song for the film Shararat (2003). Ali officially launched his music career in the same year with a music album. Tere Bin Laden (2010) was Ali Zafar’s debut film in Bollywood, he made his big-screen debut in Lollywood with Teefa In Trouble in 2018. He will be seen next in the sequel of Teefa In Trouble.
Faysal started his acting career as a child artist at the age of 11 with Andhera Ujala (1985). Born to an actress mother, Afshan Quraishi, Faysal grew up with a blossoming passion for the craft. He made his adult debut as a teenager in the 1992 film, Saza. His television debut as a leading actor was with Manjhdhar. Faysal played the titular character in Boota From Toba Tek Singh (1999) which catapulted him to stardom. Currently, Faysal can be seen in Geo TV’s Fitoor opposite Hiba Bukhari.
Naumaan worked as a manager at a movie theatre before trying his luck as a television actor. He started off with a brief role in an undocumented PTV play directed by Nusrat Thakur in 1988. His first documented television play is Fishar (1990) directed by Ayub Khawar and written by Amjad Islam. In his long career, Naumaan has acted both on television and the big screen and has earned accolades for his acting. Currently being seen in Dil Na Umeed To Nahi, his next project is a Zee5 web series opposite Saba Qamar titled as Mann Jogi.
Adnan Siddiqui started his career as a model before foraying in the field of acting. His first documented television serial is PTV’s Aroosa (1994), opposite Mishi Khan. Although a supporting part, Aroosa introduced Adnan to the world of acting and since then this dashing actor has acted not just in Pakistan but also in Hollywood and Bollywood. He appeared in the Hollywood film A Mighty Heart (2007) headlined by Angelina Jolie. He made his Bollywood debut with Boney Kapoor’s Mom (2017) opposite late Sridevi. Last seen in Hum TV’s Yeh Dil Mera, Adnan is currently working on his home production, Dum Mastam starring Imran Ashraf and Amar Khan.
Ahsan began his acting career at the age of 17 with a supporting role in the Shaan Shahid – Reema Khan’s big-screen bonanza, Nikah (1998). The film was directed by the veteran Sangeeta, and Ahsan was noticed for his unconventional screen presence and flamboyance. Ahsan also displayed his dancing skills in the film’s famous song, Paani Paani. He started his career as a television actor back in 2003 with multiple PTV productions. 22 years down the line, Ahsan continues to rule the television screen with his diverse roles. His recent drama Qayamat gathered many applauses. His upcoming project is with Hum TV once again, Qissa Meherbano Ka.
Sami donned the avatar of a cop for his debut film, Salakhain (2004) opposite Zara Sheikh and Meera. He started his career on television with PTV’s Dil Se Dil Tak in the following year. Since then, Sami has been part of many Pakistani dramas across all major channels in the country. His last projects were Hum TV’s Dulhan and Saraab. Sami will be next seen in the romantic film, Yaara Vey which also stars Javed Sheikh and Marina Khan in pivotal roles.
Imran has been acting ever since he was a child, his notable work as a child star includes Goodbye Reshma, Imran officially debuted as an actor in the Fahad Mustafa – Sunita Marshall starrer Wafa Kaisi Kahan Ka Ishq (2011). He played a supporting role in the drama but was appreciated for his on-screen chemistry with Sonya Hussyn. His roles in Alif, Allah, Aur Insaan (2017), and Ranjha Ranjha Kardi (2019) got him widespread critical acclaim. Imran was last seen in the drama serial Mushk and currently features in Raqs-e-Bismil. The actor is all set to make his big-screen debut with Mohammad Ehteshamuddin’s Dum Mastam (2021) opposite Amar Khan.
Imran Abbas is a Pakistani actor, singer, producer and former model. He is known for his roles in TV serials Meri Zaat Zarra-e-Benishan (2009), Khuda Aur Muhabbat (2011), Akbari Asghari (2011), and many others. He made his first television appearance in Umrao Jaan Ada (2003). He made his debut in Bollywood opposite Bipasha Basu in Vikram Bhatt’s Creature 3D, for which he was nominated at Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut category. In 2015, Abbas featured in Jaanisaar directed by Muzaffar Ali alongside Pernia Qureshi. He will soon be seen in an upcoming drama Tumhare Husn Ke Naam with Saba Qamar.
Adnan Siddiqui, Faysal Quarishi and Iqra Aziz have reacted to the ceasefire in Gaza after 11 days of violence, saying more needs to be done.
“Guns have fallen silent, mothers are searching for children, children for their homes,” wrote Siddiqui on social media. “The dust has settled. Only gloom remains in Gaza.”
“Ceasefire but at what cost? I search for answers,” added the actor.
Quraishi also shared his opinion on ceasefire saying, “A ceasefire is welcome but a lot more needs to be done.”
“Palestine has been an open-air prison for countless people,” remarked the actor. “Every single day they have been witnessing continuous crimes against humanity with no control on staples like water and electricity.”
“All Palestinians, Muslims, Jews or Christians need to be freed once and for all,” said Quraishi further, adding: “If the world does not take a stand now, we will keep on witnessing Kashmir and Gaza story repeated for all times to come.”
Iqra Aziz also shared her thoughts on the situation, saying: “I pray we never face anything like this again. This was inhumane.”
“I pray for all the lives lost in the past 11 days and hope for a better future,” expressed Iqra.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced a ceasefire on Friday in Gaza after 11 days of violence, Al Jazeera has reported.
Love triangles and cheating husbands are not new to Pakistani television. I have seen at least one if not more dramas on the subject and they have pretty much been done to death. Fitoor, which airs on Geo Entertainment, is the latest love triangle on the block with our hero oscillating between two women: one his wife and the other his pehli mohabbat (first love). He is unable to make a decision or decide who he wants to spend his life with. In this review, I try to break down whether our hero is confused and masoom or if he’s simply being unfaithful and enjoying the attention of both the women in his life.
Haider (Faysal Quraishi) was (or is) in love with his cousin Mehmal (Kiran Haq) since the two were young and Haider was poor. However, Mehmal, who wanted a better life (read money) ditched him and got married to her other cousin Ansab (Tipu Sharif), a well-off man with many indulgences including women and alcohol. From the beginning, Ansab made it clear that he was not going to change his ways. Haider is heartbroken with Mehmal’s bewafai and doesn’t get married focusing all his energies on building his business and becoming rich.
He has a chance encounter with Dilnasheen (Hiba Bukhari) at a wedding and falls for her and soon the two get married. Now that Haider is rich and married, Mehmal starts feeling insecure and regretting her decision so she leaves her husband and settles into Haider’s house with her young daughter.
She continues to make advances on Haider, who makes half-hearted attempts to tell her off but Mehmal is persistent. When Haider’s mother (Ismat Zaidi) realises what is happening, she throws Mehmal out of the house. However, Mehmal spins this around and gains Haider’s sympathies. Instead of taking her back home to face the wrath of his mother, Haider books Mehmal into a hotel under the name of Mr and Mrs Haider Salman. Not only that, but he also spends a substantial amount of his day with her in the hotel.
While initially, we gave Haider the benefit of doubt, understanding that Mehmal was his first love and it is hard for him to get over her, we have now had enough. Haider is simply not making a decision or taking a stand but is instead yo-yoing between the two women. He spends his mornings with Mehmal, allowing her to fawn over him, and in the evening he goes home and gets cosy with his wife who is spending all her energies trying to win his heart.
Haider has also saved Mehmal’s name as Muneer on his phone and one wonders why he needs to do that unless he is hiding something. Besides, he also lied to Mehmal telling her that his phone’s battery was dead when in fact he was sharing a romantic moment with his wife. By doing this he is leading Mehmal on and giving her hope instead of drawing the line.
In the latest episode, Dilnasheen catches Haider having lunch with Mehmal at the hotel and decides she has had enough. She leaves and goes back to her mother’s house. The scene that plays out at her mother’s house is disappointing, to say the least. Dilnasheen’s mother (Saba Faisal) not only justifies Haider’s behaviour but also tells her to accept it and try to win Haider’s heart. On the other hand, Dilnasheen’s brother Yawar (Kamran Jilani) blames the entire situation on her, telling her that she still harbours feelings for her ex-boyfriend Hamza (Wahaj Ali) and has not accepted Haider as her husband.
Mehmal’s damsel in distress act and reluctance to go back to her husband is also getting tiring and one wishes that Haider would stop constantly trying to be the knight in shining armour for her. At this point, it’s getting a little hard to believe that Haider is confused. He knows exactly what he is doing but is continuing to do so under the act of being caring and supportive towards his “yateem” cousin. So unless he pulls his act together, he’s going to get the label of a ‘cheating husband’.
While Fitoor may seem typical on the surface, it is saved by great performances. Each actor has slid perfectly into their roles, giving solid performances. We may hate Haider but we are thoroughly enjoying Faysal’s performance. The writing is strong in most places as is the direction. The production value is a little weak with jumps in many scenes and Dilnasheen terribly needs a good stylist – the flowy clothes and hair are doing her no good. Especially when Mehmal’s outfits ooze glamour. Quraishi’s makeup is also terrible, making him look older and plastic in some places.
Written by Zanjabeel Asim and directed by Siraj ul Haq, Fitoor airs every Thursday on Geo Entertainment.
Pakistani artists from the entertainment industry on Monday came together to start a campaign on social media. The hashtag #GiveRoyaltiesToArtists was posted all over Instagram and Twitter as actors, musicians, models and others stood together to demand royalties for artists.
Following the feedback which some artists got on their posts, along with some hate comments, Ayesha Omar and Faysal Quraishi took to their respective Instagram accounts to give a crash course of what royalties are and what is it that artists are really asking for.
Omar wrote: “I did some research…. was very helpful. All over the world, artists get residuals and royalties. It is their due right. That’s how they survive.”
“P.s. A couple of decades ago, royalties were given to Pakistani artists by PTV. Then it all changed. This movement has been started to secure the future of actors/artists/performers in their times of need. More like a pension of sorts, for their hard work and contributions and for all that comes with being in the entertainment industry,” she added.
“Lots of people don’t understand the meaning of royalties and are not even bothering to check what this term means, before writing insensitive, mean and derogatory comments,” said Ayesha. “Some do know but are still being demeaning and downright horrible. Some don’t understand why this campaign has started. Others are genuinely curious and want to find out more. Some agree wholeheartedly. Some are offering excellent explanations. Some think artists are asking to be ‘treated’ like ‘Royalty’ and mocking us. So, let’s talk about royalties.”
Omar went on to address the difference between royalties and residuals, as some tend to confuse the two terms. Sharing definitions of each term, Omar shared a screenshot highlighting the difference between the two. “Royalties are payments made to you by a one to one contract between you and the licensor or publisher” while “Residuals are payments made to you because of a UNION collective bargaining contract Union representing Actors, Writer or Directors and Producers and Studios covering reuse (reruns) and new use” read the slide. According to the same, “residuals tend to scale down over time while royalties always remain the same percentage.”
While Omar also shared some comments which were made under her post regarding royalties for artists.
Faysal Quraishi chose to address the matter through a video.
Speaking directly to his followers, Quraishi explained how the whole movement began as a result of Naila Jaffery’s plea for royalties. Referring to artists around the world, Quraishi mentioned how writers get royalties for each book sold and the same applies to actors and painters for their services. However, more than actors, it is the producer who usually suffers more. After paying off the team and investing in a project, producers in Pakistan tend to face delays in their payments. Quraishi mentioned how independent producers like him even tend to give up on the profession due to these problems.
Coming to ‘royalties’ and what they mean, the actor provided quite a simple definition. Quraishi explained how royalties are much like pension which is received by an individual after they have retired and have reached the end of their career. The same way, artists are also entitled to receive a certain amount even after they have stopped providing their serviced.
Quraishi also explained how the campaign is not just for actors, but everyone involved in creating projects for the entertainment industry. Elaborating on the number of people employed for a single production, Quraishi emphasised on how royalties are meant to benefit everyone, and not just actors and are essential in keeping the cycle going.
Earlier, Ruswai actor Osama Tahir had also explained what royalties are and why Pakistani artists are demanding them.
Faysal Quraishi along with wife and their children opened their first Iftar with street children in Karachi.
Pictures of Faysal and Sana having iftari at Save Our Children Foundation went viral on social media. The couple and their children could be seen celebrating the true spirit of the Holy Month by opening their first fast on the streets of Karachi while observing COVID-19 SOPs.
The children were thrilled to have Faysal sharing the first Iftar of this year’s Ramzan with them.
Read more – Faysal Quraishi urges society to support rape survivors
“Iss Ramazan bachon ko iftar karwayien…izaat e nafas majroh kiye bina,” said the actor talking about his experience.
Moin Khan’s son, Owais Khan has tied the knot with actress Mariam Ansari.
Sarfaraz Ahmed also congratulated Khan on his wedding and wished the couple well.
Pictures of the wedding were widely circulated on social media. While it appeared to be a lowkey affair, several celebrities including Hania Aamir, Nabeela Khan, Faysal Qureshi, and Naveed Raza were spotted at the nikkah ceremony. Mariam’s brother actor Ali Ansari was also seen in several pictures.
Mariam glowed in a tea pink ensemble while Owais looked dapper in a white sherwani.
Sports journalist Shoaib Jatt shared the pictures of the event and said that baarat and valima ceremonies will be held in December.
Meanwhile, taking to social media, Moin Khan welcomed his daughter-in-law to the family.
“Welcome to the Khan family Mariam,” said Moin.
Faysal Quraishi has said that rape is a stigma for perpetrators, not the victims.
In a tweet, the actor said: “In light of recent news regarding a couple that kidnapped young girls, raped and recorded this heinous act – only one came forward and 45 didn’t for fear of society and stigma.”
“Humari society apna qibla sahi karay, stigma perpetrator kay liye and victim kay liye support honi chaiyae,” he added.
According to details, a local court has convicted a couple from Rawalpindi for luring girls and filming their rape to blackmail them. They were arrested in 2019.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Jahangir Gondal awarded a death sentence to Qasim Jahangir over rape and recording explicit videos. Jahangir was also given a three-year prison sentence in addition to a life sentence and has to pay a fine of Rs2.5 million. His wife Kiran Mahmood has also been sentenced to life and has to pay a fine.
The couple was tracked and arrested following a complaint lodged by a girl with the CPO Rawalpindi.
Read more – President okays anti-rape law for speedy trials, harsher sentences
According to the police, the girl, who was a student of MSc, in her statement said that the couple lured her into their car and took her to a house where she was raped and filmed. She shared that she was coming out of her college when a masked woman came to her and started talking to her. After introducing herself as a student at a local girls’ college, the two went for a walk before a car stopped near them and asked the two women to sit inside. The masked woman introduced the driver as her close relative and asked her to sit in the car.
As soon as the girl was inside the car, black curtains were drawn and the car was taken to a house located in Gulistan Colony, where the accused raped her at gunpoint, while his wife filmed the scene.
City Police Officer (CPO) Muhammad Faisal Rana said the couple had confessed to raping as many as 45 minors and filming their rape.
Faysal Quraishi’s youngest child Farmaan Quraishi turned one on January 18, and his parents celebrated with a truck art-themed birthday. Pictures from the small and lowkey event are being widely circulated on social media.
Check out pictures from the celebrations below:
Earlier, Faysal had penned a heartfelt note for his son on his birthday, saying that he looks “forward to being able to see you grow up”.
Meanwhile, take a tour of Faysal’s house in his exclusive interview with The Current.