Tag: in-case-you-missed-it

  • ‘Zindagi Tamasha’ gets the green signal from Senate HR committee

    ‘Zindagi Tamasha’ gets the green signal from Senate HR committee

    The Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights has given the green signal to Sarmad Khoosat’s film Zindagi Tamasha and has allowed it to be screened post-COVID-19. The film had stirred up controversy for allegedly hurting religious sentiments.

    Chairperson of the committee and PPP Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar made the announcement on social media and said that the committee found nothing wrong with the film. He said that the film can be screened when cinema halls open post-COVID.

    While detailed reasoning on the committee’s decision is awaited, Senator Khokhar while speaking to The Current said: “It was a unanimous decision by all Senators of the Human Rights Committee who watched the movie together in Senate’s committee room. Nobody thought there was anything wrong with it. Waleed Iqbal from PTI was also one of the senators who watched it, even though he wasn’t part of the Human Rights Committee.”

    He added: “It’s a very good movie, I was touched by it; was beautifully shot. I would recommend that everyone should watch it once it’s released.”

    Zindagi Tamasha, which was scheduled to hit screens on January 25, was stopped from being released days before its release after the federal and provincial governments feared public unrest.

    While the Federal Government had said that the film will be reviewed by the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), the Punjab Government had directed the filmmaker to hold a screening on February 3 so that the film can be reviewed again. However, no screening has taken place to date. It is pertinent to mention here that the provincial and central censor boards had earlier cleared the film for release with a few cuts.

    Sarmad had also appealed to the Prime Minister, President, Chief of Army Staff and the Chief Justice of Pakistan to facilitate the release of the film.

    https://twitter.com/KhoosatSarmad/status/1217818381149229062?s=20

    Senator Khokhar on March 11 had announced that the HR Committee had taken notice of the ban on the film.

    Written by Nirmal Bano and directed by Khoosat, Zindagi Tamasha starres Arif Hassan, Samiya Mumtaz, Eman Suleman and Ali Qureshi in the lead. The film is centred around a naat khwan Rahat Khawaja (played by Hassan) and his family who are outcast from the society when a secret of Khawaja’s is leaked.

    The official synopsis states: “The film is an intimate portrait of a family as well as a scorching political commentary on little gods on this earth who police our private passions.”

    The film premiered at the Busan International Film Festival held in October 2019 where it also won the prestigious Kim Ji Seok Award.

    Watch trailer:

  • ‘Fake News’: Adnan Siddiqui says he never faced discrimination on the sets of ‘A Mighty Heart’

    Adnan Siddiqui is the latest victim of fake news and it has not gone down well with the actor, who lashed out at a digital media outlet for spreading fake news and putting his personal relations at risk.

    Recently, news of the actor allegedly facing discrimination on the sets of Hollywood production, A Mighty Heart, was being circulated on social media. Following the reports, Adnan took to social media and lashed out saying: “If you want to publish news, at least get the facts right and if there are doubts the least you can do is to cross-check with the person you’re writing about.”

    He added, “Not only are you feeding wrong piece of information to your audience but also you may create a rift between people am friends with.”

    Read more – Adnan Siddiqui recalls the last time he met Irrfan Khan

    Later, the actor also issued a detailed statement on Instagram in which he further expressed his anger.

    “First of all, you’ve made news out of the interview which was done three to four years back and then even quoted me wrongly,” said the actor.

    He then clarified what actually happened.

    “I didn’t face any discrimination during the shoot. When I’d gone to shoot in Pune, on the first day I stayed in a different hotel. But when I told the production team who was I etc, the very next day they moved me to Taj.”

    “From the second day till the shoot was over, I stayed at the Taj where Angelina Jolie and the late Irrfan Khan were also staying,” added the actor.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CCil-5ln9SI/

    A Mighty Heart, which released in 2007, is based on the kidnapping and murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, who was killed by militants in 2002. While Jolie essayed the role of Pearl’s wife, Adnan played the role of a character called Dost Aliani. Irrfan Khan played Zeeshan Kazmi, who was the Karachi Police Chief at the time of the incident.

  • Trailer of Sushant Singh Rajput’s last film ‘Dil Bechara’ trends at number one on YouTube Pakistan

    Trailer of Sushant Singh Rajput’s last film ‘Dil Bechara’ trends at number one on YouTube Pakistan

    The trailer of Sushant Singh Rajput’s final film Dil Bechara released Monday and is already trending at number one on YouTube Pakistan. Apart from that, the trailer has set a new YouTube record and has gone on to become the most-liked trailer ever in 24 hours – with 6.4 million likes – beating Hollywood blockbuster Avengers: Endgame. It also garnered more than 30 million views within 24 hours of being released besides also receiving millions of views on other social media platforms including Facebook and Instagram.

    Dil Bechara, which is the official Hindi remake of 2014 Hollywood romantic drama The Fault in our Stars, based on John Green’s popular novel of the same name, has been directed by renowned casting director Mukesh Chhabra, who makes his directorial debut with this film. Sushant and debutante Sanjana Sanghi have the lead roles in the film while Saif Ali Khan is expected to make an interesting cameo.

    From the looks of it, the film is a quintessential love story, except the protagonists, are cancer patients. According to the film’s official synopsis, Dil Bechara “is the story of Kizie Basu (Sanghi) and Manny (Rajput) and explores the funny, thrilling, and tragic adventure of being alive and in love. Together Kizie and Manny embark on an on-off-up-down-sad and sweet profound journey into the heart of that crazy little thing called life. It teaches them what it means to feel truly alive and fall in love.”

    The trailer is full of bittersweet moments and is bound to leave you teary-eyed, especially given the circumstances in which it is releasing. Sushant died of suicide on June 14.

    Perhaps the most striking part of the whole trailer was Rajput’s dialogue: “We don’t get to decide when we are born or when we die, but how we live our life is in our hands.”

    Read more- Sushant Singh Rajput’s death exposes the toxic side of Bollywood

    Following the trailer’s release, the director of the film Mukesh Chhabra shared an emotional note in which he shared that the film was Sushant’s “dream”.

    “Presenting to you our dream and the dream of my brother Sushant, who will live on in me till my last breath,” wrote Chhabra. “So much has changed in my life these past years and I will always cherish every single moment. Putting the trailer out there in your hands and in your hearts. It’s over to you now.”

    A.R.Rahman, who composed the music for the film, also shared the playlist of the film’s album.

    The film is slated to release digitally on July 24 on Disney+ Hotstar. As a tribute to the late actor, the film will be made available to everyone including non-subscribers. It was initially scheduled to release on May 8 but due to the coronavirus pandemic, its release was pushed.

    Meanwhile, here’s what Sushant’s colleagues and members of the industry have to say about the trailer and film:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CCUvPmYhS5n/

  • Hina Butt says no Pakistani actress can play Maryam Nawaz

    Hina Butt says no Pakistani actress can play Maryam Nawaz

    Hina Butt’s admiration for Maryam Nawaz is no secret. The Punjab Assembly MPA earlier ruffled a few feathers after she commented that Ertuğrul reminds her of the PML-N VP and now she’s done it yet again.

    In a recent interview, when asked who would essay Maryam best if a biopic on her was made – Mehwish Hayat, Mahira Khan, Hareem Farooq or Zara Noor Abbas – Hina said none of them.

    “I don’t think any of them. Because she’s tall-heighted. She’s fair. As an actress, I really like Sanam Saeed and Iman Aly. But they have a tan complexion. So none of these. Although Mahira is a good actress, I don’t think she can play a serious role like this,” said Butt.

    Read more – Mehwish Hayat to run for PM in 2028?

    In the same interview, when she was asked to rank Prime Minister Imran Khan’s performance as a cricketer and prime minister out of ten, the lawmaker responded that as a PM she would give him zero while as a cricketer, she would give him six because he won the ICC Cricket World Cup in 1992.

  • Space museum to be set up in Islamabad

    The Scientific Committee of the National Astronomical Observation Commission has decided to set up Pakistan’s first-ever space museum in Islamabad. Earlier, there was PIA Planetarium at Expo Centre in Karachi which used to give a virtual tour of the outer space.

    According to APP, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry chaired the meeting in which the decision was taken to set up Pakistan’s first space museum in Islamabad. The federal minister announced that the first-ever space museum will be established within eight months.

    The meeting also decided to set up five astronomical observatories in Pakistan. It was unanimously decided that astronomical observatories would be set up in Islamabad and Gwadar at the initial phase.

    In a tweet, Fawad said that provincial governments have also been asked to established space museums in provincial capitals.

    “From looking at the moon to beyond the stars, you will be able to explore the universe in future”, he said.

    The Ministry of Science and Technology has been making great strides in development. Earlier, this week they also delivered a batch of locally-manufactured ventilators to the National Disaster Management Authority to fight COVID-19.

  • Hamza Ali Abbasi’s take on religion irks fellow actors

    Hamza Ali Abbasi’s take on religion irks fellow actors

    By now everyone knows that Hamza Ali Abbasi has taken a break from acting to focus on his spiritual journey and getting a better understanding of Islam. The actor turned evangelist also often shares his thoughts and understanding of religion on social media.

    Recently Abbasi tweeted that he fails to understand why we need a Messiah or an Imam when we have the Quran.

    When a follower shared his thoughts on the matter, Hamza said that he is “referring to terms that denote self-proclaimed directly divinely guided people.”

    Read more – Hamza Ali Abbasi says he is the ‘happiest’ he has ever been

    Hamza further asserted that all problems within Islam exist today because we have started neglecting the Quran.

    Following Hamza’s comments, Mohsin Abbas Haider and Shahroz Sabzwari expressed their reservations and disagreed with Abbasi. While Mohsin advised Hamza to keep learning, Sabzwari commented that he fails to understand why some people become the thaikaydaar (custodians) of Islam.

    It is pertinent to mention here that Hamza supported Haider’s former wife Fatima Sohail when she accused him of domestic abuse and cheating.

    “We need to make a horrible example of Mr Mohsin for all those men who dare raise there hand on the female servants of Allah & try to justify it,” Hamza had said.

    On the other hand, Yasir Hussain supported Hamza’s stance and said that he is saying the right thing.

  • ‘Pyar Ke Sadkay’ takes a disappointing turn

    ‘Pyar Ke Sadkay’ takes a disappointing turn

    What started of as a sweet and adorable love story has turned into a typical love triangle with evil in-laws trying to break up a marriage.

    In my previous review, I had praised Pyar Ke Sadkay for being romantic and feel-good. However, a few episodes later I am very close to taking back my words considering how the story and plot have developed.

    Mahjabeen

    The recent episodes have seen Abdullah (Bilal Abbas Khan) sideline his wife Mahjabeen (Yumna Zaidi) and get involved with Shanzay (Yashma Gill), his ex-crush, who had ridiculed him when he proposed to her. Shanzay is now single after getting divorced and is hell-bent on getting married to Abdullah, just to satisfy her ego and get that confidence boost. Despite Mahjabeen’s efforts to make the marriage work, Abdullah seems to have forgotten his promises to his wife and the way Shanzay treated him and has is planning to marry Shanzay. Meanwhile, Abdullah’s stepfather Sarwar (Omair Rana) is also encouraging him to pursue Shanzay and divorce Mahjabeen.

    Shanzay

    On the other hand, Abdullah’s mother Mansoora Begum (Atiqa Odho) has developed a dislike for her bahu (daughter-in-law) after she commented on how much younger her husband Sarwar is to her. Mansoora, who was initially supportive of Mahjabeen is now okay with the idea of Abdullah divorcing her.

    Sarwar and Mansoora

    Abdullah is basically cheating on his wife, but because he’s a ‘simpleton’, he is being easily misguided by his stepfather and is falling into Shanzay’s ‘trap’. Shanzay is shown as the villainous other woman leading Abdullah astray. While Abdullah is conscious of the fact that he is not being fair to Mahjabeen, he is still allowing himself to be swayed by external elements, making him an extremely weak character.

    Abdullah

    Abdullah’s sister Washma (Shra Asghar) and his aunt Pho (Shermeen Ali) are the only two sane elements in the whole drama. They add the much-needed voice of reason and is one of the reasons why you don’t pull your hair out in frustration. That and solid performances by the entire cast. Bilal and Yumna are fantastic in their roles and the range of emotions they express in a single scene is brilliant. Yumna, in particular, is so convincing that you end up feeling what she is feeling.

    • Pho
    • Washma

    What irks me most is the fact that makers had a great chance to educate the masses about sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour within the household by focusing more on Sarwar’s attitude towards Mahjabeen. However, they chose to go to the tried-and-tested route by bringing in a love triangle and complicating things unnecessarily. Given that a couple of episodes are still remaining, I’m hopeful that the drama will take a turn for the better and end in a less predictable manner.

  • Armeena Khan accuses Shaniera Akram of ‘gaslighting’ her

    Armeena Khan accuses Shaniera Akram of ‘gaslighting’ her

    Despite being at the receiving end of heavy trolling, Armeena Khan has rarely lost her cool, which is why it was odd when the actor sent out a series of tweets against Shaniera Akram.

    The tweets have since then been deleted and it is unclear what prompted Armeena to send those out. In the tweets, Armeena accused Akram of gaslighting her and shared that she is unfollowing her after the latter did the same.

    https://twitter.com/ArmeenaRK/status/1276090790062759938?s=20

    While Armeena did not say what exactly happened, it is likely that Armeena is referring to a debate that sparked between the two when Armeena opened up about her fear of lizards and Shaniera said that they are harmless beings which should be ignored.

    At that time when a media outlet reported that Shaniera and Armeena were involved in a public spat, Armeena said that she loves Shaniera and admires her for her efforts.

    “I love Shaniera and have admired her for her Karachi beach work,” Armeena had said.

    Whatever the case may be, we hope they make up soon.

  • VIDEO: ‘Ertuğrul’ star Engin Altan sings ‘Dil Dil Pakistan’

    Ever since Diriliş: Ertuğrul aired in Pakistan on the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the nation has been obsessed with the drama series and its cast. There has been a lot of heartwarming (and not so heartwarming) exchange between people of Pakistan and the actors of the series, many of who have sent their love to the country and its people.

    VIDEO: Ertuğrul wishes his Pakistani fans Eid Mubarak

    Recently a video of Engin Altan Düzyatan, who plays Ertuğrul in the hit series, singing Dil Dil Pakistan has gone viral on social media.

    “Mera apko salaam Pakistan,” adds Düzyatan.

    Known as Pakistan’s second national anthem, Dil Dil Pakistan was sung by the late Junaid Jamshed and released by Vital Signs in 1987.

    Salman Ahmad of Junoon also shared the clip on social media and said that he never imagined Ertuğrul to be singing it one day.

    Set in 13th century Anatolia and based on the struggle of Ertuğrul Gazi, father of Osman I – the founder of the Ottoman dynasty, Diriliş: Ertuğrul has been trending in the country ever since its first episode aired on PTV Home. Pakistanis are loving the drama series and it has become a sensation in the country. According to PTV, 133.38 million people have watched the drama series from April 25- May 14. PTV’s YouTube channel has also registered an exponential rise in its viewership with 5.3 million subscribers and episodes trending every day on the social media platform.

    In an exclusive interview with The Current, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Faisal Javed Khan revealed that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had gifted the drama series to Pakistan as a goodwill gesture.

  • Trending on Netflix Pakistan: ‘Malang’, ‘The Lovebirds’

    Trending on Netflix Pakistan: ‘Malang’, ‘The Lovebirds’

    Despite a blanket ban on Indian films in Pakistan, our love affair with Bollywood films continues. Because every time a new Bolly film releases on Netflix, it instantly starts trending. And I don’t understand that because as of late, Bollywood films have become trashy, for lack of a better word. I can’t remember the last time I saw a decent Bollywood film and thought to myself, ‘Oh this was nice’.

    Read more – ‘Extraction’ & ‘Love Aaj Kal’ are trending on Netflix Pakistan but not worth the watch

    Nevertheless, this weekend, the top film on Netflix Pakistan is Aditya Roy Kapur and Disha Patani’s Malang – a story about love and revenge. Advait Thakur (Kapur) and Sara (Patani) are two free-spirited (read: aimless) souls who meet in Goa and instantly hit it off. They spend their days enjoying the beachside and their nights attending rave parties featuring a lot of drugs. From ecstasy to cocaine, the film has it all. When I initially saw the scenes involving drugs, I found them to be a bit strange because audiences across the world are calling filmmakers to be more careful about the message they give out to the world. However, the makers of Malang really don’t give a s*** about that because there are no warnings or disclaimers either.

    Soon enough Disha gets pregnant, bringing an unexpected twist into the couple’s life. While Advait runs away, Sara chooses to stay in Goa and raise her child. However, Advait soon realises his mistake and comes back to Goa only to discover that a police officer Micheal (Kunal Khemu) is attempting to rape Sara, thinking she is someone else. After a lot of bloodshed and marr dhaar (fighting) – which also seems to be a central theme in the film – Advait is sent to jail while Sara is killed. The rest of the film follows Advait get revenge from the police officers who covered up their colleague’s crime and assisted Micheal in Sara’s murder.

    Meanwhile, Anil Kapoor plays a crazy cop Agashte with a tragic past who only knows how to serve justice by killing criminals in encounters. Think the Bollywood version of Rao Anwar. Despite a solid performance, Kapoor’s character is poorly written and there is not much he can do with it except laugh creepily in an attempt to provide comic relief.

    To be very honest, a lot of the scenes in Malang reminded me of Siddharth Malhotra and Shraddha Kapoor’s Ek Villian. The plot was not original and the film had nothing new to offer in terms of content. But to ensure that his audiences leave the cinema halls satisfied and forget about the nonsense the rest of the film was, the film’s makers added a twist in the end to give that shock and thriller factor.

    Malang has been directed by Mohit Suri of Aashiqui 2 fame, which means that the music of the film is definitely satisfactory. The songs are soulful and melodious and you will catch yourself humming them long after the film ends. In case you missed it, our very own Asim Azhar composed one of the songs Humraah, though it does not feature in his voice in the film.

    Read more – Asim Azhar releases his Bollywood song ‘Humraah’

    The only good thing the film had to offer was lots of eye candy and spectacular views of the beach. Aditya Roy Kapur has toned his abs to perfect and missed no opportunity to show them off. Add to that an incredibly good-looking face and that is probably what will get you through the almost three-hour-long film.

    The Lovebirds

    Similarly, The Lovebirds, starring Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani has nothing new to offer in terms of an original plot or storyline. However, it will keep you entertained throughout its 90-minute run-time.

    Jibran (Nanjiani) and Leilani (Rae) are a couple, who are on the brink of a breakup when they are unintentionally embroiled in a murder mystery. The two spend the night dodging the police and trying to find evidence to prove their innocence. Along the way they get into hilarious messes, which can get a little lame and cliched, but Rae and Nanjiani’s comic timing, charm and chemistry more than makeup for that. This is the first time I’ve seen either of their work and I thoroughly enjoyed their performance.

    The film is a light, mindless comedy, something you can watch with your family or on Netflix Party with your friends. It’s easy, doesn’t require much thinking and offers that break from reality we so need in these testing times. If you’ve enjoyed watching comic capers like Date Night or Game Night, chances are that you will enjoy this film as well. You might even catch yourself laughing out loud at some points.