ARY Digital has finally dropped the first teasers of its most-awaited drama Pehli Si Muhabbat’, featuring Maya Ali, Sheheryar Munawar and Hassan Shehryar Yasin.
The first teasers give audiences a glimpse into the upcoming drama and introduces the main characters of the show: Aslam (Munawar), Rakshee (Ali) and Akram (HSY).
The teaser introducing Aslam is titled ‘Every time I see your smile…I fall in love all over again’, while the one introducing Rakshee is titled ‘Love doesn’t need to be perfect…It just needs to be true!”
Meanwhile, the one introducing Akram is titled ‘You can’t buy love…but you can pay heavily for it’. It is pertinent to add here that Pehli Si Muhabbat will mark HSY’s television debut.
Written by Faiza Iftikhar and directed by Anjum Shahzad, Pehli Si Muhabbat is expected to be an intense love story. The OST of the drama has been composed by Ali Zafar.
Aray. Humbled my friend. But I strongly feel that that you are one of the best song writers and deserve more credit. From Aadat to “Pehli Si Mohabbat”. Brilliant work. Let’s hope people enjoy it as much as we did. https://t.co/NfsGuVmRsX
Sharing the teaser on social media, Munawar thanked the director for being “the right kind of crazy” and his co-stars for making “every day on set a wonderful experience”.
Addressing the audiences, the actor wrote: “I hope you like the project as much as we liked shooting it.”
Sheheryar Munawar has had tough year and he is not afraid to talk about.
Posting a shirtless picture of himself from an upcoming commercial, Munawar said: “It’s not special because it’s a shirtless shot; it’s special because for me it’s a celebration of this year’s personal journey.”
Sheheryar then went onto talk about his brush with COVID-19, his motorbike accident and how everything resulted in him going into depression.
“A few months back, life came to a standstill and being a workaholic, the stagnation took a huge toll on me emotionally,” shared Sheheryar, adding that he also suffered severe depression, but “won’t go into the details of it”.
“To make things worse I tested positive for COVID and had to go into isolation, a few weeks out of that terrible experience, I got into a motorbike accident and had to undergo surgery,” continued Munawar. “Mobility was completely restricted and relying on others to help me do the most basic tasks was emotionally traumatic, to say the least.”
He further divulged that even after the recovery, his worries were far from over.
“I had strict restrictions on body movements and I’m still not allowed to lift weights. I hadn’t worked in a long time and I had bills/salaries to pay, was in no shape, both physically or mentally, to go in front of the camera.”
However, he decided to fight back and gain back his mental, emotional and physical strength by doing light workouts, eating healthy, fixing his sleep cycle, meditating, seeking therapy and actively working on “having a positive outlook on life”.
Sheheryar also said that the support of his friends and family also helped him through his dark time.
“It’s taking a lot of courage out of me to be able to share the second picture with all of you. I want to do it to let you all know that we’re all in it together. We all go through highs and lows and we’re all vulnerable. Not sometime today, not tomorrow, not the day after, now is the time to change your outlook. Tell yourself nothing is impossible. Because nothing is,” he concluded.
Munawar last appeared in his home production Parey Hut Love alongside Maya Ali. The duo has paired up again for a television drama Pehli Si Mohabbat which will air on ARY Digital. The drama will mark Munawar’s return to the small screen after a gap of almost seven years. The actor has also done a number of steamy photoshoots recently which have sent the temperatures soaring.
With several Pakistani dramas coming to an end soon, TV channels have started dropping teasers and promos of their upcoming releases. Four new dramas with brilliant casts and directors are expected to hit our screens in the coming weeks and we are looking forward to them.
Starring Bilal Abbas Khan, Sana Javed and Naumaan Ejaz in the lead, Dunk is about sexual harassment in universities and colleges. The first promo of the drama dropped to a mixed response but we’re going to hold our thoughts and opinions till we watch the first few episodes.
Pehli Si Mohabbat
The drama will mark Maya Ali and Sheheryar Munawar’s return to the small screen after a long break. From the BTS and first looks, the drama promises to be an intense love story and I am definitely looking forward to this. It has been written by Faiza Iftikhar and directed by Anjum Shehzad of Khaani fame.
Maya, in a recent interview, revealed that the drama will not have “typical saas-bahu fights and affairs in it”.
“You will feel that you have heard or seen this story, because there’s a love story as evident from the title Pehli Si Muhabbat, and everyone has experienced their first love story. Some people find their first love and some people live with keeping it in their hearts,” she shared.
Raqs-e-Bismil will see Sarah Khan and Imran Ashraf share the screen together for the first time. A fresh pairing is always intriguing and given that both are brilliant actors, I am sure this drama will be a treat. From the teasers, the drama appears to be intense and uncomfortable. According to the makers, the drama “follows the soulful story of a conservative and conformist family who adhere to strict family values”. Raqs-e-Bismil will also see Hadiqa Kiani make her television debut.
It is expected to air on Hum TV by the end of the month.
A multi-starrer drama, Amanat will feature Imran Abbas, Urwa Hocane, Saboor Aly, Haroon Shahid, Saba Hamid, Sheheryar Zaidi, Babar Ali, Asad Siddiqui and Gohar Rasheed.
According to Imran, Amanat is a “circumstances-based love story”, while producer Sana Shahnawaz says it is “a family drama with love, romance and all other elements audiences wish to see in our dramas.”
Shoaib Mansoor’s upcoming film ABG starring Maya Ali and Emmad Irfani in the lead has finally gone on floors. The real name of the film is not known as yet, but its acronym is ABG, as per Maya.
Maya announced the news by sharing a picture from the first day on set on her Instagram.
“First day on the set of ABG. Blessed to have gotten a chance to work with the great Shoaib Sahab,” she wrote in the caption.
Does this mean that PAF and patriotism will be a central theme in the film?
We’ll have to wait and find out because details about the film are being kept tightly under wraps.
The film will be the first time the Maya and Emmad will be seen together on the big screen. Maya was last seen in the film Parey Hut Love and Emmad is currently making waves with his ongoing drama Jalan. The actor was supposed to make his film debut with Gawah Rehna this year. However, its release got delayed due to the pandemic.
ABG will also mark Mansoor’s return to the director’s seat after a break of almost three years – his last film was the Mahira Khan starrer Verna, which released in November 2017.
An official release date for ABG has not been announced yet.
Meanwhile, friends and colleagues of Maya sent her best wishes in the comments section of her post, with Mahira telling her that she is “working with the best”.
Thank you, @mshaanshahid very kind. To be directed by Shoaib sahab is an absolute honour
The first look of Sheheryar Munawar and Maya Ali’s upcoming drama Pehli Si Mohabbat has finally been revealed courtesy producer Jerjees Seja, who posted a BTS from the sets of the drama.
Seja, who is also the CEO of ARY Digital shared a picture with the cast of upcoming drama serial. Looks like Sheheryar will be going clean shaven for this one.
Meanwhile, social media is abuzz and the video went viral in minutes.
According to the details, the drama is produced by Abdullah Seja under the banner of IDream Productions, the serial will be aired on ARY Digital with Maya and Sheheryar in lead roles.
Maya, Shehryar, Rabia Butt and Hassan Sheheryar Yasin (HSY) have already announced that they will be part of this serial by sharing the picture of the script on their social media accounts.
Maya Ali has penned a heartfelt for her ‘superwoman’ – her mother.
Sharing a picture of herself with her mother, Maya expressed gratitude towards her and dedicated her achievements to her, saying that she wants to give her every single moment of peace.
“My jaan, my life, my strength. I wish I could find the words to write about you Amma. I hope I have been able to be a good daughter. I wish I could give you every single moment of peace. With you, I exist, and without you I am nothing. If I have achieved anything in life so far, it’s all just because of your prayers,” wrote the actor.
Maya also apologised to her mother for not giving her enough time.
“Allah aap ka saya hum pe hamesha salamat rakhey Ameen. Love you my superwoman” she added.
Earlier, Maya had also penned a note for her late father on his fourth death anniversary.
“It’s been four years since you left us. People say time is a great healer but the reality is not the same always,” wrote Maya. “I miss you Baba jaan on every small moment, with each passing day, whenever there is an up and down.”
Meanwhile, she also expressed her love for her best friends Faiza and Saqlain, thanking them for always being there for her.
“Thank you for being with me, thank you for wiping my tears, thank you for listening to my useless talks all the time, thank you for picking up my call at 2 and 3 am,” wrote Maya in the caption.
Though all films scheduled to release this year have been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, filmmakers in Pakistan have already started working towards their next projects which means that audiences will be in for a treat once cinemas reopen.
After a hiatus of almost three years, renowned director Shoaib Mansoor will be reportedly be donning the director’s hat once again as it has emerged that he is all set to direct his next film, featuring Maya Ali and Emmad Irfani in the lead. While the director is yet to make an official announcement, the lead pair of the film has confirmed the news and expressed their excitement.
Speaking to a local media outlet, Maya said: “I feel lucky, I feel blessed. One day I get a call from Shoaib Mansoor and the next thing I know is that I am doing the role. The feeling is truly indescribable. It’s a big deal for me.”
While the actor refrained from sharing further details about the film or her character, she revealed that the acronym of the title is ABG, adding that she has never done a role like this in her career before.
Emmad on the other hand, while talking about the project said: “Having this opportunity to be a part of his next feature film is a great honour for me and I feel all excited and raring to go already.”
The film will be the first time the two actors will be seen together on screen. Maya was last seen in the film Parey Hut Love and Emmad is currently making waves with his ongoing drama Jalan. The actor was supposed to make his film debut with Gawah Rehna. However, its release got delayed due to the pandemic.
Of all the films releasing this Eid, Parey Hut Love was probably the most hyped. Everything about the film – cast, set, costumes, locations – was larger than life and the cast of the film promoted it to death. So much so that even if you weren’t interested in the film, you’d still want to see what it is all about.
Naturally, that raises expectations and that’s when things begin to go down. I entered the cinema excited and left the cinema deflated because the film did not match up to my expectations and what I had been promised.
To begin with, there was no story and half an hour into the film, I had figured out the plot. Parey Hut Love is the story of Sheheryar (Munawar), a commitment-phobic struggling actor who meets Saniya (Maya Ali) at a family wedding. The two spend time together and fall in love. Saniya, who lives in Turkey heads back with the promise that the two will keep in touch. However, Sheheryar’s phone is stolen and Saniya thinks that he has ditched her and is heartbroken. The rest of the film follows the duo as they find their way back to each other despite almost getting hitched to other people.
The entire film was just lots of beautiful wedding scenes put together with many of the scenes inspired by Bollywood movies. You will find references from Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, Hum Tum and Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani and even from the Hollywood film Dear Rosie. I personally felt the plot was heavily borrowed from Dear Rosie and Hum Tum.
There was no flow of scenes and some of them, like Mahira’s entry, were so abrupt that it took you a while to put things together and figure out what was going on. It’s like the makers forgot that they had a story to tell.
Parey Hut Love belonged to Sheheryar and Sheheryar only. His character was the only one which was given attention and developed properly while the rest of the movie was rushed. Sheheryar and Saniya’s love story was poorly written. Maya barely had any dialogues and she was a little more than a showpiece.
Zara Noor Abbas and Ahmed Ali Butt were wasted in the film and their roles terribly written. Zara is a talented actor and her comic timing is brilliant which is why I honestly felt upset with the way she was presented. I wish she had more screentime and her character had been more developed because she lit up the screen every time she came on. Also, why wasn’t her styling given the same amount of importance as Maya? While Maya breezed through the film in one gorgeous outfit after another, Zara’s outfits and looks were lazily done. The makeup was also a letdown – the lip colours too light and the eyes heavily done. Maya is a stunning actor and she stole the screen in Teefa in Trouble. In Parey Hut Love not so much.
Zara looks out of place in this coral pink outfit
On the flip, the cinematography, especially the ariel shots, locations, costumes, sets were amazing because of which the film was aesthetically very pleasing. The songs were also beautiful. Kudos to Azaan Sami Khan for delivering one stellar track after another and to Nigah Jee for the brilliant choreography. Morey Saiyaan, Ik Pal and Haye Dil Bechara were a treat to watch and frankly the biggest takeaway from the film.
Munawar has grown as an actor and honed his talent. He has also worked on his physique and all his hard work showed in the film. Maya could have done much better. Ahmed, Zara and Hina Dilapazeer gave some of the best moments from the film with their impeccable comedy.
The surface of Parey Hut Love was polished till it sparkled while little to no attention was paid to the core – the inside of the film was hollow.
Note – This article was updated on August 1, 2020. With no new movies hitting cinemas this year due to the COVID-19 lockdown, TV channels are airing their previous releases. Parey Hut Love was 2019’s highest-grossing film.
Apart from being brilliant actresses, turns out Maya Ali and Jennifer Anniston have another thing in common: both actresses believe that 11 11 brings good luck.
Maya Ali, who often shares a screenshot of the time 11:11 on her Instagram stories, finally revealed what it symbolises. Sharing a scene from her film Teefa in Trouble, Maya said: “For all those who every time ask this question from me, what is 11:11?”
In the scene, Maya’s character Anya is telling Teefa (Ali Zafar): “If you are fortunate enough to see 11:11 on the clock, it means that the universe is sending you a message that no matter what, you don’t need to fear anything, you’re on the right path.”
“No matter how difficult times are, one you will find the true calling of your destiny.”
On the other hand, Jennifer has an 11 11 tattoo on her wrist, which she usually keeps hidden. However, in a recent live session with Friends co-star Lisa Kudrow, Anniston flashed her wrist tattoo — much to the surprise of fans and viewers.
While the actress has not yet revealed the symbolism behind her tattoo, People Magazine, quoting a source said that Anniston is “very spiritual” and believes the numbers are good luck.
The magazine further said: “The number 11 is also special to her because of her birthday (Feb 11) and Norman.” Norman was Aniston’s beloved Welsh Corgie-Terrier who died in 2011. The actor “still misses” her dog.
Yasir Hussain seems to have stirred up quite a storm with his comments on Turkish dramas and Diriliş: Ertuğrul. After Mansha Pasha and Anoushey Ashraf stepped in to defend him, more members of the entertainment industry are sharing their stance on the matter.
Osman Khalid Butt discussed how the drama series can benefit Pakistan
Without taking any names, Osman addressed Yasir’s concerns that foreign content spells death for the local industry.
“Sharing my response to a post that insinuated our jobs are under threat,” wrote Osman. “I don’t recall us actors finding ourselves jobless when Ishq-e-Mamnoon or Mera Sultan were all the rage in Pakistan.”
He further said that the series can help “create more job opportunities for local dubbing/VO artists” in Pakistan.
Osman also suggested that PTV can “use the revenue generated from this series to create our own original content”.
Sharing my response to a post that insinuated our jobs are under threat:
I don’t recall us actors finding ourselves jobless when Ishq-e-Mamnoon or Mera Sultan were all the rage in Pakistan. Nor did Turkish actors ‘infiltrate’ the local industry & replace us. – contd.
Of course, I’d love it if our national television uses the revenue generated from this series to create our own original content – shows that can rival Ertugrul in narrative if not in scale, and showcase our own historical events.
“We need to have more faith in our content, writers and work as an artist,” wrote Maya on Instagram.
Ahmed Ali Butt said that though he respected Yasir’s opinion, he did not agree with it
“One should not be crucified for voicing their concerns,” said Ahmed.
He said that Ertuğrul is a great drama which promotes Islamic values.
Butt also added that he believes that the “Government of Pakistan should grant special budgets to Pakistani production houses with specific guidelines to produce historical dramas with local talent and artists also”.
While Munib Nawaz supported Yasir and called him a true artist, Ali Kazmi said that this should be a wake up call for the industry.
Gohar Rasheed also added his ‘two cents’ on the matter
He said that “if you want job security, take ownership, and create better content. Stop being petty.”
Neelum Munir says “we should look beyond and understand its Islamic content, which has so much wisdom and teaches us the history and the values of Muslims”.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAVJnJlliTB/
Armeena Khan said that if you want to watch good Pakistani content, watch Hamza Ali Abbasi, Kubra Khan and Sajal Aly’s Alif
Yasir had urged PTV to make a historic drama using artists and technicians who pay taxes to the country.
“Landy k kapray aur Turkey k dramay, dono hee local industry ko tabah kardein gay,” the actor had written.
Following his colleagues remarks, Yasir responded saying: “Yeh humara kaam nahi hai bhai idary ka hai.”
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 3.13 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.
