Actor Mira Sethi has hit back at trolls for scrutinising her choice of dressing at the 20th Lux Style Awards. The Dil Banjaara diva took to her Instagram account to post a lengthy note to address the backlash on her attire.
“It’s always fascinating to see trolls go nuts under photos of public-facing women in dresses or costumes or anything the trolls deem ‘vulgar’, wrote Mira in an Instagram post.
“Go home. I don’t dress for you, I don’t dress for anyone or anything other than my own sense of joy and play and expansion. The men of this country are obsessed with policing women, constantly defining their ‘honour’ in relation to women’s bodies and clothing and appearance. It is a small-minded, decayed, hateful thing to do. You want to disempower us because a deep part of you is hurting and angry. I get it. It’s societal and it is ugly,” added Mira
“To the women who continue to secularize public spaces with their words and clothes and defiance: you inspire me. On the face of it, it looks merely glitzy and silly, but only those subjected to the heat of abuse know that simply by being – by asserting with our voices and bodies – we are clawing back space from rotten hierarchies of power and control,” she added.
I’ll be honest. When the first teasers of Chupke Chupke released I was not impressed. Ayeza Khan as a clumsy, 20-something bewakuf larki didn’t really appeal to me and she appeared to have no chemistry with co-star Osman Khalid Butt. Don’t get me wrong here, both actors are brilliant but somehow I was unable to connect with the show.
Though I initially decided to avoid the drama altogether, the nature of my job doesn’t really allow me to do so and soon enough Chupke Chupke memes and fan edits started popping up on my social media feeds piquing my interest. And when ten-something episodes later, Faazi (Butt) and Meenu (Khan) tie the knot against their wishes, I ended up getting hooked to the show.
The premise of Chupke Chupke is by no means simple, given the number of characters in the show. Kudos to director Danish Nawaz for dealing with the script so skillfully and straightening out the creases. Nawab Sahab, the family patriarch had two wives – Bebe (Asma Abbas) and Ama (Uzma Beg). While Nawab Sahab has passed away, both his wives live in the same house but in different portions. The two cannot stand each other and are always putting each other down even though all their grandchildren are friends. Meenu, Haadi (Arslan Naseer) Mirchi (Areesha Sultan) and Waleed are Bebe’s grandchildren, while Gul Apa (Mira Sethi), Faazi, Roomi and Mishi (Aymen Saleen) are Ama’s grandchildren. Gul Apa is married to her maternal cousin Miskeen (Ali Safina), while Roomi is married to Mani (Salman ‘Mani’ Shaikh). Tara Mahmood and Farhan Ally Agha play Meenu and Mirchi’s parents and Qavi Khan plays Nawab Sahab’s elder brother.
Meenu and Faazi, who are constantly trolling each other, are set to marry outside the family on the same day. In a dramatic turn of events, the two end up getting married to each other and from there on there’s only trouble with a capital T. From the two refusing to acknowledge the marriage and later their feelings to the two grandmothers rejecting the nikkah and calling for an annulment to a ‘khufia’ (suspicious) and rushed rukhsati in the middle of the night – it is a mad caper.
If this drama was not enough, Haadi and Mishi, popularly known as Hashi, are also interesting in getting married to each other, while Gul Apa makes sure she makes life for the new bahu living hell with the help of the other ‘evil’ sister Roomi. Gul’s husband Miskeen, staying true to his name, will do or say something silly which is bound to make you laugh out loud. All the characters are so lovable that it is terribly hard to decide which one is your favourite. But if someone puts a gun to my head and forces me to choose, I’d go with Haadi and Miskeen.
The ‘evil’ sisters minus Mishi and Ama
What makes the drama stand out, even more, is the performances. Each actor from little Mirchi to the two dadis, everyone has brought their A-game lighting up the screen and bringing so much energy that it perks up the viewer also. Like mentioned earlier, I had some reservations about Ayeza playing Meenu, but I can now say with full conviction that the actor has done complete justice to her role and despite racking my brain for other options, I couldn’t think of a better actor for this role.
Meanwhile, Safina and Naseer in particular deserve a special shoutout. Safina’s transition into Miskeen is incredible – he has performed the role with such finesse that every time he comes on screen and says “Sarkar,” I want to cheer for him – his comic timing is excellent. Similarly, Naseer has made a promising debut as Haadi delivering one sarcastic comment after another with such ease.
The drama takes a while to set the stage but once it’s set its a rollicking rollercoaster.
As far comparisons with Suno Chanda are concerned, there are plenty, but I think I’ll leave those for another day. It’s Chupke Chupke’s time in the spotlight and it’s best to let it shine.
With only a few episodes to go till the finale, I am curious to know whether Haadi and Mishi will get married and what the future holds in store for Meenu and Faazi. Will Gul Apa go to Sadiqabad with her husband and leave them in peace? Can’t wait to find out!
Ali Safina has responded to the criticism on a character he is playing in a Hum TV’s special Ramzan series Chupke Chupke.
When a social media user asked Safina how he feels about the criticism on his role of a ghar damad, the actor said: “Bhai jab Miskeen bhai apni family k saath khush hai to logon ko kya fikar hai? Chill karein sab and enjoy the show (If Miskeen is happy with his family then why are people worried? Chill and enjoy the drama).”
Bhai jab miskeen bhai apni family k sath Khush hai to logon ko Kya fikar hai? Chill karein sab and enjoy the show. https://t.co/8aDM6C073C
Safina’s character has sparked a heated debate on social media with many saying that the drama is showing sons-in-law in poor light. Safina, who plays Miskeen is married to Gul (Mira Sethi) and lives in his wife’s house with her family. His duty is to look after the kitchen and to do all the other house chores.
Miskeen’s in-laws and wife never leave a chance to insult him and mock him for being “useless” and only a burden to the family. Some viewers are unhappy with this problematic portrayal of a ghar damad.
Earlier, Osman Khalid Butt had justified the character saying that Miskeen is ridiculed because he refuses to work even though he has an opportunity to join the family business.
“And while he’s played for broad comedy, has his own arc,” he had added.
Maybe she just doesn’t…want to? I think if anything, Gul-e-Rana is in complete control of her life. I can’t believe we’re policing the choices of a fictional character?
Written by Saima Akram Chaudhry and directed by Danish Nawaz, Chupke Chupke is a comic caper involving two families. It also features Ayeza Khan, Asma Abbas, Farhan Ali Agha, Aymen Saleem, Arsalan Naseer, Mira Sethi and Tara Mahmood besides Butt and Safina.
Soul Sisters Pakistan’s (SSP) Kanwal Ahmed recently called out Chupke Chupke for portraying ghar damads in a negative light.
Ahmed, who was recently selected by Facebook as one of its 115 ‘Community Leaders’ using the social network to help others, criticised the serial for “disempowering audiences by reinforcing problematic stereotypes.”
Referring to a character (played by Ali Safina) belittled in the drama for staying with his in-laws, Ahmed said: “Such as here the ‘ghar damad‘ character is an object of constant ridicule. Only yesterday a woman on SSP was asking how she and [her] sisters can manage her old parents as none of them can move in with them.”
Trust our dramas to disempower audiences by reinforcing problematic stereotypes. Such as here the ‘ghar damad’ character is an object of constant ridicule. Only yesterday a woman on SSP was asking how she & sisters can manage her old parents as none of them can move in with them. pic.twitter.com/58F51J3Qc2
Responding to Kanwal’s tweet, Osman Khalid Butt – who plays the lead character in Chupke Chupke – said that in the context of the drama, the ‘ghar damad’ is not the victim.
“This is an interesting take. However, it’s important to mention that this ‘ghar damad‘ refuses to work despite being offered a job in the family business. He isn’t with his in-laws because of financial (or any) duress and while he’s played for broad comedy, he has his own arc,” said Butt.
This is an interesting take; however it’s important to mention this ‘ghar damad’ refuses to work despite being offered a job in the family business, isn’t with his in-laws because of financial (or any) duress, & while he’s played for broad comedy, has his own arc.
Ahmed, in response, argued the character’s incompetence is to deliberately put him in a bad light to validate age-old stereotypes.
“My concern though is that comedy that identifies with problematic, existing stereotypes reinforces them in society. For example, how many men would want to be ‘ghar damads’ after watching this?” questioned Kanwal.
Thanks for the response Osman. My concern though is that comedy that identifies with problematic, existing stereotypes reinforces it in society. For example how many men would want to be ghar damads after watching this?
Agreeing with Ahmed that the stereotype was not as nuanced as it should have been, Butt said: “But viewers will also be considering the fact that his wife is shown to be quite obviously dominating / demeaning (which she’s called out on, albeit in a comedic manner). And he’s a slacker, no?”
I understand that this isn’t a nuanced take on the stereotype but viewers will also be considering the fact that his wife is shown to be quite obviously dominating/demeaning (which she’s called out on, albeit in a comedic manner), and he’s a slacker, no?
Though the two are yet to reach a cohesive conclusion, it won’t be wrong to say our TV screens are yet to project behaviour that does not conform to societal norms in a positive light.
Written by Saima Akram Chaudhry, Chupke Chupke is a story of two families of late Daar Ji (grandfather), who married twice. The first wife Bebe (Asma Abbas) is a Punjabi woman and the second wife Bakhto (Uzma Beg) is Saraiki. Both gave birth to two children (hilariously emphasizing his equal treatment of wives) and unfortunately, both lost one of their children. We see Farhan Ally Agha as Bebe’s stingy son who has two daughters; Meenu (Ayeza Khan) and Muneeba aka Mirchi. On the other hand, Fahad aka Fazi and Gul (Osman Khalid Butt and Mira Sethi) are twin siblings and grandchildren of Bakhto.
If this seems confusing to you, embrace for more actors: Hadi and Wali (Arslan Naseer and Aadi Khan) are brothers, Ali Safina (Gul’s husband and a ghar damaad), Mishi (Aymen), and Roomi as OB’s sisters.
Mahira Khan, in a recent interview,opened up and revealed why she attends the Aurat March every year and what are the three things she finds attractive in a man.
“I think it is necessary for me [to go to Aurat March] because I think when I do something, no matter how small it is, it leaves an impact,” said the actor. “So when I go to Aurat March, what I’m actually trying to say is ‘Look, if you like me and if you think what I say means something if you think I that I’m on the right side of history, or whatever you think of me, this is also what I believe in, this is why I’m here.’”
“Honestly, mere Aurat March jaane se itna ziada kuch nae hota siwaye iske ke it creates an impact,” added Mahira.
Mahira also shared her thoughts on the Mera Jism Meri Marzi slogan saying: “It [the slogan] doesn’t mean that I want to rip off my clothes. It means that I’m a whole person. This is my body, and if you are looking at me and I’m not feeling comfortable about it, I have the right to say that don’t look at me. Or if you are trying to touch me I can report you, because yeh mera jism hai, aur yeh meri marzi hai [it’s my body, and I have complete right over it].”
During the interview, Mahira also shared that while growing up her parents gave her the freedom to make her own judgments.
Meanwhile, answering a question about three things she finds attractive in a man, Mahira said: “I find both men and women attractive when they are at complete peace with themselves.”
“Secondly, I love sense of humour”, shared Mahira. “I like someone who makes me laugh and if someone is not making me laugh then I make them laugh.”
“Thirdly I like it when a man truly respects a woman,” added the actor.
Though Mahira keeps her personal life tightly under wraps, designer Hassan Sheheryar Yasin, in a quarantine live session accidentally revealed the name of Mahira’s beau and cajoled her into opening up about him.
When HSY asked Mahira how she feels when she looks into his eyes, Mahira said: “There’s a line in Humsafar, which I thought was beautiful, where Ashar says to Khirad, ‘Pata nahi tum mujhe kis naiki kay badlay main milli ho.’ I think the same about him. I must have done something good in my life.”
Meanwhile, Mahira has recently ventured into production with a web series titled Baarwan Khiladi. The actor has set up a production house Soulfry Films with her friend and producer Nina Kashif. Baarwan Khiladi will be their first project together.
Saboor Aly has expressed that she is a “proud sister” after Sajal Aly bagged a role in Jemima Goldsmith’s upcoming production What Love Got to do with It?. Sajal will be sharing the screen with Emma Thompson, Lily James, Shabana Azmi, and Shazad Latif in the upcoming film directed by Shekhar Kapur.
Sharing the news on Instagram, Saboor congratulated her sister, writing: “Proud sister. Your hard work paid off. We believe that sky is your limit, so go out and spread your wings and soar high.”
Meanwhile, Sajal’s colleagues and other Pakistani celebrities including Humayun Saeed, Mahira Khan, Bilal Abbas Khan, Ali Rehman Khan, Zara Noor Abbas and Yasir Hussain celebrated Sajal’s big achievement and congratulated the actor on achieving the milestone.
Humayun and Mahira said that this was a very proud moment for them.
What a proud moment for Pakistan; many congratulations to you Sajal. Your tremendous hard work and passion has brought you here and will take you further insha Allah. May you continue to shine @Iamsajalalihttps://t.co/xUUJEzZUEt
Jemima also shared that her and Prime Minister Imran Khan’s sons Qasim and Suleman are ecstatic that musician Asim C has agreed to be part of the film.
There are only two people more excited than me that @AsimC86 has agreed to be in this film- my two sons- who are massive fans. https://t.co/VtRhojGI9b
Written and produced under Goldsmith’s production house, Instinct Productions, What’s Love got to do with It? is set between London and South Asia and will explore cross-cultural conflicts of love and marriage.
A release date for the film has not yet been announced.
Pakistan former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has opened up about his spiritual side. While the cricketer, also referred to as the Rawalpindi Express is known for his aggression and hard talk, in an interview insisted on revealing another side of himself.
In the recent interview with Mira Sethi, Shoaib said, “In my life I have been taking lessons from Islamic scholars. I have read Islamic books for knowledge.”
“Then the fantasy of life started again. From the age of 16 till 36, I left everything and lived my life. I saw the world,” he continued.
He further said: “I’m not a scholar, but I’m very close to my religion. Our religion gives us freedom and advises us to give freedom to others too. Our forefathers were brilliant personalities as they were very close to our religion. I have even visited Karbala and it was a great experience.”
Talking about women and their choice of clothing, he said, “If you can’t help women at least give them space. Whatever they wear, it is between them and their Allah. Who are you to say anything? [Tum mamay lagtay ho? Saray thanaydar ban kay aa jatay ho].”
Talking about his wife, he said that she does the niqab and that it is her own decision.
Hira Mani has expressed her disappointment with Iqra Aziz, Sarah Khan, Sajal Aly and Mira Sethi for not inviting her to their weddings.
In a recent interview with actor and host Mira, Hira said that Pakistani celebrities don’t invite her to their weddings. Naming all those who didn’t invite her, Hira remarked that her colleagues don’t invite her because they don’t consider her as their friend.
Pointing her guns at the host, Hira said, “You didn’t invite me to your wedding, Sajaldidn’t invite me to her wedding, Sarah [Khan] did the same and Iqra also didn’t invite me.”
“I don’t know why I am not being invited to weddings? Maybe I am not their friend,” said the actor.
Sethi right away apologised to Hira and said that she had invited people via WhatsApp, and people who were on her contact list got the invitation.
“Please forgive me, I forgot to invite you to my wedding because I cannot even say that I will invite you next time,” said Mira.
In reply to this, Hira said, “Don’t worry, I will invite everyone to Muzammil’s (Hira’s sons) wedding.”
Gone are the days when fans would glue themselves to television screens just to get the slightest glimpse of their favorite celebrity’s personal life. God bless Instagram for ensuring that we all are a click away from stalking our favorite celebrities, giving birth to our own online identities, participating in influential social media movements, and being the Emilys in our own virtual Paris.
However, such accessibility comes with heavy responsibility which intensifies in the case of celebrities. From being an average application for posting pictures to becoming a social media giant, Instagram, and its management is now an art. So, let’s dive in and analyze how well our Pakistani celebrities have succeeded in influencing fans through their Instagram feeds. The analysis will take place through the Current ranking edition where you can find an exclusively ranked scorecard highlighting the top and the bottom three Instagram feeds of Pakistani celebrities.
The magic formula for Instagrammy perfection combines just the right proportion of posts featuring everyday adventures, western and eastern dressing styles, catchy captions, precise bios, a classy overall outlook, adequate interactivity with the followers through comments or live sessions, and lastly, a unique special strategy which sets your feed apart from all the others. The perfect score sums up to a total of 16 points with 2 points per category.
If you’re done taking notes, scroll down to see which three best and worst Instagram feeds have made it to the Scorecard. Remember, you are what your Insta feed is!
Disclaimer: Nothing Personal
Mahira Khan: 12 / 16
Although Mahira doesn’t post frequently about her everyday adventures and uses lengthy and boring letters involving her emotional experiences as captions, the girl checks all other boxes for a perfect Instagram account. Her work, individualism and nature-oriented posts give a nostalgic outlook to the feed. Popular instances of interactivity include 2018’s incident when Mahira ended up gifting her Eid outfit to a fan who expressed a desire to wear that dress in the comment section of Mahira’s Eid post. Mahira may reply to your comments as well, you never know! This feed neutralizes its western dimension which stems from a preference for western clothing by a traditional aspect added by her bio titled ‘Funkaar’.
Besides, who could not like the post featuring her incredibly hot gown for Cannes 2018? Everything aside, the point winner for Mahira’s Instagram feed is her special strategy which never lets the glory of her old characters die as fans are constantly reminded of her signature roles like Khirad (Humsafar) or Falak (Shehr-e-Zaat) via her posts. You go, girl!
Aiman Muneeb: 9.5 / 16
Acknowledging the fact that Aiman does not have a striking bio and she rarely replies to comments, her frequent highlights about travelling (Florence, Dubai, Lahore etc.), diet plans and lunch dates really capture the interest of the followers. Her feed maintains a traditional outlook with family-oriented posts about sister dates, her daughter, husband, and mother. Aiman doesn’t shy away from influencing fashion trends by posing in stunning trench coats and desi kurta shalwar. The most captivating part about this feed is its brief, catchy and impactful captions like, “Be your own muse”. All the aforementioned qualities help Aiman skillfully market her special strategy which revolves around the ‘keeping it real’ vibe of a young girl getting the best of both worlds. This strategy does a remarkable job in attracting all those Pakistani girls who dream of making it big, just like our Aiman did.
Ayeza Khan: 3.0 / 16
Jeez, that score’s pretty low but what could we do. The raw bio and majorly sponsored posts and highlights make this feed seem more like a wedding photo album than a celebrity’s feed. Don’t believe us? Try stalking this diva and all you’ll find are some breathtaking but clichéd and glossed up pictures of Ayeza in designer clothes. Her audience interactivity was pretty low until she dedicated a video post to her fans on October 3, 2020, just to let them know that she does read all their messages and comments but is unable to reply due to her busy schedule. This actor does get a decent score for her special strategy through which induced temporary curiosity among her fans. What was it?
On May 3, 2019, Ayeza made headlines by turning her Instagram private after reaching 3.1 million followers. In her own words she “wanted fans not followers” …for a short while though. This move did get her Instagram account under the spotlight. Master stroke, indeed.
And here comes the #ouch part. Below are the ranks and scores of three of Pakistan’s least followed celeb accounts on Instagram according to The Current Scorecard. The grading criteria remains the same, however, there’s a twist. Here, we have graded every category out of -2 with 0 being the highest (which means no damage done) and -2 being the lowest. The maximum score obtainable is -16. By the way, to compensate for the brutal critical analysis, The Current has given #free suggestions to help improve the feeds. So scroll down to discover who has done the most irrecoverable damage (it’s predictable though).
Meera Jee: -15.5 / -16
This feed seems outdated as videos that could have sufficed well as highlights can be seen featuring everyone but herself. Where to begin! Absolute lack of audience interactivity, lack of defined styling preferences in the very few solos posted, and a bio that seems more like a nice and concise resume are just a few of the Instagram blunders we have identified. The whole concept of public engagement seems to have been turned upside down. You’ll see plenty of posts featuring people without adequate description. For instance, did you see the post regarding a gentleman who “is a very creative man in the world of educational”?
Also, dedicating a video post to Zulfi Bukhari without having him or herself in either of them is nothing but awkward. The Current’s Instagram feed takes inspiration from this people-oriented feed to improve as news media because you shall find random posts regarding celebrities’ birthdays, deaths, marriage anniversaries, award nominations, COVID-19 test results, and makeup reviews. Moreover, we all know the major issue with captions. In the broader picture, let us ponder over the unreasonable motivation to be who we aren’t meant to be.
Free suggestion for improvement: Be Yourself
Embracing yourself and being comfortable in your skin can make you a stronger personality to be marketed on Instagram. Instead of promoting others in a language that is not exactly your expertise, why not try writing captions in Roman Urdu or Urdu? Also, we recommend using your amazing solos from your highlights as posts. After all, your fans want to see the iconic celebrity in you!
Sanam Jung: -9.5/16
Ladies and gentlemen welcome to the Jaago Pakistan Jaago feed. Although Sanam’s Instagram feed seems to have a balanced mix of work-oriented posts with a tinge of everyday adventures, it lacks maintenance. You’ll see plenty of grid photos highlighting workout routines, travelling experiences, notable literature preferences and many more, but the absence of relevant captions seem to confuse the followers between sponsored and non-sponsored content. Almost all posts uniformly follow Eastern styling trends only. Additionally, choosing a list-like format for a lengthy bio is never a good option as self-descriptions should be different from grocery lists, don’t you think? Despite zero audience interactivity, this feed might capture the attention of female fans of morning shows with its content about family adventures; however, it fails to properly grip the admiration of other genders. We expect more from you, Sanam!
Free suggestion for improvement: Get Out of the Box
Instagram can be your best resort to help separate the real you from the “the stereotyped Pakistani beti/bahu” identity of yours, thanks to the morning show fandom. We suggest you to start promoting individualism in your feed because we are sure that there’s another amazing side of the ever-empowered Sanam, which the world is yet to see.
Mira Sethi: -2.0/-16
This feed has a soothing outlook as is laden with life-oriented posts appreciating humanity, family, poetry, music, art and culture. Seeing Mira play sports or hug her pets in vividly colored sarees and some classic tank gives us an exotic feel. With brief and multi-lingual captions and a perfect bio, this lady does a considerably good job of interacting with the audience as she asks them for their reviews on her drama episodes (Yeh Dil Mera) and more. However, all these plus-points dim in comparison with a major flaw related to mass appeal. This feed does an outstanding job in luring elite Urdu/English literature enthusiasts and Pakistanis settled abroad. Unfortunately, that makes up the narrowest segment of the Pakistani population. While posts about Californian parks or #BlackLivesMatter are immensely appreciated, sadly, they will fail to interest a regular Pakistani, who can barely relate with them.
Free suggestion for improvement: Go more desi
Your Instagram displays the progressive mentality that we all hope to see among the Pakistani population one day. However, today isn’t that day and the best you can do is make your target audience inclusive of all Pakistani population segments because we all deserve to discover the charismatic international face of our country.
