Neelam Muneer Khan has recovered from the novel coronavirus after a two-week battle.
In a video posted to Instagram, Neelam said: “I am doing fine after recovering from the virus. I will make another video soon to tell people about the diet I was on during the two weeks I remained in self-isolation.”
She also thanked everyone for their prayers and encouragement.
“This has been one of the most challenging and difficult things that personally me and my family have ever had to endure,” Neelam had shared at the time.
It appears that Aagha Ali is controversy’s favourite child right now because days after being called out for promoting fatphobia, the actor has come under fire for stereotyping Pathans and commenting that they never speak calmly. Though Agha reportedly passed these remarks five years ago while appearing on a TV show, they recently went viral on social media sparking outrage. Audiences accused Ali of disrespecting Pathans. In the video which is being widely circulated on social media, Aagha can be heard joking with Neelam Muneer and commenting that Pathans can never speak calmly.
Following the backlash, Aagha apologised for his comments and requested everyone not to spread hate.
“Firstly, I apologise to anyone who has been hurt with my comments”, said the actor. “I was sharing a light moment with my friend Neelam Muneer. She laughed really hard herself as she knew my intentions. But if anyone is hurt, I sincerely apologise for my comments.”
The actor in a follow-up tweet said that he also complimented Pathans on the same show.
Mene kai shows main kaha hai .. “ Pathan Pakistan ki Sab se mehenti qaum hai “ Afsos kay esi baatein log viral nahi kartay.. kher .. mene ek Pathan Prime Minister ko vote Diya tha .. tou main tou Pathano ko itna qabil samjhta hoon… may Allah Bless Pakistan #DontSpreadHate
Later, responding to a followers, Agha said, “Pathan tou Pakistan ki backbone hai.”
I care about every single fan I have and I love em all equally .. it is sad how social media changes the whole scenario behind things .. I had a Pathan guest who’s a friend . She was not offended but still .. I think no one should be .. Pathan Tou Pakistan Ki Backbone hai
Every now and then Pakistani dramas touch upon topics of social issues which highlight societal ills. The latest to do so is Bikhray Moti starring Neelam Muneer, Wahaj Ali, Yasir Nawaz, Samina Ahmed and Nausheen Shah. The drama, which airs on ARY Digital aims to highlight domestic and child abuse and exploitation. It is raw, unfiltered in a few places and honest which is why it makes a depressing watch.
Ayeza
Bikhray Moti is centred on Ayeza (Neelam Munir), the daughter of an abusive and misogynistic father (Waseem Abbas) who believes daughters to be a burden. He is ruthless and egotistical and doesn’t appear to care much about the women of his house. Ayeza’s elder sister Faiza (Nausheen Shah) is married to Zulfi (Yasir Nawaz), who is lafanga (useless person). Faiza and Zulfi have three children together and are expecting a fourth but due to Faiza’s weakness and years of abuse, she is unable to give birth to the child and passes away in the process. Before dying, she entrusts Ayeza to take care of her children and save them from their father, who will also not hesitate to use them for his gains. Ayeza vows to become independent and financially stable so that she can take care of them and fulfil the promise she made to her sister.
After Faiza’s death, Zulfi takes his children back home much to Ayeza’s protests and hands them over to his mother (Samina Ahmed) because he can’t be bothered to take care of them. The children’s grandmother sends her elder grandson Jaanu to Hyderabad to work at Zulfi’s brother’s shop and decides to sell her teenage granddaughter Shehzadi to an older man in marriage.
On the other hand, Ahad (Wahaj Ali) is Ayeza’s childhood friend and neighbour who she loves very much and wants to get married to. He is the son of a maulvi sahab and wants to become an actor much to his father’s disapproval. Ahad also loves Ayeza and is willing to go any length for her. Wahaj has done a fantastic job as Ahad: he is soft-spoken, warm and gives a very measured performance which deserves an applause.
Ahad
Ahad and Ayeza plan to run away and get married. However, before that can happen, Zulfi’s manipulative brother and Ayeza’s father plot to trick Ayeza into marrying Zulfi. While the earlier episodes have been slow-paced, the latest one (Episode 9) was packed with action, masala and a lot of slaps to get the momentum going. Ayeza’s father abhors her defiant and independent nature and despite knowing Zulfi is useless, insists on getting his daughter married to him to teach her a lesson. Over the course of his career, Waseem Abbas has perfected the role of a heartless father and his performance as Ayeza’s father is no less.
Given that the central theme of the drama is domestic and child abuse, there is a lot of it in the drama, in graphic detail. The honesty with which it is presented is a true reflection of society and is bound to shake you up, especially given how cases of child abuse have been on the rise in the past couple of years.
While the lead actors have given solid performances, it is the child actors who stand out in the drama especially Jaanu. They have delivered brilliant performances and are so convincing that you end up feeling every emotion with them.
Jaanu
Bikharay Moti is not everyone’s piece of cake and takes a lot of courage to watch. Written by Edison Idrees and directed by Shahid Shafaat,it every Tuesday at 8pm on ARY Digital.
While on one hand stars are debating over whether Turkish series Diriliş: Ertuğrul should be aired in Pakistan or not, on the other hand, we are witnessing a heartwarming exchange between actors of both the countries.
In a recent Instagram post, Neelam Muneer discussed how watching the series is “like reading a book which is full of great history of Muslims”.
“Even though I respect views of everyone in my fraternity but I feel it’s not the matter of Turkish content or Pakistani content,” wrote Neelam. “We should look beyond and understand that its Islamic content, which has so much wisdom and teaches us the history and the values of Muslims.”
She added, “Let’s just feel proud of our Islamic heritage and get motivated and also create content in Pakistan which we should also be proud of.”
Neelam’s post caught the attention of Gülsim Ali, who plays Aslıhan Hatun, younger sister of Ural Bey and Aliyar Bey, in the super hit series.
“Thank you for the nice compliments,” replied Ali. “Love you and your heart is so beautiful, wish you all the best.”
The exchange did not end there. Neelam responded and hoped that Gülsim will be able to visit Pakistan one day, who said she would love to.
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 3.5 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.
Neelam Muneer and Imran Ashraf’s Kahin Deep Jalay is halfway through and though the drama is problematic at points and follows the typical nand-bhabi jealousy, it is still a fun, masalaydaar watch and works.
Written by Qaisra Hayat and directed by Saima Waseem, Kahin Deep Jalay is centred on Rida, played by Neelam Muneer, who is the only sister of three brothers. Her brothers and mother, played by Saba Faisal, dot on her and pamper her to no extent. Despite that she is not a spoiled brat. Rida’s brother Fahaam is married to their Khala’s daughter Shamila, played by Nazish Jahangir, who is the main antagonist in the plot. Shamila bhabhi is a materialistic woman and is super jealous of Rida because of the love and attention she receives from her brothers. Let’s just say her middle name is ‘troublemaker’.
On the other hand, we have the humble Zeeshan, played by Imran Ashraf, an ordinary guy from a middle-class background. He sees Rida at her brother’s wedding and falls head over heels in love with her. Eventually Rida and Zeeshan get married and begin their new life together. The latest episode shows the beginning of their new life and sets the grounds for the troubles that are to come.
While the plot is typical, the heavy dose of masala and dramatic dialogues coupled with superb acting make it a fun and entertaining watch. The drama is perfect for those times when you feel like watching something that doesn’t require too much attention or brain cells.
All the lead actors have performed brilliantly and Imran particularly has slipped into his character of a romantic hero with ease. His expressions and the way he shies away everytime he sees Rida are brilliant. Nazish as the spiteful and vengeful Shamila bhabhi is also great – you cannot help but hate her character.
Fahaam bhai and Shamila bhabi
Meray Paas Tum Ho may be the drama everyone is talking about these days, but Kahin Deep Jalay is not too far behind either – the drama is usually trending at number four or five on Youtube and has a couple of millions views on each episode. If you’re the sort of person who likes their dramas to be extra, slightly Star-plussy (I just made up that word) and full of masala, you’ll definitely enjoy Kahin Deep Jalay.
It airs every Thursday at 8pm on Geo Entertainment.
Actor Neelam Muneer has expressed concern over Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s Azadi March speech, wherein the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) had mentioned “institutions’ support to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government” and sought Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s resignation.
Taking to Instagram, Muneer said she respected all religious scholars, but the country could not afford anarchy.
“I highly respect all religious scholars from the bottom of my heart. I seek guidance from their lectures and speeches on [a] daily basis. Today, Maulana Sahib, threatening to arrest Imran Khan from his house, broke my heart,” she wrote.
“Our country can’t afford anarchy or civil disobedience. We the youth need to take charge of our destiny and the only way to do that is to not listen to anyone who wants to create chaos in Pakistan.”
She further urged youngsters to unite against all entities “trying to destroy Pakistan.”
