Tag: Omair Rana

  • Omair Rana rejects allegations of harassment, will take matter to FIA

    Omair Rana rejects allegations of harassment, will take matter to FIA

    Omair Rana, who was accused of sexual harassment by some students of Lahore Grammar School (LGS) 1A1 Ghalib Market Branch, has rejected all such allegations and has said that he will be filing a complaint with the Federal Investigation Authority (FIA) against those who have wrongfully accused him. Female students of LGS 1A1 had alleged that Rana would pass inappropriate jokes and comments and make them feel uncomfortable. They also said that he flirted with young girls and exchanged inappropriate texts.

    The actor, in a Twitter update added that “sexual harassment is a heinous crime and should be treated with the seriousness that it deserves”.

    On June 28, dozens of girls came forward with accounts of harassment and inappropriate behaviour by teachers at LGS 1A1 Ghalib Market Branch. The management of the school, including female teachers, also came under fire for brushing the matter under the carpet for years. Among those teachers accused of covering up was Omair’s wife Maira Omair Rana, who was later suspended for abetting in the acts. It is pertinent to mention here that most of the girls studying at the school were minors at the time.

    Such incidents had reportedly been going on for the past four or five years and the victims had been reporting the matter to the admin and their teachers. However, they took no action and resorted to victim-blaming. Strict action was only taken after the girls shared their ordeal on social media and the matter became public.

    According to details, students have come forward and shared their experiences of being harassed by three teachers namely Aitezaz Rehman Sheikh, Umer Shareef and Zahid Iqbal Warraich. All three teachers were fired soon after the allegations surfaced.

    Following the uproar on social media, Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari had said that she has taken serious notice of the allegations. The Punjab government had also said that they will hand exemplary punishments to the perpetrators and make an example of them.

    Meanwhile, Chairman Senate Committee on Human Rights and PPP Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar said that the HR Committee has taken notice of the matter and will be discussing it on July 22. Sharing details, he said that concerned parents will be allowed to join the meeting.

  • ‘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.

    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.

  • Vasay Chaudhry, Omair Rana slam Punjab Govt spokesperson for making derogatory remarks against Shafaat Ali

    Vasay Chaudhry, Omair Rana slam Punjab Govt spokesperson for making derogatory remarks against Shafaat Ali

    A member of the Punjab government Usman Saeed Basra called Shafaat Ali a marasi (a derogatory term used to refer to artists) after the comedian prayed for PML-N President Mian Shehbaz Sharif’s – who recently tested positive for COVID-19 – good health. Basra’s Twitter bio says he is a spokesperson of the Punjab govt and Secretary Information PTI Punjab.

    Basra’s derogatory remarks irked Vasay Chaudhry, Omair Rana and Ali Zafar, who slammed him for it and urged Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar to look into the matter.

    Vasay added that it is not just about one person but is about the entire entertainment fraternity.

    Fellow journalists and anchors also stood up for Ali.

  • ‘Pyar Ke Sadkay’ goes from ‘aik tarfa pyaar’ to a love triangle

    ‘Pyar Ke Sadkay’ goes from ‘aik tarfa pyaar’ to a love triangle

    I’m pretty sure that this is the umpteenth review on Pyar Ke Sadkay you’re reading because this romantic comedy has been trending all around. The drama has received rave reviews from audiences and critics alike and has gone onto become one of the most popular dramas currently on-air. When the drama first aired, it didn’t really seem like my cup of tea so I skipped watching it and caught a few glimpses here and there, enough for me to understand what the story was about. However, after reading glowing reviews, I decided to jump the bandwagon and give it a watch. And let’s just say two episodes in, I figured out why.

    Read more – Bushra Ansari says she is done with ‘saas-bahu’ dramas

    Pyar Ke Sadkay is about two simpletons Abdullah and Mahjabeen who, due to a twist of fate, end up getting married to each other. Abdullah — played by Bilal Abbas Khan — is a shy, under-confident young man who lives in the shadow of his stepfather, Sarwar (Omair Rana). He does anything and everything to win his stepfather’s approval, who uses his simplicity to manipulate him. He is in love with his classmate Shanze (Yashma Gill) who isn’t interested in him (until now) and belittles him when he asks for her hand in marriage. Hence, the ‘aik tarfa pyaar‘. It’s obviously not as intense as the one we saw in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, but just for reference.

    Abdullah

    On the other hand, Mahjabeen (Yumna Zaidi) is the daughter of an accountant who works in Sarwar’s office. She doesn’t want to study and hopes to get married so she that can avoid giving her matric exams. Mahjabeen is all set to marry Dr Hammad (Khalid Malik) but when he ditches her, a heartbroken Abdullah steps in to marry her and save her izzat. As the two begin their wedded life and start developing feelings for each other, Shanze also gets married to a narcissist and when her marriage doesn’t turn out to be the way she imagined, she is impressed by Abdullah’s attitude towards his wife and sets her sights on him — giving birth to a love triangle.

    Mahjabeen

    As they say, ‘jorian asmano main banti hain’, Mahjabeen and Abdullah are perfect for one another and their compatibility has been perfectly encapsulated with Bilal and Yumna’s chemistry which is lit. Atiqa Odho, who plays Bilal’s mother in the drama has even compared their chemistry to Mahira Khan and Fawad Khan’s in Humsafar and I have to say that I do agree with her to an extent. Playing simple and comic characters is never easy but both the actors have outdone themselves with their performances. The romance between the two leads is perhaps the main reason why this drama has made it into the hearts of the audiences. It is so innocent, yet so endearing that you can’t help but sigh. Add to that, a strong performance by Rana as the devilish Sarwar and you have a winning team.

    Sarwar

    Meanwhile, the writing and direction is also brilliant. The dialogues are fun and witty and each scene has been well thought out and director Farooq Rind has made sure that everyone puts forward their best fronts. Another thing I’d like to point out here that the drama is not without a message. The writer and director have neatly weaved the concept of harassment into the storyline making the drama a perfect example of how to use entertainment to create awareness without making it sound like a sermon.

    Pyar Ke Sadkay is a delightful watch and one you should definitely watch while in isolation because it is bound to put a smile on your face and make you forget about ‘corona times’ for a while.

    The drama also features Khalid Anam, Gul e Rana, Shermeen Ali, Danish Aqeel, Ashan Mohsin among others and airs every Thursday at 8 pm on Hum TV.