In a world where friendships are tested in cut throat industries, Ehd-e Wafa remains a timeless story of loyalty, love, and adventure. Five years after the serial aired on our screens, it continues to be a cult favourite.
Ehd-e-Wafa star Osman Khalid Butt shared a nostalgic story on his Instagram account with the caption, “Incredibly proud of what all of you have gone on to achieve and that we created a bit of magic with this. All of us, cast and crew your fellow mischief-maker.”
The drama is written by Mustafa Afridi and Saife Hassan, produced by Momina Duraid Production.
When someone’s life doesn’t follow the usual path, people start asking questions. Actor Hina Bayat does not have children and when she was on Maliha Rehman’s show, she was asked about why she doesn’t have children. She was very open as always and revealed that “Yes , my husband and I always wanted to have children, but this was not in Allah’s plans. We were always enough for each other, and our life was beautiful and complete.”
She also shared, “I might have more support today if I had kids and there would be less loneliness. But on the other hand, the children would be college age and I would have had added pressures. So, I am thankful to Allah SWT for not putting me under any pressure. She also spoke about Madiha Imam and Osman Khalid Butt who she has a close bond with and said, “they are like my kids.”
It’s polling day across Pakistan. People are turning up at polling stations to cast their votes, and celebrities are right in there too.
Many Pakistani stars, including Hamza Ali Abbasi, Ayeza Khan, Khalid Anam, Hina Bayat, Kashif Mehmood, Afzal Khan, Sahiba, Osman Khalid Butt, Mahira Khan, Nadia Hussain, Naveen Waqar have already voted. Hina Bayat gave a special message, asking everyone to vote quickly.
Below, you’ll see some pictures and videos of them taking part in the elections.
The Pakistani government is set to deport more than 90,000 Afghan refugees by November 1, prompting protests among civil rights activists. Actors, too, are condemning the expulsion. Viral videos show Afghan children in tears as they say goodbye to their friends, expressing sadness over being deported.
Your Namak (Salt) was enough. Thanks everyone. An Afghan student says goodbye to his classmates. pic.twitter.com/DSg16wBeKv
Actress Sanam Saeed has appealed to the government of Pakistan asking that in light of circumstances around the world, Pakistanis must extend their kindness to people seeking shelter in this country.
“Deporting refugees who seek shelter here will not make our fundamental issues go away. It looks like we are deflecting blame from challenges that the govt or the country overall is facing. At a time like this in the world right now, we need to show more mercy.”
Deporting refugees who seek shelter here will not make our fundamental issues go away. It looks like we are deflecting blame from challenges that the govt or the country overall is facing. At a time like this in the world right now, we need to show more mercy. @GovtofPakistan
Veteran actress Nadia Jamil expressed her outrage over a post showing how Afghan children were taken to court and treated as criminals. She shared Osman Khalid Butt’s post and wrote “Statelessness. Their crime is their families Afghan refugee past. Most of them were born here.”
Statelessness. Their crime is their families Afghan refugee past. Most of them were born here. @taherahasan@valekhan please correct me and throw some light on this for us. https://t.co/5Ny6gS6tUd
Columnist Fatima Bhutto shared a video of an Afghan child tearfully saying goodbye to his classmates as he was set to be deported. In the caption she wrote: “This is just wrong of Pakistan. It’s inhumane. We must protect the Afghan refugees of this country and allow them a chance to rebuild their lives.”
On 17 October, Israeli jets bombed the al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza, where countless Palestinians had sought medical treatment and refuge from the ongoing genocide. Reports say that the strike was the deadliest attack committed by Israel in its history, with 500 confirmed dead and the death toll rising, according to Al-Jazeera.
Celebrities like Ushna Shah and Osman Khalid Butt took to social media to express their outrage at the world’s apathy towards the Palestinian genocide.
Ushna Shah wrote: “A hospital. A HOSPITAL! What do we boycott? Where do we strike? What do we do? Someone tell me what to do! All I am able to do currently is pray and cry to my Lord, hold my dear ones close and write on this platform. Someone tell us what to do, where to begin.”
A hospital. A HOSPITAL!
What do we boycott? Where do we strike? What do we do? Someone tell me what to do! All I am able to do currently is pray and cry to my Lord, hold my dear ones close and write on this platform. Someone tell us what to do, where to begin.
British-Pakistani boxer Amir Khan shared videos of the sea of dead bodies found after the bombing, and expressed his grief over the loss of lives in Gaza.
Hundreds of Palestinians including children and womens have been killed in an attack on Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza. This is the first time the Israeli warplane targets a hospital. According to the Ministry of Health, at least 850 Palestinians have been injured & many dead pic.twitter.com/Gfe7mhjw7A
Actor Osman Khalid Butt is always advocating for relevant topics, especially women rights and misogyny. The Baaji star came under scrutiny post his performance at LSA’22, where alleged domestic abuser Feroze Khan was awarded in the Best Actor category.
After his performance, he received a hefty amount of criticism for ‘siding with abusers’ about which, he has released a statement today that clears the air about his stance. He stated that he was contacted more than a week before the ceremony to perform and co-host a segment. At that time, nominations weren’t announced.
In response to those who still have questions, and those who passed judgment. Here’s what happened. pic.twitter.com/0rjwkHtHkd
‘My only reservation, which I made clear before agreeing was that I could not attend, let alone perform at the ceremony if Feroze was present there (which has nothing to do with his acting prowess, and everything to do with the very serious allegations levied by his ex-wife), and I was assured that he would not. That commitment was honored.” He wrote.
He further elaborated that he got his hosting segment freed of ‘controversial nominations’.
‘I will continue to raise my voice: feminism is not a brand I wear, it is ingrained in my very being.’ He concluded.
Earlier this year Osman clapped back to an age-shaming troll on his Instagram handle. The netizen took a dig at the Chupke Chupke star by stating that he has started to look like an “uncle.”
The Diyar-e-Dil hero replied by saying, “Catching up to you, aren’t I?”.
Last year, Butt shared a comment by Zahid Ahmed in which the latter said that Pakistani television is okay with showing violence but not intimacy, Butt received a message from a social media user who alleged that the actors use this as a “pathetic excuse to get physical with female actors”.
“We can slap women on TV but can’t show intimacy,” Zahid had said in a recent interview. Osman shared his colleague’s statement with the caption: “Strange indeed.”
Replying to Butt’s story, an Instagram user messaged: “Just a pathetic excuse to get physical with female actors. Not to mention the influence it has on society and especially on young children and teens.”
Instead of ignoring the comment, Osman decided to school the troll explaining that “intimacy is just not sex”.
“Yeah so reactions like this are wholly predictable,” said Butt.
Elaborating further, the actor said: “First off: intimacy is not just sex. Secondly, I’d rather my child see a healthy intimate relationship between fictional spouses than, you know, physical abuse being normalized.”
“The nerve to talk about ‘influence’,” he concluded.
In a separate interview, while sharing where the desire to speak about women-related issues comes from Butt said: “Artists have a responsibility [to speak out] because art is very socially relevant, and I think good art creates empathy and empathy is required to bring [social] change.”
The government of Pakistan banned Saim Sadiq’s Oscar contender “Joyland” for containing “highly objectionable” material, earlier this month.
An order dated Nov. 11 from Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting says that the country’s censor board had granted a censor certificate to the film on Aug. 17. But it has since reversed the decision.
“Written complaints were received that the film contains highly objectionable material which do not conform with the social values and moral standards of our society and is clearly repugnant to the norms of ‘decency and morality’ as laid down in Section 9 of the Motion Picture Ordinance, 1979,” the order states. “Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 9(2) (a) of the said Ordinance and after conducting a comprehensive inquiry, the Federal Government declares the feature film titled ‘Joyland’ as an uncertified film for the whole of Pakistan in the cinemas which fall under the jurisdiction of CBFC with immediate effect.”
Head of Prime Minister of Pakistan’s Strategic Reforms, Salman Sufi publicly requested the current federal minister of Information & Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb to review the ban and meet the film’s team.
PM @CMShehbaz has constituted a high level committee to assess #Joyland and review its ban.
The committee will assess the complaints as well as merits to decide on its release in Pakistan.
— Salman Sufi (Get New Covid Booster Today) (@SalmanSufi7) November 14, 2022
Sufi later revealed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has constituted a committee to assess Joyland and review its ban.
Latest Update (Ban Reversed)
The globally acclaimed and multiple award-winning Pakistani film Joyland has been given green signal by the censor board of Pakistan after reviewing it on the Prime Minister’s directions.
The full board has allowed the local screening of Joyland after deleting some parts. The film was initially set to have a commercial release in Pakistan on November 18.
PM Shehbaz Sharif formed a cabinet committee to look into the matter after some schools of thought had objected to the movie.
Release Stopped By Punjab Government
Following yesterday’s clearance by the censor board, Joyland’s theatrical release has once again been halted, this time by the government of Punjab.
The Government of Punjab has retracted its No Objection Certificate (NOC) issued to the movie Joyland. The notification issued by Information and Culture Department reads that Punjab government, in the wake of complaints, has decided to ‘recall’ the movie by “exercising powers conferred under Section-9 (1 and 2) Motion Pictures Ordinance, 1979.” “You are therefore directed not to exhibit above titled film in the jurisdiction of Punjab province till further orders of the Govt,” reads the notification.
Reactions On The Ban
Saim and his team members raised their voices against the ban imposed by the government. Terming the ban a “grave injustice,” Sadiq, in an Instagram post, says that the ban is “absolutely unconstitutional and illegal” and has urged the country’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to review the decision.
Apart from the film’s team, A-list celebrities and media personalities also reacted to the news and expressed their support for the film.
#ReleaseJoyland ! There is no reason not to. Be proud of the work that our artists create not afraid! Give your own people the respect they get in foreign lands. Support us, stand by us and we as Pakistani artists will make this country proud! https://t.co/6jQizg0Xbx
Set in Lahore, the film revolves around Haider, the youngest son of the middle-class, patriarchal Rana family. As the Ranas yearn for the birth of a baby boy, Haider secretly joins an erotic dance theater and finds himself falling for a fiercely ambitious trans starlet. Their love story illuminates the secrets and desires of the entire Rana family.
The film debuted at the Un Certain Regard strand at Cannes earlier this year, where it won the jury prize. Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai later joined the project as an executive producer. It is Pakistan’s entry in the Oscars’ international feature category.
Recently it also won the Asia Pacific Screen Awards’ young cinema award, given in partnership with critics’ association NETPAC and the Griffith Film School.
After hearing of the ban, APSA said in a written statement: “ ‘Joyland’ represents a significant new cinematic talent in Saim Sadiq from Pakistan, who has crafted a moving and entertaining drama about family in his debut feature film. The Young Cinema Award Jury commends Saim Sadiq for his brave and joyous celebration of community diversity and the universality of love.”
Actor Osman Khalid Butt has replaced contemporary Ali Rehman Khan for the leading role in Saima Akram Chaudhry’s Kala Doriya alongside Sana Javed.
HUM TV’s drama serial Kala Doriya has been marred with delays for quite some time. Actress Sana Javed is onboard since day one as the leading lady.
Originally, Farhan Saeed was the first choice but he opted out twice from the drama. His replacement was Usman Mukhtar who also left the project citing his mother’s health. Later Farhan came back onboard. however, he left again and then Ali Rehman Khan landed the role. Soon he also stepped out of the drama and now has been replaced with the Ehd-e-Wafastar Osman Khalid Butt.
The Danish Nawaz directorial is written by Suno Chanda fame Saima Akram Chaudhry.
Actor Aymen Saleem who was last seen in Paristan on HUM TV has cleared the air regarding her relationship with co-star and friend Arslan Naseer.
While Replying to a question of a fan on Instagram, she said, “So I and Arslan have always been just costars/friends. In fact, I’d like to request fan pages to not to treat us as a couple. It can get very awkward and uncomfortable. I hope you guys can respect and understand that.”
The duo have a strong fan base and are adored by their fans who have been shipping them since Chupke Chupke‘s launch.
Earlier this year, Arsalan took to his Instagram stories to share his stance on Valentine’s day. Terming the day as a curse.
Actor Ali Abbas’ acting career kicked off with director Amin Iqbal’s drama Meri Dulari opposite Yumna Zaidi on Geo TV. He weighed 86 kilos before stepping into TV and lost around 9 kilos to look the part.
However Ali revealed on Nida Yasir’s morning show that on the first day of his shoot, the veteran director slammed him. According to the Meherposh star, Amin told him that he doesn’t look like a star and will never become one, also that he doesn’t have the qualities in him to be a leading hero. This incident dampened his confidence.
Now in an exclusive interview with The Current while promoting his movie Rehbra, Amin Iqbal responded to Ali’s allegations. The Ishq-e-Laa maker said, “The judgement could be wrong at times as I am a human too but whatever I have said about someone, it has become true. There is a difference between being a star and being an actor.
“I have introduced artists like Yumna Zaidi, Saba Qamar and Sameer Sohail from Lahore to the showbiz fraternity, even recently when I casted Azaan Sami Khan in Ishq-e-Laa, people scrutinised his casting in the play but respect and disrespect is in the hands of God.”
“I know his father and grandfather personally and have had good terms with him.”
Iqbal concluded by saying that now that Ali is in a better space career wise, it could be because of the remarks that Amin gave him early on his career as Abbas must have improved himself after it.
Earlier this year Abbas appreciated his contemporary Ahmed Ali Akbar in an interview with Maliha Rehman.
The Mere Apnay star stated that Ahmad has given a superlative performance in Parizaad and it makes him happy that underrated actors like him are now getting leading roles in mainstream projects.
He added that at the time of Ehd-e-Wafa there was noise about him being sidelined in the play which starred bigger names like Ahad Raza Mir and Osman Khalid Butt alongside him.
Ehd-e-Wafa emerged as a blockbuster in 2020 and starred an ensemble cast.
The Fitrat star mentioned that he is the biggest fan of Naumaan Ijaz and takes inspiration from him while performing, especially from his performance in Mera Saeen.
