Tag: Pakistani Celebrities

  • ‘The Legend Of Maula Jatt’ set to release in India?

    ‘The Legend Of Maula Jatt’ set to release in India?

    The Legend of Maula Jatt headlined by Fawad Khan, Hamza Ali Abbasi and Mahira Khan is by far the most expensive film to come out of Pakistan. The film opened to packed houses on October 13th and continues to earn over 200 crores globally.

    In December 2022, Pinkvilla reported that Bilal Lashari’s blockbuster was set to release in India on December 30th after gaining massive appreciation from countries worldwide.

    However, Hindustan Times has reported that the film will not release in India. It was earlier speculated that the Pakistani film’s screening has been stalled indefinitely.

    “We have been informed by the distributors that the film’s release has been postponed. We were told this two-three days ago. No further date has been shared with us,” a PTI report quoted an INOX official as saying.

    The official added, “Zee Studios had acquired the rights of The Legend of Maula Jatt as they were expecting the film to do well. But because of the resistance from certain sections, the decision was made to not release the movie.”

    Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader and president of their cinema wing Ameya Khopkar tweeted about the cancellation of the release of The Legend of Maula Jatt and wrote, “Impact Of Raj Thackeray’s Warning! After the warning given by MNS, the screening of the Pakistani film ‘The Legend of Maula Jatt’ has now been completely cancelled. Not only in the state but also anywhere in the country, this film will not be released anymore.”

    He added, “Again, if anyone has feelings of love for Pakistani artists, then this one warning is enough for them. Heartfelt congratulations to all my colleagues for this victory of the MNS movement.”

    Previously, Bollywood Hungama had reported that the release has been stalled for the unforeseeable future. A source close to the development revealed, “Zee Studios had already acquired a clearance for The Legend Of Maula Jatt from the Central Board of Film Certification. But on Monday the CBFC recalled the film.”

    Since 2019, there has been a cultural exchange ban between both India and Pakistan. But still, some of India’s Punjabi films managed to release in Pakistan.

    Bilal Lashari’s directorial film has set high records not only in domestic cinemas but also in America, Europe and Gulf markets.

    Previously, Jawani Phir Nahi Aani 2 was the highest-grossing film in Pakistan that earned PKR 73 crore globally. But The Legend of Maula Jatt has tripled up those numbers.

    The Legend of Maula Jatt releases in cinemas across Pakistan and worldwide - Minute Mirror

    Initial Release Issues In Pakistan

    Several cinema owners initially refused to screen the film due to a clash with the makers over commissioning ratios. Journalist Hassan Choudary shed light on the matter on Twitter.

    Film’s producer Ammara Hikmat exclusively confirmed to The Current that the news is factual.

    According to theatre owners, the makers and distributors of movies have been requesting more money than was specified in the contract. Film distributors and producers are asking for more money than was specified in the contract.

    In an official statement, Nueplex Cinemas have shared that they are not screening the film due to their exhibition terms, which are beyond the industry norms. Apparently, the film distributors are asking for more shares than what is considered normal in Lollywood.

    Actor Syed Jibran called it a “deadlock” and said the distributor’s demand to increase ticket prices for a larger share was “very unwise” and a bad step. The Ghabrana Nahi Hai star took to Twitter on Friday and wrote that the deadlock happening at the moment for The Legend of Maula Jatt is between distributor Nadeem Mandviwalla and officials of Cinepax cinemas and Nueplex.

    Jibran suggested that instead of increasing the price, it should’ve been reduced to Rs800 instead of Rs1,200 or more so that revenues “go through the roof”.

    “Increasing the ticket price they are just decreasing the repeat customers. It’s short-sightedness. Plain and simple. This will badly damage the reputation as well as a chance to create a historic box office first day score for the film,” he reasoned.

    The actor added that of 122 screens in Pakistan almost 50 of the main multiplex screens have not yet released any schedule for The Legend of Maula Jatt a day after the film’s release, which he called “the most important trend setting first day of the film”.

    He called it a bad decision on the distributor’s part and demanded that the problem be resolved as soon as possible otherwise no one else could be blamed for the “underperformance of probably the greatest film of Pakistan ever made” other than ourselves.

    After two weeks of the film’s release, the screening issues were resolved, nationwide.

  • ‘Sickening’: Ushna Shah appalled by treatment to religious minorities in Pakistan

    ‘Sickening’: Ushna Shah appalled by treatment to religious minorities in Pakistan

    Actor Ushna Shah took to her Twitter handle to condemn the treatment of religious minorities in Pakistan amidst Daya Bhel’s tragic murder news.

    The Habs star wrote, “I have some close Hindu Pakistani friends. Wonderful, kind people, some are even like family to me. They happen to be from privileged homes. I shudder to think that their lives would have been bad if they had not been, like the majority of minorities, who have no voice #dayabhel.”

    Who is Daya Bhel and why her body was dismembered in gruesome Sindh killing - Pakistan Aaj English TV

    Shah also raised awareness on the matter in a follow-up tweet.

    Earlier this year during the holy month of Ramadan, she shared an instance where she was helped by a Christian and a Hindu as she went on to offer her Asr prayers in Ramadan. 

    “A Christian and a Hindu helped me pray Asr just now and set an example of tolerance,” Shah tweeted.

    “At Nabila salon, the makeup artist for today (who is Hindu) held up the faucet so I could perform Wudu easily and another makeup artist (who did my makeup last night), who is Christian, spread out the Janemaz for me.”

    Last year the Balaa diva expressed her solidarity with the minorities in the country on the 75th Independence Day.

    Ushna Shah expresses solidarity with minorities on Independence Day

    Taking to Instagram, the Punjab Nahi Jaungi actor said “I’ll celebrate Independence Day when the minorities in Pakistan are given the economic, physical and religious securities as well as the civic liberties promised to them. The very promise which laid the foundation of this country.”

    Ushna Shah expresses solidarity with minorities on Independence Day
  • Hina Altaf expresses disappointment over morphed viral video, rubbishes miscarriage speculation

    Hina Altaf expresses disappointment over morphed viral video, rubbishes miscarriage speculation

    In an interview with BBC Urdu, actor Hina Altaf spoke about her prolonged absence from social media and how misconstrued narratives can be detrimental to an individual.

    Recalling the controversy involving her husband Agha Ali in 2020, when Ali told her “never to get fat again”, the Dour star pointed out how it was just a private agreement between them as partners that was misunderstood on many levels.

    “It was just a personal understanding between us as a couple that served as a motivation factor. I just said ‘Agha reminds me not to eat a lot’ casually but people took this too sensitively than expected. I strongly respect the fact that weight loss is not an easy journey for everyone. Not everyone has the time to hit the treadmill, run a few kilometers daily, or just do a quick 15-day course to lose a couple of pounds. Many people have different challenges and health problems in their path, so maintaining health definitely isn’t easy,” explained Altaf.

    She then highlighted how the aforementioned incident served as a reminder to her to never openly share her views again. “I think people took our drawing room talk too seriously and compared our situation with their own. After this incident last year, I have learned that everything is not meant to be spoken on television,” noted the Agar actor.

    Before concluding the conversation, Altaf mentioned how social media doesn’t really bother her anymore, except for the time someone made a doctored video on her. She said, “Looking at a few pictures online doesn’t make anyone know the whole truth behind someone’s life or relationship. However, one thing I really dislike is when people ask me about having children. Normally, I always respond that when God wills, it will happen. But my relatives once sent me a video that implied I have had two miscarriages and am currently pregnant. This video extremely hurt me. I have never said this, usually, I would have ignored it, but it made me really upset.”

    Last year, Aagha and Hina shared on Waseem Badami’s show that they first met on an ARY Zindagi show that Hina hosted, however, they first got talking on an Eid show in which they were the hosts.

    While Hina denied that the two fought, Aagha confirmed that the two had, in fact, had some disagreements. “I would say it was a small disagreement because it was hard to develop a comfort level since we had to host the show together for the first time,” he shared.

    The two then shared just how unpredictable life is. They ended up sharing their life together when they couldn’t even share the stage when they first met!

    “Sometimes we sit and talk about how unbelievable it is! I could’ve never thought that I’d end up with Aagha and vice-versa. But we’re blessed,” said Hina Altaf.

    When and how did they decide to get married then? Aagha shared that their friendship blossomed went they were cast together in a serial. “The show’s name was apt because we were in fact lost, and perhaps we were meant to find the right way to each other’s hearts and that’s how we became friends through that project,” he said.

    Aagha termed their marriage a blend of friendship and arranged marriage, thanks to Hina becoming great friends with his mom who pushed him to pursue her for marriage.

    “I had told Aagha that I want to settle down and that I was looking forward to settling down soon, and Aagha took that seriously,” said Hina Altaf, adding, “Aagha’s younger brother also pushed us to get our nikkah done on Jumma tul wida, and his mother and my father also wanted it to happen as soon as possible so.”

  • Amar Khan wants Lollywood to create more female-centered, commercially successful films

    Amar Khan wants Lollywood to create more female-centered, commercially successful films

    Looking back at the year 2022, Pakistani cinema produced commercially and critically successful films like Kamli, Joyland and of course, Maula Jatt. This year was the start of listening to voices that didn’t just circle around men. Now actress Amar Khan has expressed hope that the conversation keeps going on, while the industry releases more movies that champion women voices and don’t revolve around male-centered notions.
    Yesterday on Twitter, the actress shared a post applauding the success of Bollywood movie “Gangubai Kathiawari” which has surpassed all other productions to become the number 1 movie at the Indian box office. The post applauded director and writer Sanjay Leela Bhansali for breaking the stereotype that women-led movies don’t become instant hits, and that movies infused with emotional dialogues rather than intense action scenes wouldn’t interest anyone.

    Amar Khan wrote that she hoped Pakistan would follow the same footsteps as its neighbor and soon start creating more films that were female-centered and also commercially successful.
    “Rab kare 2023 mein koi aik adh bhansali border k is paar bhi janam le.Warna we have never made a female oriented commercially succesful film.They continue to be male centric!!”

  • Nida Yasir gives unexpected marks to Sarah, Maya, Ayeza and Minal for their acting skills

    Actor and morning show host Nida Yasir recently appeared on The Talk Talk Show where she marked the leading ladies of Pakistan out of ten for their acting skills.

    The host Hassan Chaudhry first asked her about Sarah Khan, and Nida gave her 7.5 marks for her acting chops. She then marked 8.5 to Ayeza Khan, 9.5 to Maya Ali, 7.5 to Minal Khan, and 7.5 to Mawra Hocane.

    The Nadaaniyaan diva stated that there is a scope for improvement in their performances.

    Nida also addressed other controversies surrounding her. She has long been under scrutiny for the type of guests she invites on her morning show, Good Morning Pakistan. From the likes of Dananeer Mobeen, Ayesha Mano to Ahmed Shah, Nida has invited them all to her popular show.

    However, throughout the years, many spectators have also criticised the TV host for not highlighting people with more academic achievements, and only catering to people who go viral online for ‘foolish theatrics’. Taking her chance, the famous host has finally set the record straight and reminded her audience about the many times she has provided limelight to such guests on her show.

    “I want to respond to this criticism by recalling the time I invited Ayesha, the girl who became viral on TikTok for her dance to my show. Many people started asking me why I didn’t invite a specific guest who has won academic awards. The truth is, you cannot even fathom how many shows I conduct that feature academic champs, but they never get high ratings,” said the Hum Tum actor.

    She then went on to highlight how Mobeen and Zara Naeem were invited on the same day together. “Once I even invited 7-8 people on one show, and they all possessed so many talented skills, but the episode went unnoticed. I also invited Zara and Dananeer together, still, people only remember the latter one better. How does the audience not recall Zara? This is not my fault, but actually of the people who want to see these guests on my show.”

    Yasir elaborated her stance by speaking about the repetitive narratives used in dramas. She noted, “If our Pakistani dramas are still stuck on producing family politics storylines, it’s because of the demand too. The channels will obviously try to create more dramas that give them more profitable responses.”

    Tired of the ongoing fuss, the Nadaaniyaan actor then put forth an interesting question for her critics. She asked, “When I do invite educated people to my show, why aren’t people watching them?”

    She also further explained how fans request her to feature guests on her show. “I also would like to add that people even tag me in photos now to show who they want to see on my show. When I woke up one morning, I saw a picture online of the ‘Lahore Da Pawa – Akhtar Lawa’ man doctored beside me, and that’s how I learned about the viral meme circulating on the internet. I also once got a call from a man who married a woman much younger than his age asking me to invite him as a guest because he’s gone viral. Like, should I just invite you because of your marriage?”

    Yasir then concluded the conversation by highlighting how viewers don’t give her the complete credit she truly deserves. “People just watch the viral clips of my show and assume that’s the only type of guests I invite, but that’s really not the case. I run a morning show that takes place every day, so I keep a proper balance of my guest list,” expressed the Yeh Zindagi Hai actor. 

  • the good, the bad, and the cringe: here are some of the most trending drama scenes of 2022.

    the good, the bad, and the cringe: here are some of the most trending drama scenes of 2022.

    We had a good run with Pakistani dramas this year. They made us laugh, they made us cry and some made us cringe. While the chemistry between some on-screen couples positively sizzled, some scenes made us want to wash our eyes with bleach.
    However all was not lost. The year give us some mind-bogglingly hilarious scenes this year, and social media managed to make some amazing content out of them.
    Here are some of the top trending drama clips that went viral on social media in 2022.

    1. First on our list is obviously Aye Musht-e-Khaak, which began gaining attention on social media after a confusing conversation between a husband and wife went viral on social media. Twitter users were perplexed at how urgently the husband kept pressurising his wife to go on a honeymoon with him, and wasn’t able to avoid the elephant in the room.

    We have to give it to this show because even though it provided us with a done-to-dust, extremely cringey storyline that reeked of male entitlement, the memes they provided us with were top tier.
    Like this user making a meme out of Feroze Khan having a breakdown

    https://twitter.com/Ishq_jess/status/1495791982756909062?s=20&t=KoeN1M7Hzf_LSB0g6koZNA

    Or Feroze Khan losing it in the car.

    2. The second one on our list is obviously going to be the drama “Haqeqat” for giving us this absolute masterpiece of a scene.

    3. The absolutely cringey phone call between a stalker and a girl, which apparently was suppose to be a love confession by the former.

    Proposing to her with flowers? A trip to Paris or Italy? Boys, Danish Taimoor is here with notes on how to make a lady literally swoon. By threatening to shoot yourself. No big deal, huh?

    5.Thanks to this clip Pakistanis learnt a new word overnight “razai behen-bhai”:

    https://twitter.com/Humtvnetwork/status/1437400681145516038?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1437400681145516038%7Ctwgr%5E63e31b1f3b7fdcc5059c713d24c23b92427d62b8%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fniche.com.pk%2Fcelebs-and-twitter-users-cant-stop-talking-about-the-term-razai-bhai-behen%2F

    6. James Dean who? Haroon Kadwani became the new face of manchild in 2022. This scene managed to generate an entire generation of memes we will tell our grandchildren about someday.

    7. Shoutout to the memorable time when women all over Pakistan were told that having curly hair is wrong.

    8. We should also applaud how dramas came to address domestic violence and abuse in a honest, refreshing manner. Like this scene in Phaans, where the mother refuses to shelter her son after he stands trial for abusing his wife.

    9. While other dramas educated their followers on the toxicity of rishta culture and how they break down any woman’s worth and self-esteem based on how rich she is or her beauty. Like this scene in Sinf-e-Aahan, Sajal Aly’s character schools her parents for forcing her to keep adhering to the toxic rishta culture, when she wanted to join the army like her brother.

    https://twitter.com/sidk24/status/1464652314019434500?s=20&t=nAgZijXUnafkbHbEHzfBKw

    10. The wonderful drama “Doobara” shattered stereotypes when it focused on a middle-aged woman starting her life all over again after she was married off against her choice when she was young. Hadiqa Kiyani won hearts on the internet when this clip began trending online where Hadiqa’s character reminds her son and sister-in-law that she isn’t just a mom, but a living breathing human being who deserves to live her own life without feeling like a burden.

  • Syra Yousuf, Shahroz Sabzwari share their romantic film’s poster with heartfelt captions

    Syra Yousuf, Shahroz Sabzwari share their romantic film’s poster with heartfelt captions

    Actors and former spouses Syra Yousuf and Shahroz Sabzwari have shared the first look of their forthcoming film, Babylicious, touted to release on Valentine’s Day. The makers have promised it to be a feel-good romantic film.

    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is mobile_file_2022-12-16_06-55-27-1671173754-0.jpg

    Sabzwari took to his Instagram on Thursday with a monochrome poster of the film that sees the pair in an embrace.

    “Yes, guys. It’s releasing. We were just waiting for Valentine’s to come around,” he wrote. In the poster, Yousuf, dressed in a black crop top and beige pants, looks straight into the camera with a smile while her hero, clad in a leather jacket, hugs her.

    The Mera Naseeb star also shared the news of their film on social media and revealed that Babylicious took 12 years to complete. “This February 2023, it will be 12 years since we became attached to this film. So very excited for you all to see it! Presenting the first look of our new movie, Babylicious,” she wrote.

    Four years back on Valentine’s Day in 2018, Syra and Shahroz shared a still from the film.

    Sabzwari shares a daughter Nooreh with Yousuf. He married model Sadaf Kanwal shortly after his divorce and recently welcomed Syeda Zahra Sabzwari, another daughter, to his family with Kanwal.

  • Shaan Shahid slams Fawad Khan, Hamza Ali Abbasi for ‘bad’ Punjabi dialogue delivery in ‘TLOMJ’

    Shaan Shahid slams Fawad Khan, Hamza Ali Abbasi for ‘bad’ Punjabi dialogue delivery in ‘TLOMJ’

    Star-actor Shaan Shahid believes that box-office kings Fawad Khan and Hamza Ali Abbasi should have worked harder on their Punjabi diction in The Legend Of Maula Jatt.

    The Waar hero was recently invited to the show Super Over, where the host of the show asked for his views on Bilal Lashari casting Khan for the role of “Maula Jatt” and not him.

    Shaan hasn't watched The Legend Of Maula Jatt.. He tells why - Lifestyle - SAMAA

    Hosted by Ahmed Ali Butt, Shaan stated that casting depends on the director’s vision, however, Shaan said he feels that Hamza and Fawad didn’t do justice to the Punjabi language and accent. As actors, one must not give excuses that they don’t speak a particular language. If Pakistani actors are cast in an English movie, would they have the same issue? he asked.

    In an exclusive interview with The Current, host Uzair Anwer asked him, if a biopic gets made on him, which young actor would he want to essay him in the film? The veteran artist was given four options (Hamza Ali Abbasi, Ahad Raza Mir, Bilal Abbas, and Imran Ashraf). The Majajan hero wasn’t too excited about these younger actors playing him in his biopic. He In fact hinted that it should be Shaan himself who should feature in a film based on him.

    Shaan stated, “I think if they would have cast Sanjay Dutt in Sanju (2018), it would have been better.”

    The actor said that it was difficult for him too in his initial days in the industry as he had come to Pakistan from New York. He told that he had to watch many Punjabi movies to learn the trait.

    Humaima Malik On The Legend Of Maula Jatt: “I Was Bilal Lashari's First Choice To Play Daaro Nattni

    Shaan, however commended Humaima Malick on her incredible acting in The Legend of Maula Jatt.

  • Farhan Saeed reacts to netizen’s demand of ‘Boycotting Tich Button’ because of Feroze Khan

    Farhan Saeed reacts to netizen’s demand of ‘Boycotting Tich Button’ because of Feroze Khan

    Singer-actor Farhan Saeed has reacted to a netizen’s demand of ‘Boycotting Tich Button‘ because of his co-star Feroze Khan.

    The Mere Hamsafar star took to Twitter and shared his two cents about Feroze Khan’s inclusion in the rom-com. 

    Farhan reacts to 'Tich Button' boycott call over Feroze

    A Twitter user while addressing Saeed shared, “I would like to request to you all people. Do not watch this movie Tich Button because it features a ‘wife beater’.” She went on to tag Khan in the said tweet as well. 

    The Suno Chanda star then replied to the tweep and commented, “Well Ayesha, I respect your opinion but before you just put a cross on the hard work of almost 300 people for almost three years, you should know this movie was shot in 2019.” Saeed further shared, “You don’t just cancel the hard work of so many people.”

    Actress Mathira shared her two cents on Farhan’s statement.

    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 767a12c5-5490-48ef-badd-d1c563967e42.jpg

    Feroze has been accused of physically abusing his former wife, Syeda Aliza Sultan.

  • Osman Khalid Butt hits out at trolls for calling him ‘bika hua’, slams Feroze Khan amidst controversy

    Osman Khalid Butt hits out at trolls for calling him ‘bika hua’, slams Feroze Khan amidst controversy

    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.

    I could not attend LSA If Feroze was there' says Osman Khalid Butt

    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.

    ‘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.”