Saba Qamar Zaman is all set to make a comeback on television with upcoming drama serial, Tumhare Husn K Naam. Besides Saba, the drama will also feature Imran Abbas, Salman Shahid, Nayyer Ijaz and Asad Siddiqui.
Directed by Saqib Khan, Tumhare Husn K Naam has been written by Sara Qayyum, while Umera Ahmed is the screenwriter.
Nausheen Shah and designer Umer Sayeed got into an online fight after the former voiced her frustration over being constantly picked on for not getting married and the latter passed insensitive comments on her.
After a picture of Nausheen’s note went viral on social media, Sayeed passed an insensitive comment and taunted Shah on failing to get married after trying multiple times.
This irked Shah who didn’t keep quiet and publicly responded to Sayeed’s comment saying: “Now you will tell me what to say and when to stop. You sleep with men, Allah maaf keray you are a gay, ap toh shaadi kerne kay qabal he nhi ho.”
“So please next time think before you speak. Hope I am loud and clear,” she added.
Shah earlier expressed her annoyance over being constantly berated by her mother for not getting married, saying that it is part of Pakistani culture for mothers to constantly remind a single woman to get married.
“This happens only in this country. If you are not married your mother will remind you every day. Shaadi kerlo shaadi kerlo nhi kerne shaadi bhai maaf kerdo Jaan chordo (Get married, get married. I don’t want to get married. Let me be),” the actor had written tempestuously.
Meanwhile, comedian and host Adeal Ajmal aka Aadi also got furious over Shah for using abusive language for Pakistan and Pakistani mothers.
Criticising Shah for her comments, Aadi said: “Are you sure you want to use this term [expletive word] as a public figure? Maaf kerdo, jaan choro to you Mom? Are you sure to post this on your profile?”
He also urged the actress to leave this country, if she has so much problem with it.
Alizeh Shah has hit back at those criticising her choice of outfit rather than talking about important topics like Palestine. The actor is being targeted for her clothes in the music video of her debut song with Sahir Ali Bagga. Alizeh was also the top trend on Pakistani Twitter on Monday with people passing indecent remarks over her physical appearance.
Responding to the attacks, Shah said: “I find all the memes and criticism amusing.”
“However, the fact that a trivial topic to discuss is now the most trending issue in our country instead of becoming a voice of Palestine,” continued the actor.
“What’s wrong with our people,” she questioned.
The song named Badnamiyan is produced by Amria Sahir and is directed by JoviFilms and is penned down by Imran Raza.
Shah was recently seen in the Ramazan special drama serial Tanaa Banaa along with Danyal Zafar. The on-scene chemistry between Danyal and Alizeh was admired by many.
Saima Akram Chaudhry, who has penned the wildly successful Chupke Chupke, Ishq Jalebi and Suno Chanda has said that there will be no second or third seasons of these dramas.
“Dear fans, viewers and followers, I know you loved Chupke Chupke, Ishq Jalebi and Suno Chanda. I am grateful to all but it’s not possible for me to take your Instagram calls and talk [to] everyone,” wrote Akram on social media.
“Please accept my apologies and don’t call directly. Trust me it’s too irritating and it is too unethical to call someone at midnight,” she said further.
Chaudhry also said that she cannot help anyone launch their career in the entertainment industry as it’s not her department.
“And channels are not planning for season two or three,” added Chaudhry.
Meanwhile, earlier fans had speculated that a sequel of Chupke Chupke was in the works after Ayeza Khan shared a clip of herself and Osman Khalid Butt dressed up as Meenu and Faazi from the drama.
Furthermore, director Danish Nawaz said that there is a possibility for a sequel if the script and story are good. He said discussions on the topic are ongoing and that he cannot confirm anything as yet.
“Another year older, another year wiser!,” wrote Momal on social media. “Thank you for the heartfelt messages, prayers and endless birthday love.”
The actor continued: “I am so touched and grateful for being surrounded by such warm and affectionate friends, family and fans. I am where I am because of you all. It means the world to me to be loved and respected unconditionally.”
“To those who took out the time to post on the fan pages, I am and will always be indebted for your dedication and love,” said Momal further, adding: “I only grow personally and professionally because of your love and encouragement. I pray for your safety and happiness.”
Chupke Chupke’s Aadi Khan aka Kaddu (Waleed) called out media outlets for spreading misinformation about his family.
In a note posted on social media, Khan said: “I just want to make sure everyone that me and Sami Khan [DJ from Suno Chanda] are brothers Alhamdulillah.”
“We don’t have any sister. Please please aap bhi zaleel na ho or humein bhi na karein, biography likhne se pehly rabta kr liya karein. Kabhi apne comments parha karein to aap logo ko he galiyan par rhi hoti hai,” he added.
Aadi is a young actor and elder brother of Sami Khan, who is famous for his role as DJ in Suno Chanda and it’s sequel.
Aadi has worked in several Pakistani dramas including Nibah, Aye Muhabbat, Kam Zarf and Lamhay. He is currently part of Hum TV’s Ramzan special Chupke Chupke, in which audiences are loving his character.
With Chupke Chupke continuing to dominate television ratings and Ayeza Khan receiving a lot of appreciation for her performance as Meenu, it has been revealed that Khan was not the first choice for the character of Maneeha Kifayat Ali.
As per reports, Sohai Ali Abro was the first choice and the actor had even shot a few scenes for the drama before the shoot was halted due to COVID-19 and lockdowns. Later, Abro had to exit the show due to personal reasons.
A source also confirmed to The Current that Sohai was the original choice for the character.
Meanwhile, netizens are divided over Ayeza’s casting in the show. While many are praising her for her performance, there are some who are criticising the makers for casting Khan as a young, 20-something clumsy girl, given that she has two children and her last roles in Meharposh and Meray Paas Tum Ho were mature ones.
Written by Saima Akram Chaudhry of Suno Chanda fame and directed by Danish Nawaz, Chupke Chupke airs on Hum TV at 9 pm daily. The ensemble cast also includes Osman Khalid Butt, Mira Sethi, Asma Abbas, Uzma Beg, Arslan Naseer, Aymen Saleem, Ali Safina and Salman Mani Shaikh among others.
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!
Danyal Zafar has shared one of his favourite scenes from his ongoing Ramzan special drama Taana Baana.
The scene which shows Danyal and Alizeh on the beach was “coincidently” also the last scene they shot together.
“One of my favourite scenes between Zain and Zoya, which coincidentally [also] happened to be the last scene we shot for the drama,” wrote Danyal. “It was a wrap right after this.”
“When I read in the script that Zain sings for Zoya, I asked Saife Hasan [director] bhai, if I could sing a few lines of the OST, which would kinda break the fourth wall, but could also serve to be the icing on the cake, since it’s been their song and could elevate the ‘romance’ between Zain and Zoya,” he added.
“In the entirety of the scene, I realised Saife bhai didn’t say anything to us, he was smiling throughout while looking at the monitor; a moment I felt kinda proud of myself because for me that indicated we were doing it right,” continued Zafar, adding: “Or at least well enough to strum a few chords in everyone’s hearts, because everyone was just smiling.”
Zafar also gave a shot out to his co-actor Alizeh Shah for doing a “phenomenal job”.
While Taana Baana appears to be a typical romantic comedy, when you start watching it you are immediately pulled into it due to a variety of reasons ranging from the script to the cast and their performances.
Featuring Zafar (Zain), Alizeh (Zoya), Javeria Abbasi (Fozia), Aamir Qureshi (Zain’s Father), Ismat Zaidi (Zain’s Dadi ), Komal Rizvi (Zebunnisa) and Hassan Noman(Shahid, Zebnunnisa’s husband), Taana Baana revolves around the newly married couple of Zain and Zoya and the challenges they face.
Take a flashback to the past few years, we have been observing the trend of airing sitcoms or romantic-comedy dramas on different channels during the month of Ramzan. Although this trend initially received much criticism. However, with the passage of time, people have started to enjoy watching these entertainment packages. Chupke Chupke and Tanaa Banaa of HUM TV are giving us laughter dose after every Iftaar, while Geo TV has given Ishq Jalebi.
These dramas are offering comedy, controversies and family politics but they’ve also given us four delightful on-screen couples. Zain and Zoya from Tanaa Banaa, Hadi and Mishi, Meenu and Faazi/Ustaad Jee from Chupke Chupke and Basim and Bela from Ishq Tamasha.
Zain and Zoya
Zain (Danyal Zafar) is a young boy who fell in love with Zoya (Alizeh Shah) at first sight. The couple has interesting chemistry with Zain expressing all his love for Zoya and Zoya just starting to realise that how much Zain loves her. While Zoya is stubborn, Zain is a loving and caring husband. The two are poles apart and this keeps the drama interesting.
Hadi and Mishi
Arslan Naseer is playing the role of Hadi while Aymen Saleem is acting as Mishi in Chupke Chupke. There is a unique hidden chemistry between this couple that was initially growing in the form of one-sided love. But now that Hadi has also fallen in love with Mishi, this love story has taken a new turn and one of the reasons why you tune into Chupke Chupke every night.
Meenu and Faazi /Ustaad Jee
Ayeza Khan is playing as Meenu and Osman Khalid Butt is playing as Faaz aka Meenu’s Ustaad Jee. Faaz used to teach Meenu so she calls him Ustaad Jee. However, in a strange turn of event the two ended up getting married and while they were initially embarrassed by this development, they are now slowly beginning to catch feelings.
Faaz, who didn’t like Meenu for her carelessness and ignorance towards studies, is now falling for her innocence. Meenu too has started to like him and their cute ways of showing affection is making the drama more interesting. With many twists and turns, their wedding is at stake and everyone is eager to see what will happen next and what new problem will arise for the newly weds.
Basim and Bela
Ishq Jalebi stars the Madiha Imam and Wahaj Ali in leading roles. Basim who is on the lookout for a shortcut to go abroad is in cahoots with Bela (Madiha Imam). She is his sidekick, best friend, and partner in crime in all that he does and also his maternal cousin who was orphaned as a child and lives with them. While Basim may not have realised how much Bela truly loves him, we the audiences can definitely see it and are absolutely loving the chemistry the two have with each other. With scenes that will make your heart have a happy dance, these two stars are a treat to watch and we’re anxious to see what Ishq Jalebi has in store for them next.
While each couple has its own charm, my favourite has to be Meenu and Faazi. Both Osman and Ayeza have brought Meenu and Faazi to life brilliantly. Very much like Faaz, I used to detest Meenu and didn’t want him to marry her. But as the story progressed, I am also enjoying their naivety, blamelessness and non-romantic fondness. Looking forward to seeing how they will cross all obstacles among them and finally become husband and wife.
