Tag: Pakistani dramas

  • Celebrating Fawad Khan’s birthday with five of his hottest roles

    Celebrating Fawad Khan’s birthday with five of his hottest roles

    Happy Hearthrob Day Pakistaniyon! Fawad Khan is turning 42 today and will remain the reason why we keep winning the dilf game against India. But aside from his good looks, the actor has won over audiences with his performances. Whether it is playing a swoon-worthy prince, a ferocious warrior, or even a dorky villager, he’ll pull you in and keep you glued to your screen. Aap haar man lo bas.

    Chalien phir aaj National Heartthrob Day hai aka Fawad Khan’s birthday, we’re celebrating it with our favourite five roles that prove he will keep ageing like fine wine.

    Khoobsurat (2014)

    Yes we know, the film was a flop. But holy moly Fawad outshone like nothing else. He had limited screen time compared to Sonam, but created a cult following on the internet that has Indian fans, to this day, pleading with their government to give this man an exception and cast him in another Bollywood rom com. And yes, we’re also adding in a TikTok that proves why the film established a cult following online.

    Kapoor and Sons (2016)

    If critics thought Fawad only had the ability to work as eye candy on the screens, this film singlehandedly proved them wrong. The actor played a closeted writer Rahul Kapoor, who arrives back at his home to celebrate his grandfather’s birthday and also navigate fragile relations with his family.

    Dastaan (2010)

    Dastaan is celebrated today as one of the best dramas to come out of Pakistan, and Fawad cemented his role as a promising actor with his performance as Hassan. He plays a man who is deeply in love with Bano (played by Sanam Baloch), but both are tragically split apart due to the partition when she is forced into a marriage with a Sikh man.

    Akbari and Asghari (2011)

    Don’t call yourself a Fawad stan if you don’t remember this hilarious gem of a drama. Fawad had a small role as Akbari’s dorky husband from the village, but he still wins hearts for his comedy skills and hilarious acting.

    Humsafar (2011)

    Yes yes coming to the drama that made Fawad into the household name he is today. Ashar will continue to tower over all the leading men on our screens, and the reason behind this entirely is how Fawad enlarged the role with his seductive looks and charm. We were all Khirad every single time he stepped into the screen. And just to keep the fans happy, here is a TikTok of him in the serial.

  • ‘Insensitive’: Waqar Zaka slams Nida Yasir’s claim he tried to sabotage her show

    ‘Insensitive’: Waqar Zaka slams Nida Yasir’s claim he tried to sabotage her show

    Television presenter and cryptocurrency expert Waqar Zaka fired back at actress and morning show host Nida Yasir over her claims that he tried to sabotage her show. In a video statement posted on his social media accounts, Waqar revealed he had complained about Nida’s conduct of hosting morning shows when she invited the parents of a deceased girl who was raped and then murdered. The show was subjected to intense controversy as Nida made the parents cry by asking them invasive and hurtful questions, which caused outrage.

    Waqar said that Nida claimed the parents had themselves requested to be invited on the show in order to gain media support to grant their daughter justice. However, he refuted these claims by sharing the video of an activist interviewing the parents, who revealed they were invited by Nida, rather than the other way round.

    Waqar debunked another claim made by Nida on her show, where she claimed the family had filed an FIR after their appearance. But as Waqar shared in the clip, the activist spoke with the victim’s parents who revealed they had filed it before making their appearance on the morning show.

    Waqar shared that these revelations had created an outrage on social media, which is when in 2020 he had encouraged his followers to file a report with PEMRA, and to message Salman Iqbal, the CEO of ARY, to remove Nida as a host.

    “It is insensitive how Nida exploited a case like this for the sake of getting ratings, and lied so much that she couldn’t even apologise after getting caught later,” said Waqar. “And also remember: a host is always aware of what goes on during the show. If the host approves something, then it appears on the show.”

    Waqar further added it’s time all the elderly hosts sitting on their morning shows should now consider letting go, and giving other young people a chance. He added Nida should host a contest to see who could replace her, and revealed he had complained to Salman Iqbal that other women should be given a platform because Nida was no ‘Oprah’ and nor did she hold any philosophy in her life.

    On Saturday, Nida made headlines when as a guest on Geo’s ‘Hasna Mana Hai’, she revealed Waqar Zaka had tried to sabotage her morning show as well as her career. She added the two were on good terms during the time he worked with the channel, but his demeanour changed when he left.

    “When Waqar left ARY, he started sending emails to the channel’s management, urging them to remove me from my morning show,” she confessed.

  • ‘I don’t regret what I said’: Actress Mehar Bano reflects on controversial 2021 viral video

    ‘I don’t regret what I said’: Actress Mehar Bano reflects on controversial 2021 viral video

    Actress Mehar Bano appeared as a guest on Samaa news’ ‘Had Kar Di’ where she opened up about her viral 2021 video from Aurat March where she was seen defending gay rights. The video led to extensive backlash, with Mehar Bano receiving a lot of hate on social media. She has been open about how she sought therapy to deal with suicidal thoughts.

    Reflecting on the video, Mehar Bano revealed she did not regret what she had said, but feels she could have conveyed her words in a more understandable manner.

    “I don’t regret anything that I said. After the backlash I felt that maybe I should have worded things differently. Maybe the things I had tried to say regarding Aurat March, it wasn’t communicated well to the audience.

    “Whatever happened it was a learning experience for me,” Mehar Bano addded, “and I continued to learn from everything that happens around me and everything that I do.”

  • In times of division and hatred, Kabli Pulao was the necessary television content we needed

    In times of division and hatred, Kabli Pulao was the necessary television content we needed

    Who would have thought that at a time when Pakistan is seeing discrimination and hatred displayed openly for the vulnerable Afghan refugees, we get to watch a television show displaying cultural solidarity and harmony in such a beautiful manner? When Green Entertainment announced ‘Kabli Pulao’ among their list of to-be-released dramas, many were curious about whether it would follow the lines of the misogynist trope involving an old man marrying a younger woman, given the wide age gap between the main lead actors Sabeen Farooq and Mohammed Ehteshamuddin. But, this is a show every person needs to watch to accept our cultural differences, and that no one is an ‘illegal alien’.

    The drama centres around elderly bachelor Hajji Mushtaq, who spent his life caring for his sisters and their children, and is lovingly referred to as ‘baray abba’ by them. When he meets Barbeena while travelling in Mardan, her brother begs him to marry her to protect her from falling into the hands of her abusive brother-in-law. Hajji Mushtaq reluctantly agrees to do so.

    Their marriage is obviously not met with approval at first. Barbeena’s entry into Mushtaq’s family is met with scorn and racism. Mushtaq’s sisters Chammo and Zubaida at first suspect she is a spy, sent to take over their brother’s wealth and force them out of the family. Barbeena has to pretend she is a newly hired maid, and after a feud reveals that she is actually Mushtaq’s wife, she is met with accusations of shaming the honour of the family.

    But the willingness displayed by Barbeena to win over the family, and especially how she brings joy into Hajji Mushtaq’s life, and then slowly for the rest of the family members, is something no other drama has ever displayed. It is Barbeena’s Afghan background that helps her win over everyone else. In episode four, the family fawns over her roghni naans and her kabli pulao. Barbeena bonds with the younger children by singing Afghan songs, sharing her traditional dresses and dancing with them. Soon she partners with Hajji Mushtaq to set up her business selling the kabli pulao to customers.

    It was some time ago when I was re-watching episode three, where the family hounds Hajji Mustaq and begs him to send Barbeena away. Ironically at this point, there was a heartbreaking video going viral on the internet featuring a young Afghan boy with tears in his eyes saying goodbye to his classmates as his family was being sent back to Afghanistan. Since that moment, we’ve seen consistently how much burden the term ‘illegal alien’ carries, the way it strips a human of their humanity and dignity.

    Videos from Aurat March show how Afghan refugees were kept in cramped conditions, denied basic respect as their children were picked up by officers and ‘accidentally deported’ over racist assumptions. Irony lies in how this is the same country where ‘Kabuli Pulao’ was became one of the best television shows to come out this year, yet it’s sole inspiration, the Afghan refugees, are treated with such malice.

    The enduring message of Barbeena’s resilience, and her blossoming relationship with Hajji Mushtaq, was that there is beauty in our cultural diversity. Barbeena’s uniqueness in her Afghan heritage, turned this drama into more than just a simple love story but a message on how Pakistani’s need to know more than ever to open up their hearts rather than shut them down. Accept our neighbours as our friends rather than turn them away because of our own internalised racism.

    This message resonates with the horrific treatment of the Palestinians in Gaza, and how their oppression is justified with terms like ‘human animals’ and ‘barbarians’. Because now more than ever, us Pakistanis need to become the anti-thesis of hateful rhetoric and learn to hold those close who had no choice but to leave their homes in search of better opportunities.

    All episodes of ‘Kabli Pulao’ are available to watch on Youtube.

  • ‘Content creators are selling their families for influence’: Fahad Mustafa

    ‘Content creators are selling their families for influence’: Fahad Mustafa

    Actor and producer Fahad Mustafa was a guest on Shoaib Akhtar’s show where he was asked about the rise of social media influencers and content creators in Pakistan and whether he would accept them as co-actors in any drama he works in. The ‘Mayi Ri’ producer responded with a scathing remark on the lengths people from this profession are willing to go to for the sake of going viral.

    “They are selling their families for content,” asserted the actor. “Their content is making kheer in the kitchen, rubbing their mother’s feet and then going as far as visiting a graveyard…Matlab yeh kya hai, yeh kaunsa content hai?” [What is this, what kind of content is this?]

    Fahad further explained he would never want to be known for this kind of work. “I can tell both good or bad story, but I will never sell my house for the sake of views. I will never sell myself this way.”

    The ‘Mein Abdul Kadir Hoon’ actor further compared content creators to those working in the acting industry, and pointed out how such influencers would never survive in such an industry because of the extensive time it took to produce a project.

    “If you ever go on a shoot, or you’re sitting on a set here, it takes time,” shared Fahad. “There’s a process. They can’t work longer than two or eight hours. And how would they understand? They have their phone and can make something in 10 seconds.”

  • Iqra Aziz wants new moms to remember it’s okay to prioritise themselves

    Iqra Aziz wants new moms to remember it’s okay to prioritise themselves

    Actress Iqra Aziz is back on our screens, starring as the main lead in the rom-com ‘Mannat Murad’, ending the break she took from work after the birth of her and Yasir Hussain’s son, Kabir. During an interview with BBC Urdu, Iqra shared an important message about the pressure new moms face in balancing their home life and their careers.

    The actress recalled the time when an actor visited her house, and was aghast with how she was sitting at home while her husband was the one who was working and finding new projects. Reflecting on this encounter, Iqra said she was working on social media, if not on the field as an actress, and was enjoying her time home while taking care of her son.

    “I can’t pressurise myself to break out of a relaxing phase because of ambition. It was my personal choice to sit back and take some time to reflect on myself. I began working from a really young age, and I have been working every day. Before meeting Yasir, I was even working on Sundays. It’s my choice that after working so much, I have reached a phase where I would like to relax and enjoy my life. This was my first son and I wanted to make every moment memorable.”

    We will completely endorse this message and applaud the actress for stressing on this incredibly important factor because so many new moms suffer from mental health problems because of the pressure to juggle their social commitments, while also learning to be there for their newborns. We’re so happy Iqra isn’t letting others dictate her choices. Giving birth isn’t easy and every mom should do what suits her mental health.

  • ‘Special day copied blatantly’: Saboor Aly isn’t okay with Mannat Murad allegedly copying her wedding look

    Pakistani drama ‘Mannat Murad’ came under scrutiny when a viral episode, featuring main characters getting married, led to accusations of plagiarism.

    Viewers pointed out that Iqra Aziz’s look appeared similar to Saboor Aly. Viral tweets pointed out Iqra’s wedding look for the episode was exactly the same as Saboor Aly wedding look.

    Actress Saboor Aly has responded to the comments, to share she was disheartened her special day being copied. In her Instagram stories, the actress wrote:

    “And how am I suppose to feel about this? My moment, my memories, my sentiments. My vision and my look for the most special day of my life. My heart was put into every little details of my entire look. However, there is a difference between being inspired and copying special day copied blatantly.”

    “

  • ‘Cheap knockoff of Kabir Singh’: Viral clip from Danish Taimoor’s new drama has Twitter in fits

    ‘Cheap knockoff of Kabir Singh’: Viral clip from Danish Taimoor’s new drama has Twitter in fits

    Once more, Danish Taimoor’s dramas are providing meme fodder for the internet. A clip from the actor’s series ‘Rah e Junoon’ is trending after drawing comparisons between Danish’s character and a well known misogynist, Bollywood villain Kabir Singh. This led to many mocking the show by calling it ‘Kabir Singh from Daraz’.

    This led to Internet users coming with all sorts of hilarious quips to roast the clip.

    Really Danish where’s the range! Give us something other than toxic university boy roles

    Twitter users are done with Danish Taimoor’s tasteless choice of scripts. He made the internet laugh with a scene from ‘Kaisi Teri Khudgarzi’ where it looks like the hero gets off on the miserable cries of his lover.

    And then in ‘Ishq Hai’, Danish thought what’s a better way to make yourself a hero on screen than kidnapping a woman, threatening to shoot yourself if she doesn’t marry you?

  • Ayeza Khan apologises for her previous post on the Palestine genocide

    Ayeza Khan apologises for her previous post on the Palestine genocide

    Actress Ayeza Khan was caught in a controversy over a social media post addressing her silence on the war on Palestine. Several users criticised the actress for writing that praying daily is better than pointing fingers and blaming others.

    “Because I know that praying daily is more powerful than posting daily, please pray for the world as much as you can and avoid pointing fingers and blaming each other on this platform. We all have children and loved ones, and we can all feel the pain. We cannot imagine how painful it is for them, but I’m keeping my faith in Allah, and very soon, Allah will bring justice, Ameen.”

    After severe backlash, Khan deleted the statement and apologised by clarifying her support for Palestine:

    “I would like to take a moment to address an issue that has been misinterpreted and circulated. I won’t attempt to justify or explain because God knows that my intentions were not malicious, but I may have failed to articulate it well. I take full responsibility for this, both personally and on behalf of my team. I sincerely apologize to those who were hurt by my statement. I appreciate you all for bringing this matter to my attention, as I, too, am only human. I take full responsibility and assure you nothing of such sort shall ever happen again.”

    “While my awareness may not bring on immediate resolution,” the Chupke Chupke actress further penned, “I maintain faith in Allah in the possibility of change through prayer. Therefore, alongside our continuous awareness efforts, let us unite in prayer to end this cruelty. For indeed, we need Him and His divine help. My prayers are with the Palestinians.”

  • Find out when Tere Bin season 2 is coming to your screens

    After a critically acclaimed first season, ‘Tere Bin’ is set to make a big comeback. The producer behind the hit series, Abdullah Kadwani, has announced the series is set to release on Friday, December 29, the perfect way to start the new year.

    “Exciting news for fans of “Tere Bin”! The highly anticipated announcement of “Tere Bin Season 2″ is set for Friday December 29, 2023.. Get ready for more heartwarming moments .. Mark your calendars for this eagerly awaited revelation. InshALLAH, it’s going to be fantastic & I promise you would love it…”

    The Geo Entertainment drama series stars Yumna Zaidi and Wahaj Ali as two complete opposites who fall in love. Meerab is a headstrong, fearless woman whose dream is to become a lawyer. Her family has arranged her marriage to Murtasim, a member of a conservative, land owning family where women are different from Meerab’s fiery nature. Despite them being opposites, the two keep falling in love with each other.

    Abdullah Kadwani announced the sequel to the drama in July in a group picture with Yumna and Wahaj. He thanked the fans for their dedication and love that turned ‘Tere Bin’ into a success.

    “Tere Bin phenomenal journey comes to an end achieving unprecedented milestones in the history of Pakistani entertainment. We thank Almighty ALLAH for making #TereBin the biggest blockbuster❤️. I and Asad Qureshi extend our heartfelt gratitude to audiences worldwide for their immense love and support towards our creation.
    A big shout out to the visionary leadership of Asad Qureshi, who has been the driving force behind #TereBin‘s remarkable success.
    Hats off to the outstanding performances of Wahaj Ali and Yumna Zaidi, who have brilliantly portrayed the lead characters in #TereBin. Their extraordinary talent & magical on-screen chemistry ❤️❤️have mesmerised the viewers, making Murtasim and Meerub’s story even more unforgettable …
    A heartfelt shoutout to the director Siraj ul Haq and the writer Nooran Makhdoom for their exceptional direction & storytelling that kept us hooked till the very end.
    We are also honored to have worked with the legendary actor Bushra Ansari & our other star cast members in this drama … Their remarkable portrayal of characters has added depth and richness to the narrative …
    We feel that it is essential to acknowledge the relentless efforts and dedication of the remarkable teams at Geo Entertainment and 7th Sky Entertainment. Well done Team Geo & Team 7th Sky … Your combined brilliance has paved the way for this unforgettable drama to touch the hearts of billions.
    To our incredible cast, crew, and every individual who poured their heart and soul into making #TereBin a true masterpiece, we extend our deepest gratitude.
    And now, in response to the overwhelming love and support from our amazing audience, we are thrilled to announce that we will be launching #TereBin Season 2! Stay tuned for more exciting updates and details …”