Tag: Pakistani dramas

  • Fawad Khan, Wahaj Ali spotted at star-studded National Icon Awards

    Fawad Khan, Wahaj Ali spotted at star-studded National Icon Awards

    The National Icon Awards 2023 were held on Sunday with the top celebrities of Pakistan in attendance to watch their colleagues be honored for contributions to the field of arts and culture.

    Popular A-listers like Mawra Hocane, Wahaj Ali and Fawad Khan were present at the ceremony.

    Actor Wahaj Ali received the National Icon Award 2023, while veteran actors Meera and Resham watched on along with the outgoing Minister for Information, Marriyum Aurangzeb.

    Nadia Jamil shared a clip of the outfit she wore to the awards, thanking Marriyum Aurangzeb for recognising an industry that had been aching for the respect and support of the state.

    The actress also lauded producer Zulfikaar’s comments on the need for smaller cinemas which are cheaper, since bigger cinemas charge around Rs 1500-2000 per person to watch a film.

    Producer and actor Humayun Saeed called it a “privilege and honor” to be acknowledged by the state, and praised them for implementing the Film and Music Legislation which will help revive the film industry.

    Actor Fawad Khan spoke about hoping that the film industry becomes independent to the point that it doesn’t need to rely on the government for support.

  • Shamoon Abbasi skips daughter’s wedding, posts note about removing shameless, immodest people from his life

    Shamoon Abbasi skips daughter’s wedding, posts note about removing shameless, immodest people from his life

    Veteran actress Juveria Abbasi’s daughter Anzela Abbasi recently got married in a lavish ceremony to Tashfeen Ansari, however many were quick to point out that her father, Shamoon Abbasi, was not present during the ceremony.

    Abbasi posted a cryptic note on his Instagram stories during the wedding, writing about wanting to remove “shameless people” from his life:

    “I never wanted to be attached or known to have anything with impudent and immodest, shameless people in my life and never I will… no matter what my relationship with them I prefer to stay away from them no matter what!”

    The couple divorced after ten years together, after which the actress has been vocal about how she loves being single during an interview with Fuchsia Magazine:

    “Our society loves telling women that they cannot survive in this world if they don’t have a husband to take care of them. But I don’t encourage this kind of thought process because it was not difficult for me at all. I have a good job from where I earn a good amount which allows me to have a comfortable lifestyle and also take care of my daughter. I’m proud of the person she has become since she’s well educated, well groomed and now is also working as an actress.”

    Many users expressed anger at how publicly Shamoon was disowning his daughter and creating controversy on a special day. However, celebrities like Shahood Alvi, Ushna Shah came forward to publicly praise Juvaria for raising her daughter to become an accomplished, beautiful woman. Alvi praised Abbasi for going through all the tough times and coming out to be an even stronger, confident woman in spite of all that she has undergone:

    “I’ve always witnessed you being a great single parent, the amount of love and support you’ve shown her throughout life even after undergoing all the pain and challenges. Now that you’ve wedded her off in a great family. I’m so proud of you because I saw you struggle everyday and in your worst times, which is why i’m extremely thrilled for you! You’ve done a great job dost!”

    Actress Ushna Shah praised Juvaria for raising Anzeela all on her own as a single mother, and making her into a strong, king and well-rounded person:

    “I know what it means for a single mother to wed her daughter to the best of her ability, I saw how happy it made my mother and I saw how happy it had made you.”

    Social media users also praised Juvaria’s grace and strong-spirit to refuse to let her bitter ex-husband’s resentment destroy such an important day for her daughter, as one user lamented how society doesn’t acknowledge the strengths of single mothers

    Other’s came forward to defend Anzala’s choice of wedding outfits, pointing out that this was her special day and its about time people stopped telling brides how they should dress up on their big day!

  • Pakistani media, stop obsessing over Sunita Marshall’s religion

    Pakistani media, stop obsessing over Sunita Marshall’s religion

    The country’s media has decided that the average citizen is not raging inflation but whether a fully grown woman has decided to convert from Christianity to Islam or not.

    In an interview with Youtuber and journalist Maliha Rehman, actor Hassan Ahmed, Sunita Marshall’s husband, was asked about how he deals with the negative comments, especially regarding his marriage to the ‘Sar-e-rah’ actress. The actor responded that it is his deepest desire that his wife converts to Islam, but understands that these things do take time. He further went on to say that Sunita will only come towards Islam when she notices the positive inside him.

    But newsflash for the two of you, Sunita isn’t special just because she ‘could’ convert to Islam. She’s a fully grown human being who can dress how she wants and follow what religion she chooses. It is shameful how this is a topic that needs a 10 minute long discussion.

    The discussion arose just a few weeks after Sunita was questioned by controversial Youtuber Nadir Ali about her religious beliefs. She calmly handled the situation saying that it was her choice whether she chooses to remain a Christian or convert to Islam. But the fact remains, Sunita’s religion is not something to debate, and it’s shameful that her husband is commenting on personal matters in the public sphere.

    We were incredibly happy to witness how a flood of celebrities and social media users applauded the ‘Khuda Aur Mohabbat’ actress for bravely handling Ali’s misogynist remarks, but it doesn’t mean she needs to be subjected to this kind of questioning time and time again. This is the Islamic Republic Of Pakistan, where under the law, people from all kinds of faiths are allowed to practice their religion without any fear.

    It’s the year 2023, you have people leaving the country because they’re unable to make a decent living, so obsessing over whether Sunita Marshall will become a Muslim or not is irrelevant. Celebrity tabloids, please do better and let her live without feeling like her religion is in the spotlight all the time.

  • Season 2 of ‘Fairy Tale’ is back and social media users are enchanted as ever

    Season 2 of ‘Fairy Tale’ is back and social media users are enchanted as ever

    Just a few months after receiving critical acclaim for Season One, Hum TV’s beloved drama ‘Fairy Tale’ is back with a second season. The series, penned by Sarah Majeed, revolves around the energetic, fun-loved Umeed Pasha (played by Sehar Khan), a middle class girl who dreams of getting rich. Farjaad Khan (played by Hamza Sohail), her complete opposite in many ways, finds her naiveness opposing with his stiff and cold demeanor, but slowly comes to fall in love with her.

    The first season wrapped in April, with fans across India and Pakistan showering praise on the powerful female lead, the romance and the stellar script writing. The overwhelming praise

    Newcomers Hamza and Sehar were taken aback by the meteoric rise of the show, while in an interview with Fuchsia, Ali Safina admitted being shocked by how popular the show was.

    In this season, Umeed and Farjaad are more in love than they were previously, as she gears up to start her career as well as being married to Farjaad. The story wouldn’t be memorable without hilarious road blocks between our beloved kharoos and his larki right? The fanbase has not gone anywhere, already heaping praise on the first episode.

  • If you loved ‘Fairy Tale’ then watch the classical drama ‘Tum Se Kehna Tha’

    If you loved ‘Fairy Tale’ then watch the classical drama ‘Tum Se Kehna Tha’

    Since ‘Fairy Tale’ is set to arrive back this month with another incredible new season, we get that fans are rewatching the episodes over and over again. For the first time, a Pakistani drama managed to actually enrapture women, with a non-problematic male-lead as well as a fun-loving, well written female lead. Yes its true that there is nothing good to watch out there that won’t make you cringe in the first 15 minutes. But plenty of our followers need to discover classical dramas, their incredible story lines about powerful, hilarious women not abiding by toxic patriarchy, and one of them is Syed Muhammad Ahmed’s ‘Tum Se Kehna Tha’.

    Directed by Sahria Kazmi, the five episode drama starred Marina Khan as Hira, a witty and fearless woman whose crush on a stranger accidently leads her to be mistaken as the fiance of a man in coma. Many Twitter users even began drawing a comparison between Hira, and the protagonist of ‘Fairy Tale’ Umeed Pasha, played by Marina Khan, as a viral tweet showed.

    And honestly, we’ve been waiting for the public to realize this so we could write another piece to praise this classical drama and just to write about how brilliant Fairy Tale is for catering to an audience nostalgic about the brilliant dramas of the 90’s. So if, like us, you’re patiently waiting till August 5 arrives when Season 2 of Fairy Tale drops, watch ‘Tum Se Kehna Tha’

    1. Brilliant, hilarious and talented female leads

    It’s no shocker that Umeed won the hearts of Pakistani women because of how similar she was to the women from dramas like ‘Tanhaiyaan’ and ‘Dhoop Kinare’, stories of head-strong, independent women who were complex and completely unlike the wailing women trope we see in dramas these days. Hira Muzzaffar from ‘Tum Se Kehna Tha’ is a wonderful example of how progressive 90s dramas were. She lived alone, was independent and fearless about pursuing what she loved. She didn’t hide away her love, and expressed it bluntly. And she didn’t adhere to the crazy tropes our dramas today think all women want, like being slapped by useless men, or engaging in some cold war with her saas.

    1. Wholesome family dynamics

    If you loved the crazy family dynamics of family members like Aghoo Jaan, Pasha Saab, Mimi and Nigo aunty from ‘Fairy Tale’, then ‘Tum Se Kehna Tha’ will draw you in without any haste because of how every single character has a hilarious role, there is no part where it feels like the episodes are dragging. Every character, like Hira’s boss Sajjad, has a special part in the episodes, even if a small one.

    1. Wholesome, well-written male leads

    We’ll get to the meat of what made a drama like ‘Fairy Tale’ so engaging for audiences: because of the rare occasion where men aren’t toxic, worthless creatures and are actually the opposite of that. Many users loved the male lead Farjaad from ‘Fairy Tale’ because aside from the splendid acting of Hamza Sohail, this intoverted and shy man matched the fierce and loud Umeed in an amazing way. Rather than taming her fire, he encouraged her to embrace it, and kept loving her regardless of how clumsy or oppinionated she was. In the same way, Bilal from ‘TSKT’ and Hira stand out because of their hilarious banter and how he becomes the loving family she had constantly longed for.

  • Humayun Saeed reveals Shah Rukh Khan once told him Pakistani films should release in India

    Humayun Saeed reveals Shah Rukh Khan once told him Pakistani films should release in India

    Humayun Saeed spoke with Indian publication Bollywood Hungama where he talked about his hit drama ‘Mere Pass Tum Ho’ which is set to release on Zindagi across India. The actor also opened up about his memory of working next to Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan back in 2005, when the two performed together for the Zee Cine Awards.

    Saeed revealed that the Bollywood Badshah was incredibly sweet, treating the actor with a lot of respect because Humayun was not sure about how the performance should take place. Khan also told Humayun that he felt Pakistani dramas should be released in India:

    “There was a lot of excitement when I met Shah Rukh. He was very sweet to me. We were in his room and he made me sit with him and discussed Indian and Pakistan films with me. That time there was a Mehreen Jabbar and a Shaan film in the theatres and SRK was talking about them. He said that Pakistani films should be released in India and vice versa. He made me comfortable. Since I had just come the previous day to the sets, I did not know exactly what to do. Shah Rukh said ‘main sambhal lunga.’ The overall moment was very special.”

    Actor Adnan Siddiqui also gave an interview to Indian Express where he said that there should be no boundaries when it comes to art, and also felt that Pakistani audiences were much more tolerant compared to Indian ones.

    “Art has no boundaries, but artistes have a certain boundary, which shouldn’t be there. There should be healthy cultural exchange. I believe that the kind of tolerance–pardon me for being so blunt–but our tolerance, in comparison to Indian audience is much higher. We accept Indian artistes, Indian cricketers, we accept everything good about India. But when this thing goes across the border, it becomes very political. I don’t know why.”

  • ‘Our tolerance is much higher’: Adnan Siddiqui thinks Pakistanis are more accepting than Indian audiences

    ‘Our tolerance is much higher’: Adnan Siddiqui thinks Pakistanis are more accepting than Indian audiences

    Pakistani actor Adnan Siddiqui spoke with The Indian Express about his 2019 hit drama ‘Mere Pass Tum Ho’ which is set to appear on the Indian channel ‘Zee Zindagi’ which has also aired previous Pakistani dramas like ‘Qissa MeherBano Ka’ and ‘Hum Kahan Kay Sachay Thay’.

    Touching upon the topic of the ban on Pakistani music and films in India and vice versa, the actor said that there should be a healthy cultural exchange between the two countries as he feels Pakistanis are more tolerant in comparison to Indian audiences:

    “Art has no boundaries, but artistes have a certain boundary, which shouldn’t be there. There should be healthy cultural exchange. I believe that the kind of tolerance–pardon me for being so blunt–but our tolerance, in comparison to Indian audience is much higher. We accept Indian artistes, Indian cricketers, we accept everything good about India. But when this thing goes across the border, it becomes very political. I don’t know why.”

    Adnan, who starred in Bollywood film ‘Mom’ in 2017 which starred the late veteran Bollywood actress Sri Devi and our very own Sajal Aly, and was met with applause by audiences both in India and Pakistan. But the actor recalled how after the Fawad Khan controversy, the filming had to be kept quiet.

    “I remember when I was filming Mom, it was kept very hush-hush, because the whole Fawad Khan controversy had happened. Boney was saying that we can’t do interviews, public appearances. This shouldn’t be happening; the responsibility should be taken by both the governments and the political parties, to at least be a little lenient when there is art involved somewhere.”

    Speaking further on the ban and his dissapointment on not being able to establish a career in Bollywood, Siddiqui revealed that it was actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s manager who reached out to him with some jobs, but it eventually didn’t work out.

    “I was thinking to have my career over there, Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s manager was in touch with me, he was offering me some work over there and I was looking at those also, but then it didn’t happen. No regrets, really.”

  • ‘Mere Paas Tum Ho’ set to air in India from August onwards

    ‘Mere Paas Tum Ho’ set to air in India from August onwards

    Pakistani drama ‘Mere Paas Tum Ho’ is set to air on Indian channel ‘Zee Zindagi’. The Humayun Saeed and Ayeza Khan starrer will join the ranks of Pakistani dramas like ‘Qissa Meherbano Ka’, ‘Hum Kahan Kay Sachay Thay’ among others, all of whom have enjoyed popular airtime on the Indian channel ‘Zee Zindagi’.

    On the official Instagram page, the channel had announced:

    “What happens when you feel money CAN buy happiness?  Here’s a glimpse of the much-awaited show!  #MerePaasTumHo, Coming Soon on Indian Television screens!”

    Penned by Khalil-ul-Rehman Qamar, the show revolves around Danish (played by Humayun), a traditional man who lives a simple life in a small flat with his wife and son. However, his wife Mehwish (played by Ayeza Khan) is an ambitious woman who dreams of acquiring wealth. When the couple meets Shehwar (played by Adnan Sdiddiqui) she falls for him and soon after, leaves her family to marry him.

    Siddiqui recently made an appearance on Junaid Akram’s podcast where he spoke about the success of the drama, playfully suggesting that he should have charged more for his role had he known how big a hit the drama would become:

    “If I knew how successful it would be, I wouldn’t have charged the money that I did. I would’ve taken a lot more. For the first time ever, Humayun asked me to play a role that he had in mind, and he was right. It was very big of him to suggest that. He told me that people had already cast me for it since like 6 years ago. Like, they had my name in mind,” Adnan shared.

  • If you loved ‘Gunah’, here are some Pakistani crime-thrillers you should watch

    If you loved ‘Gunah’, here are some Pakistani crime-thrillers you should watch

    ‘Gunah’ was a long-awaited drama, hailed by critics and fans of Sarmad Khoosat alike. Featuring powerful performances by Saba Qamar, Rabia Butt and Juggun Kazim in her comeback debut, the series revolved around the sudden disappearance of Gul Noor (played by Kazzim), who leaves her two children and husband, the powerful landlord Malik Hayat Khan (played by Khoosat) in agony. To help him deal with his grief, his in-laws suggest he marry their younger daughter Gul Meher (played by Saba Qamar). But when a new SHO Sabiha (played by Rabia Butt) begins investigating the disappearance, the clues she picks up prove that there is a lot more to the story than what she has been told.

    As the drama ends today with the final episode airing on Express TV, we know how disappointed fans will be with one more spectacular television show coming to an end. But if your ‘Gunah’ nostalgia is going to hit a bit too hard, there have been some well-written crime-thriller dramas that you could rewatch this weekend. Here are some of our best recommendations.

    1. Jurm

    Starring the starry-eyed Wahaj Ali with Dur-e-Fishaan Saleem and Tooba Siddiqui in a supporting role, this is the kind of dark, chaotic drama that keeps you hooked through the twists and turns, and completely blows your mind away with the ending. The casting is absolutely well-chosen, with Wahaj playing the humble and warm-hearted husband Daniyal who is grieving the sudden kidnapping of his wife, but a twist later reveals he is not who he appears to be. What more do you need to pull you in to watching the drama than the fact that it was directed by Mehreen Jabbar, who was behind ‘Daam’ and ‘Jackson Heights’?

    1. Ye Dil Mera

    If you are chronically online then you must have seen on several occasions how this drama was consistently mentioned as the rare, few occasions the Pakistani entertainment industry managed to hit it out of the park. We have to agree with Twitter that its true, this drama lives up to its hype with a gripping storyline, as well as powerful performances by Sajal Aly and Ahad Raza Mir. Sajal stars as Aina, the sheltered daughter of an industrialist who bags a coveted internship with Aman-Ullah Khan. As the two grow closer together, the trauma Aman suffered in his childhood and its link to someone special in Aina’s life threatens to tear apart their relationship.

    1. Cheekh

    If you’re not over Saba Qamar’s dizzying, seductive performance in ‘Gunah’ then we can’t blame you because neither are we. She could walk in a room dressed as a sack and will manage to outshine everyone. If you’re looking for more of her capitivating performances, then we recommend you watch ‘Cheekh’ starring Bilal Abbas Khan, Emmad Irfani and Ushna Shah. After the brutal murder and rape of her closest friend, Mannat (played by Qamar) pursues the murderer through court and explores the struggles she must overcome to ensure her friend is given justice.

  • ‘Put my abbu’s life in danger’: Bilal Maqsood slams fake social media accounts of Anwar Maqsood

    ‘Put my abbu’s life in danger’: Bilal Maqsood slams fake social media accounts of Anwar Maqsood

    Former ‘String’s singer Bilal Maqsood had taken to Twitter today to slam users for making social media accounts of his father, veteran playwright and host Anwar Maqsood. He requested his followers to block such accounts as they could put his father’s life in danger.

    “These kinds of fake tweets only put my Abbu’s life in danger. This guy has already blocked me. Please can you all report this account. Abbu does not post anything on social media. His actual account has only 3 posts. We made that account so we can report all the fake ones.”

    The celebrated screenwriter had clarified in 2020 with a video to prove that he only had one Twitter account.

    “My name is Anwar Maqsood and because of circumstances, I had to make this video to tell you that this is my official Twitter account,” he was seen saying in the video.