Tag: Pakistani entertainment

  • ‘Went out for a pack of cigarettes, still waiting for him to come back’: Ushna Shah talks about her absent father

    ‘Went out for a pack of cigarettes, still waiting for him to come back’: Ushna Shah talks about her absent father

    Actress Ushna Shah responded to a thread on X, (formerly Twitter) which asked users to tell something about their fathers. The ‘Habs’ actress responded with a heartbreaking anecdote about how her father abandoned her.

    “Went to buy a pack of cigarettes when I was an infant, will be back any minute…” the actress tweeted.

    Underneath the post, users expressed sorrow but Ushna said that because of her strong mother, she grew up to be an accomplished woman.

    The actress shared a very important point yesterday about how she hoped dramas would stop turning issues like divorce into a stigma, and write scripts that encourage women to walk out of toxic marriages. She said her mother worked hard to raise Ushna on her own, which is something we also wish more Pakistani show producers would understand.

    READ MORE: ‘Divorce is not a stigma, fix the drama scripts’: Ushna Shah

    “Many scripts I work on perpetuate shame around divorce. While I can’t reshape the conventions of scriptwriting or opt for unemployment, I stand by a vision. As the child of a divorcee who hustled with three jobs to raise us, the stigma on divorced characters feels deeply personal. I’m eager to be part of a story that addresses the stigma of divorce and combats the shame of being single after, celebrating the journey to independence and joy. Convincing producers to back such a risqué script, which may face societal backlash, is very challenging.”

  • ‘Young people are difficult to work with’: Fahad Mustafa on why he’s not acting anymore

    Actor and producer Fahad Mustafa was a guest on Vasay Chaudhry’s talk show ‘Gup Shab’, where he opened up about giving a break to acting.

    The ‘Mein Abdul Kadir Hoon’ actor revealed that he missed the times when he was working with big names like Vasay Chaudhry, Humayun Saeed and Mahira Khan, and said it was difficult to work with young actors of today.

    “I worked with Vasay, Humayun, Mehwish, Mahira Khan, who are all stars now. It’s easy to work with them and there is a reason why they’re all stars because I feel that it’s incredibly easy to work with them. Currently looking at the young actors of today, it’s hard to work with them. I’m not criticising their talent, just pointing out regarding getting along on set.”

    “Because we had not witnessed any vanity on sets,” the ‘Actor in Law’ actor added. “We could all sit in a room and get along. When it gets incredibly hard to sit together in a room during set, then you can’t work together either. This is my biggest fear.”

  • ‘Divorce is not a stigma, fix the drama scripts’: Ushna Shah

    ‘Divorce is not a stigma, fix the drama scripts’: Ushna Shah

    Actress Ushna Shah took to her Twitter account to condemn drama scripts for stigmatising divorced women- and treat the topic like a taboo. The actress reflected on her own upbringing with a divorced mother, who had worked three jobs to bring her up, and said she would like to be a part of stories that refuse to resort to toxic stereotypes:

    “Many scripts I work on perpetuate shame around divorce. While I can’t reshape the conventions of scriptwriting or opt for unemployment, I stand by a vision. As the child of a divorcee who hustled with three jobs to raise us, the stigma on divorced characters feels deeply personal. I’m eager to be part of a story that addresses the stigma of divorce and combats the shame of being single after, celebrating the journey to independence and joy. Convincing producers to back such a risqué script, which may face societal backlash, is very challenging.”

    Many users on Twitter shared the opinion, stating that they wanted a stop to narratives that actively discourage divorce.

  • Here’s why Shahid Afridi is angry at fans

    Here’s why Shahid Afridi is angry at fans

    While we love the fact that Pakistani celebrities are respected and valued by their fans-especially cricket stars- it’s important to remember that it doesn’t mean fans are allowed to invade anyone’s privacy. Former cricket captain Shahid Afridi addressed this issue as a guest on Vasay Chaudhry’s show ‘Gup Shab’ where he opened up about his distaste for fans who have crossed boundaries and invaded the privacy of his family. Boom Boom Afridi said he finds it unpleasant that fans make videos of him and his family when they go out.

    But, Shahid said, it was disappointing to watch his family’s privacy further invaded when they were in Makkah for Umrah, sharing that it was disrespectful even for the people claiming to be a fan of the cricket player.

    “When you’re going for your Umrah or Hajj with your family, your privacy is completely breached over,” Shahid noted.

    “My wife does pardah. During Tawaaf, I have snatched phones from several people who were making videos. Even though I apologised to them afterwards, I have asked several times to stop making videos during that moment.”

    The topic of fans crossing their limits and invading the privacy of celebrities, especially when they’re with their family members, is not new.

    Cricket player Imam ul Haq spoke on Daniyal Sheikh’s podcast about an occasion when he was at a restaurant with his family. A few people shouted ‘parchi’ at him. This bullying has gone to the point that his family members no longer attend his matches, in fear of being heckled by the attendants.

    “They really want to come and watch me play, but I’m just scared- this is the first time I’m talking about this. But when I’m standing on the boundary, I don’t want my mother to listen to the taunt ‘parchi’ in the stadium. If I was batting and I was out, it wouldn’t matter if I had played better before or not, while going back I would hear taunts of ‘parchi’.”

    READ MORE: Here’s why cricketer Imam ul Haq’s parents don’t go to his matches

    Previously, actress Romaisa Khan slammed nurses who approached the ‘John’ actress for photos when she was in tears and praying for her mother’s recovery in the ICU, an act she recalled as “insensitive” in a detailed post on Threads.

    READ MORE: ‘So unethical’: Actress Romaisa Khan slams fans for requesting selfies in ICU

    “Some people are so insensitive,” lamented the ‘John’ actress on her Threads account. “I know we are public figures but not public properties, so it’s unethical that my mom is in the ICU screaming in pain almost fighting for her life and where I am crying and praying outside and nurses literally making videos and asking for a selfie.”

    So please remember that while it is natural to have immense respect for a public figure’s talent and skills, fans should also remember to respect the privacy. Celebrities are only in the public spotlight as a job, and it doesn’t give any fan the right to treat their entire existence as a public affair.

  • A matrimonial website demanded this much money for Yashma Gill’s rishta

    A matrimonial website demanded this much money for Yashma Gill’s rishta

    Yashma Gill should add stand up comedy to her skill set, because seriously, we’re in fits since this hilarious revelation.

    At the ‘The Talk Talk Show’ the actress narrated that efforts to get married led to a hysterical situation for which her on-set colleagues still mock her to this day. Yashma revealed she had wanted to get married for some time, but because of her hectic work schedule it was difficult for her to find someone she liked, adding that she wasn’t a fan of the proposals her mother was sending her.

    All of this, the ‘Bebak’ actress recalled, led her to joining a matrimonial site.

    “I joined a matrimonial site, but they couldn’t believe that they were speaking with Yashma Gill,” the actress laughed. “So they requested me to hold a video call to confirm if it was truly me. We talked on video call and they asked me about my preference and everything.”

    But then, the actress said the rishta website asked her to pay four lacs for registering on their website, and then fork out another four lacs after she secures the rishta!

    “I said no thank you, I’ll find someone on my own”, Yashma chuckled, putting an end to her rishta hunting process.

  • ‘Laggay raho bhai’: Yet another petrol hike has celebrities completely speechless

    ‘Laggay raho bhai’: Yet another petrol hike has celebrities completely speechless

    Friday’s petrol price hike has completely shocked social media. The Ministry of Finance said on X (formerly Twitter) announced that the cost of petrol has risen by Rs 26.02 per litre, coming to Rs331.38 per litre, while high-speed diesel (HSD) saw a hike of Rs17.34 per litre, settling at Rs329.18 per litre.

    Social media users were enraged at the constant price hikes, and celebrities were no exception.

    Singer and actor Ahmed Ali Butt slammed how the public was more concerned with the price of the upcoming iPhone 15 than they were with the ongoing petrol price hike.

    “As a nation we have lost all will to fight against this inflation which is due to corruption and bad economic policies,” he shared on Instagram.

    Veteran comedian and actor Sohail Ahmed took to X, formerly Twitter, to request current government to stop implementing policies that are exploiting common folks.

    Screenwriter Khalil-ul-Rehman Qamar asked all Pakistanis to pray during these difficult times.

    Maybe is mushkil waqt mein thora humor hi chal jata hai? Rabya Kulsoom joked that before any Pakistani, it was the petrol price that reached to the moon!

  • Working women, pay heed to this excellent advice from Bushra Ansari

    Working women, pay heed to this excellent advice from Bushra Ansari

    Bushra Ansari keeps aging with grace and confidence, giving us more reasons to love her. Her stellar comedy skills, her decades long career, and her blunt advice to empower women keeps proving she’s the GOAT. Recently, during an appearance at ‘The Talk Talk Show’, the actress spoke in depth about two prevailing topics that more working women should take her advise on: remembering that its okay to want to work after marriage, and that the right to divorce was granted to them by Islam.

    On the show she discussed the basics of establishing a flourishing career while also remaining a full-time mom. The ‘Tere Bin’ actress said that aside from performing on screen, she kept working as a full time mother and a housewife who cooked food and dropped her kids to school. Her advice to stay-at-home mothers, especially women working in the showbiz industry, was to keep multi-tasking in different roles.

    “Allah has given us a lot of abilities so we should keep searching for them. This is the advice I also give to girls working in showbiz to keep working after marriage, whether or not they start a family.”

    Bushra elaborated that women shouldn’t stop after getting married or after having a child, giving examples of several actors who have done the same. “I worked on my career and raised my children along with this. Along side with Rubina Ashraf, Samina Ahmed, Saba Hamid. We continued to work, while also taking care of our children.”

    The ‘Dolly Ki Aegi Barat’ spoke about her divorce from her husband of 36 years, reflecting on her Nikah, when her father made sure to include the ‘right to divorce’ clause. The actress elaborated that in contradiction to what society thinks, the Quran has given women a lot of rights in Islam.

    “The right to divorce is written in the Nikkah, which is cut out. When someone is getting married, they can chose to have the right to divorce. This is initiated when a discussion is held with the boy’s family, because they can give you this right. It’s not that a woman can just hand over a divorce, but its a granted right given by her husband and in-laws. So this is something I feel even the boy’s side of the family should understand.”

    Ansari said using the right to divorce was not an easy task because ending a marriage can be painful “I had the right to divorce from the first day, but I spent 36 years in my marriage. I would have used it in a snap but no one wants to separate this way. But when the time came, I used this right.”

  • ‘Stop’: Adnan Siddiqui slams fake news of his death

    ‘Stop’: Adnan Siddiqui slams fake news of his death

    Actor Adnan Siddiqui has become the latest target of fake death rumours on the internet, and he has had enough of it.

    The ‘Maat’ actor shared a clip on his Instagram account of a video spreading news that he had passed away, slamming irresponsible journalism:

    “All those spreading the rumours of my demise in the name of journalism and breaking news, next time give me a fair idea before making me the headline. I’ll personally come to your studios and confirm it, complete with my epitaph. Your (ir)responsible journalism should look flawless after all.”

    Actress Simi Rahael sent prayers in the comments and called out trolls for spreading such dangerous news.

    Other actors like Faysal Quraishi and Aijazz Aslam also agreed with Adnan’s post.

    Previously, it was veteran actor Mahmood Aslam who became the target of rumors that he had passed away, and the ‘Bulbulay’ actor took to social media to slam the fake news and called for users to be mindful about his friends and family members who could be deeply hurt by such actions.

    “I’m Mahmood Aslam, breathing, fit and alive in front of you. A few hours ago, someone reported on social media that I have passed away. Whoever spread this news, I want to request them, for God’s sake, to not spread such news without verifying it. I am sitting in front of you, healthy and alive.”

    “If not me, please think of my friends and family, relatives and fans and how they would feel after reading this unverified news. You can post about people who die so everyone can grieve them but please do not post fake news about those who are alive.”

    “I made this video to tell all of you to not believe the news. I’m here and alive. And I’d like to request the people behind the fake news to stop their malicious attempts. Think 10 times before doing such a thing. It might be fun and games for you but it isn’t a joke. Fans and families could get affected in the worst possible way.”

  • Which celebrity paid Rs100,000 electricity bill? Celebs share details of inflation affecting their budgets

    Which celebrity paid Rs100,000 electricity bill? Celebs share details of inflation affecting their budgets

    After protests and demonstrations broke out across Pakistan as petrol and electricity bill hikes took effect, celebrities are amplifying voices calling for the government to provide relief packages to the masses. Many big names of the industry are sharing how their expenses are spiking because of the excessive rates. A-listers like Maya Ali condemned rising prices and demanded for people in power to step out and help the underprivileged ones who couldn’t afford basic necessities.

    Actress and television host Nadia Khan shocked audiences when in a recent video, she asked prominent celebrities like Nida Yasir, Fiza Ali and Sadia Imam about how their household expenses are being recalculated with the on-going price hikes, and the results are astounding.

    Actress Sadia Imam said her previous electricity bill was RS 75,000, after which she decided to install a solar system at her house. The result, the actress elaborated, was that her bill was Rs 19,000 but after adding Rs 5000 tax it was Rs 26,000.

    Nida Yasir had the most shocking revelation in the video. She confessed that despite the fact that for half of the month their family was out of the country, her electricity bill was Rs 1 lac.

    Fizza Ali said her electricity bill this month was Rs 67,000, adding that in the previous month her electricity bill was even higher, but during this time the actress was on vacation in Dubai.

    Nadia Khan then revealed to her audience that last month during the time she was away from her home in Karachi and was in Thailand, her bill Rs 75,000.

    ‘It’s horrifying to think that we weren’t in our homes, and our bill was Rs 75,000. So what would be the amount this month?” the actress said.

    Watch the complete video here

  • Veteran actor Akbar Khan passes away

    Veteran actor Akbar Khan passes away

    Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un

    Actor Akbar Khan, known for portraying character roles, has passed away in Karachi on Tuesday after suffering from an undisclosed illness.

    He was a painter and a sculptor of note, with acting credits that include critically acclaimed dramas like ‘Parizaad’, ‘Dil Ruba’ and the popular sitcom ‘Bulbulay’.

    Hum TV sent condolences to the late actor’s friends and family members on Instagram.

    Adnan Siddiqui remembered Akbar Khan for his contributions to the entertainment industry:

    “May Allah grant him higher place in Jannah . Aameen.”

    Actors like Yashma Gill and Yasir Hussain posted condolences for the late actor’s passing on their Instagram stories.