In a recent podcast interview with journalist Maliha Rahman, Actor Resham expressed her concern about the rising divorce rates among actors in the entertainment industry. She specifically mentioned the separations of Sajal Aly and Ahad Raza Mir, as well as Imran Ashraf and Kiran Ashfaq, stating that the news saddened her, and she hoped their marriages hadn’t come to an end.
She mentioned her close relationship with actress Sajal Aly, expressing deep sorrow over Sajal’s divorce, considering they had previously worked together in “Mohabbat Jaye Bhaar Main.” Resham also mentioned actor Imran Ashraf and recalled meeting him and his ex-wife Kiran Ashfaque at an event, noting that they seemed happy together.
The string of divorces in the industry has made Resham more cautious, prompting her to consider marrying someone outside the entertainment circle, she said. At the end of the interview, Resham spoke about her hopes for a future partner who was willing to commit to a lasting relationship. Resham also revealed that she would have left showbiz long ago if she had found a good life partner, who was loyal and committed. The veteran actress is set to make a strong comeback to the silver screen in the movie “Gunjal,” featuring Ahmad Ali Akbar in the lead role.
The thriller mystery film ‘Gunjal’ is set to release in a few weeks and Ahmed Ali Akbar is about to take on a challenging role that will completely change the way the entertainment industry has seen him. The actor is will essay the role of journalist Shahbaz Bhatti who investigates the events surrounding the death of prominent child labor activist Iqbal Masih.
If you, like the rest of us, are anxiously waiting for the arrival of the movie, we recommend you watch some amazing projects he did in the past. We’re listing down some dramas that definitely show the range and seductiveness of Ahmed.
1 Yehe Raha Dil (2017)
Yes, we know the first drama that comes to your mind is ‘Parizaad’ but please don’t pay dismiss this series. Ahmed proves his chemistry with Yumna is superior to any other we’ve seen, and deserves more coverage. Even years past its release, fans are not over the amazing chemistry between the two and are still hoping that there’s a chance we might get another drama with the two of them and yes, we’re absolutely standing with this.
Ahmed ali akbar and yumna zaidi as onscreen couple are so fkn underrated that it makes me sad
Mansha Pasha and Ahmed were terrifyingly good in the thriller ‘Lal Kabootar’. They once more left audiences in awe with their roles in ‘Idiot’. Ahmed’s character questions the traditions and values of society, for which he is regarded as an ‘idiot’, saying things other people are too afraid to say.
3 Parizaad (2021)
Now coming to the drama that turned everyone into an Ahmed Ali Akbar fan. He stars as Parizaad, a man who sets out on a journey to understand the meaning of life, while coming across different people on his path. Since its release two years ago, the message of the drama and how brilliantly Ahmed carried the drama are still on point.
Upcoming thriller ‘Gunjal’ is the talk of the town, a film that promises to revive the industry with an insight into the crisis of child abuse in Pakistan. The film boasts of a star-studded cast with the likes of Ahmed Ali Akbar, Resham, Ahmed Ali Butt, Samiya Mumtaz and Amna Ilyas. The team behind ‘Gunjal’ was present at the prelaunch event held at University of Management and Technology (UMT) where we got some interesting details about the film, including the wholesome reason why Resham wanted to work with Ahmed Ali Akbar.
When is ‘Gunjal’ releasing?
Gunjal will release in theatres across Pakistan on 8th December.
What roles will Ahmed Ali Akbar and Resham be playing?
Ahmed Ali Akbar will be playing the role of journalist Shahbaz Bhatti, who investigates the murder of prolific child activist Iqbal Masih. Speaking at the event, Ahmed opened up about his reason for choosing the role.
“Gunjal is inspired by the life of a prolific child activist and is an insight into the trials and tribulations of Iqbal Masih and what he went through, and the conditions he was working in under and the events that took place. It’s also about the life of a regular person who overtime, through the eyes of Iqbal Masih, starts to see things that are very common around us, yet we don’t notice them.”
“It’s about the rights of children… and is inspired by Iqbal Masih’s legacy,” stressed Ahmed. “It’s very relevant, on what Iqbal wanted to accomplish, it was relevant then and is still now. It’s happening in front of us. So I feel it is our duty but it takes time to act upon it.”
Resham said her role in ‘Gunjal’ was quite different from her previous films. She plays Sarwat, the founder of a newspaper ‘Nai Subh’. Resham explained that her character tries to ensure her journalistic stories are focused on truth and justice.
The sweet reason behind why Resham wanted to work on Gunjal: Ahmed Ali Akbar
Resham also shared the sweet reason that propelled her to take part in the film, revealing it was her desire to work with Ahmed Ali Akbar.
“I had watched all of ‘Parizaad’ from that point on I really wanted to work with him. While Ahmed’s drama was airing I didn’t watch it because I was suffering from depression and had lost a lot friends. Then I decided to watch all the episodes on Youtube. After finishing it, I made a prayer to Allah while watching alone, that I hoped to work with this man some day. Two-and-a-half months later the film’s director Shoaib sahab reached out and asked if I would act in his film. I asked who would be the hero, and he said ‘Ahmed Ali Akbar’. I said ‘The Parizaad one!’ and was overjoyed!”
Resham shared she had watched the last episode of Parizaad with Ahmed, which she said she was extremely lucky for. “Despite the fact that I’m his senior, but I’m still a huge fan of his.”
Social media was set ablaze yesterday when the official trailer for the upcoming film ‘Gunjal’ released on all platforms, promising to take users on a thrilling journey about one of the darkest cases in Pakistan. We are incredibly happy to witness the Pakistani industry shift its filmmaking approach and step into more complex social issues. Here are some reasons why we’re super excited to watch ‘Gunjal’:
1 It explores the investigation of the murder of prominent children right’s activist Iqbal Masih
For most of our audience members who don’t know Iqbal Masih, he was a vocal critic of abusive child labour in Pakistan, a state he escaped at the age of 10. Because of his protests, Iqbal was able to free more than 3000 children from forced slavery. He visited countries like the US and Sweden where he advocated for an end to bonded labour. However, Iqbal was tragically shot by unknown culprits at the age of 12. But his efforts to eradicate bonded labour didn’t go unnoticed as he posthumously received World’s Children’s Prize for the Rights of the Child in 2000, and later the Sitara-e-Shujaat in 2022 from President Arif Alvi.
2 The cast list includes thespians like Resham and Ahmed Ali Akbar
After the success of dramas like ‘Gunah’ and ‘Churails’, as well as Sarmad Khoosat’s ‘Zindagi Tamasha’, it’s clear that Pakistanis want something else other than saas-bahu content. A film like ‘Gunjal’ will ignite the audience’s curiosity and encourage more to watch the film in theatres, because this is a clear opportunity to bring more diverse stories back on our screens.
3 We need more crime thrillers in Pakistan
After the success of dramas like ‘Gunah’ and ‘Churails’, as well as Sarmad Khoosat’s ‘Zindagi Tamasha’ it’s clear that Pakistanis want something else other than saas-bahu content. Clearly, a film like ‘Gunjal’ will ignite the audience’s curiosity and encourage more to watch the film in theatres, because this is a clear opportunity to bring more diverse stories back on our screens.
Gunjal is directed by Shoaib Sultan and written by Nirmal Bano and Ali Kazmi, and its set to release in theatres across Pakistan on December 8.
Actor Ahmed Ali Akbar’s upcoming film ‘Gunjal’ will certainly change the way Pakistani audiences see him. Akbar will essay the role of a journalist investigating the brutal murder of bonded child labor activist Iqbal Masih, who was assassinated on 16 April, 1995 when he was just 12 years of age.
The film also stars veteran actor Resham and Aamna Ilyas.
The film is directed by Shoaib Sultan and the screenplay has been written by Nirmal Bano and Ali Kazmi.
Iqbal Masih had campaigned against abusive child labor in Pakistan from a very young age. He had received the Reeebok Human Rights Award in 1994 for spreading awareness about child labor and bonded slavery. He was posthumously awarded the Sitara-e-Shujaat in 2022.
In a recent interview on PTV Home, veteran actor Resham claimed that depression “does not exist”, which is an incredibly insensitive and illogical statement for a person in her position to say. Depression is not trivial; it is a genuine health condition. And it very much exists in Pakistan — more than most countries in the world.
In 2022, public health experts and intellectuals pointed out that around 75 per cent of the population, especially youngsters, are experiencing stress, anxiety or depression in Pakistan. We have one of the highest rates of mental ill-health in the world; according to one estimate, around 50 million people in Pakistan suffer from debilitating issues such as depression, abuse, alcoholism, post-traumatic disorder, eating disorders, manic depressive psychosis, and schizophrenia. What is even more alarming is that according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), there are only 0.19 psychiatrists in Pakistan per 100,000 inhabitants, one of the lowest numbers in the world. The absence of trained mental health professionals in the country has created a major treatment gap, leaving more than 90 per cent with mental health issues untreated. More than 20 million Pakistanis (10 per cent of the country’s population) suffer from some form of mental health condition.
With a deteriorating economy, unemployment, an all time high inflation, and low salaries, survival seems nearly impossible in Pakistan right now. People are getting killed in stampedes just to get free ration for themselves.
Last year, WHO and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) called for concrete actions to address mental health concerns in the working population, saying that an estimated 12 billion workdays are lost annually due to depression and anxiety, costing the global economy nearly $1 trillion.
The struggles and torment some people are facing in Pakistan are truly heart-wrenching, the reasons why the country is wrapped in depression. Conditions are so palpable and scary that last month we witnessed a Grade 17 officer of the Inland Revenue Service (IRS) in Pakistan’s Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) who allegedly wrote a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif requesting permission to start engaging in corrupt activities from April 1. The officer claimed that he faced difficulties in meeting his expenses due to his low salary and the current high inflation in the country. In the letter, the officer said that he had been working with the FBR for the last four years and has never committed a single rupee of corruption, despite offers to earn below-the-table money on several occasions. However, now he was not left with any option but to look for illicit means to make ends meet, and seeks permission from the prime minister to engage in corruption. The officer also shared his salary, which is Rs122,922, and his general expenses, which amount to Rs110,500, not including petty expenses as a husband and father.
In these desperate times how would one not be scared, anxious, worried and in depression? We can only hope that people take mental health seriously. Times are tough and only the right help and guidance will help us get through. And we hope that people acknowledge and understand the reality of these conditions and not disregard that we are very much, in fact, a depressed nation.
Indian poet Javed Akhtar’s comments about Mumbai attacks at the recent Faiz Festival circulated heavily on social media. Akhtar attacked Pakistan for refusing to hold accountable the terrorists behind 26/11 attacks. He also said that India had always honored and celebrated the legacies of Pakistani musicians like Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Mehdi Hassan, but Pakistan refused to do the same thing.
Why our media and so-called “elite” is mum over highly condemnable comments made by Javed Akhtar on our own soil? pic.twitter.com/tpLEswwt1x
Pakistani actors have slammed the Indian screen writer for his inappropriate comments and especially for misleading the audience into believing that Indian actors and musicians were not respected in Pakistan. Actor Ejaz Aslam criticized Akhtar for refusing to own up to the destruction India had done in Kashmir, instead of hating on the country that had invited him as a guest.
“Mr javed akhtar would you mind shedding some light on Kashmir issue ? You shouldn’t have come if you have so much hatred for pakistan, we still let u go back safely & thats our answer to your nonsense”
Mr javed akhtar would you mind shedding some light on Kashmir issue ? You shouldn’t have come if you have so much hatred for pakistan, we still let u go back safely & thats our answer to your nonsense #javedakhtar#goback#nonsense # pic.twitter.com/b7DCIdnH1o
Actress Saboor Aly reacted to the celebrities who were praising Javed Akhtar at the mehfil, and said she was ashamed that they refused to set professional boundaries towards someone who had disrespected them in this manner. She also felt that it was shameful how many local celebrities who are equally as talented are not given the honor and respect Akhtar was given for three days.
“These people were celebrating someone who had insulted them in their own home, and then sat at his feet and singing praises. What a shame! So-called educated people. You have never respected your own talent the same way. Some of the biggest stars in this country had passed away in severe circumstances when they didn’t even have any money to pay for their operation. Where were these people then who respected talent so much?”
Fashion designer Zara Shahjahan criticized the elite participants who had attended the conference where Javed Akhtar had said this, and also later had hosted a mehfil for him.
“He was not just allowed to come to Pakistan, he was allowed to shit on Pakistan and then the Lahori “fake” elite hosted a party for him where they cried on his knees.”
He was not just allowed to come to Pakistan, he was allowed to shit on Pakistan and then the Lahori “fake” elite hosted a party for him where they cried on his knees. https://t.co/jUgDFVUtdP
Actress Resham, who had also shared video clips of attending the mehfil hosted by Ali Zafar where Akhtar was honored, gave her defence on her Instagram stories. She shared that she deeply respected her country and its people, and was not aware of the comments he had made.
“I hold my country Pakistan in deep respect, and was not aware of the type of comments Javed Akhtar had made at the conference on the Faiz Festival that day. I condemn his words. As per our customs of special treatment, we consider guests God’s mercy but Pakistan is more precious to us than our hearts and lives.”
A video of senior actor Resham surfaced online that saw her throwing meat and bread from the top of a bridge overlooking a large water body to feed the marine life.
The clip immediately went viral because along with food for the fishes, the Jeeva star threw in polythene bags, wrappers and plastic utensils as well.
Netizens trolled Resham for her act. While the clip was temporarily removed from various platforms, Resham offered a justification for her actions.
In response to the flak that she’s garnered on Twitter, among other social media apps, Resham, on Tuesday, contested that there were more alarming issues to worry about. “I admit to having made a mistake by dumping plastic into the flood water but women are gang raped everyday,” The Friday Times quoted her as saying.
“Violence against women is commonplace, yet, everyone’s blinded by a piece of plastic. They are dwelling in a fool’s paradise. I was merely offering sadqah (charity),” she went on. While presenting her “unconditional apology,” she also blamed Covid-19 for having clouded her judgement. “I tested positive for Corona twice and I happen to be absent-minded because of that.”
The Naagin diva revealed that she lost her only brother some time ago too, and so, she’s been struggling with mental health issues. The celebrity, however, asked why her lapse in judgement was causing such a ruckus when clearly, untreated waste is dumped into the sea on a daily basis and industrialists are not held accountable for it. “Why am I getting this special treatment for something I did out of absent-mindedness?” she probed.
“I am in Charsadda as we speak. I have been quietly helping thousands affected in the calamity-hit district. But of course, people are only interested in trolling me. I do a lot of good too,” she pointed out. “I have an enviable, 600,000 people following me just on Facebook. That’s more than enough publicity for me. I feed hundreds. A great deal of what I make is spent on this but people will only comment on that video,” Resham noted.
The Naagin star has been trending on Twitter with numerous users sharing her clip and calling her out for dumping plastic into flood water, that too, on camera, despite being a public figure, and an educated one at that. From asking officials to charge her for this “criminal offence” to schooling her about the irreparable consequences of her “kindness,” people have been flooding to the micro-blogging site to bring attention to her “good deed.”
Several celebrities condemned throwing groceries and plastic shoppers, trays into a river, irrespective of the “pure” the intentions.
Meesha tweeted, “Distributing aid on camera to victims of horrific floods caused by giant climate change calamity right after throwing groceries and plastic shoppers, trays into a river (also on camera).” Armeen wrote, “Don’t throw plastic into rivers and oceans folks. For the record, the road to hell is also paved with good intentions.”
Activist Shaniera Akram shared the viral clip on her Instagram stories and asked, “And who throws meat and plastic containers into the flood affected river, [that too], on camera?” Users said the video “boiled their blood” and that they expect better from “educated” and “influential” members of society.
Senior writer-director Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar has landed in hot waters due to his leaked audio tape with an anonymous woman.
In the conversation, the woman, whose identity remains uncertain, can be heard saying that as per their mutual understanding, she wanted to meet him; however, her skeptical husband didn’t let it happen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Xrugolax4g
The women even told him that after that, her relationship with her husband had turned soar and they were not talking to each other.
Thus, she attempted to convince Khalil Ur Rehman Qamar to have belief in her and also told that if he agreed, she would send him her picture showing that she was ready to step outside of her house to meet him but the writer scolded her and even used explicit words.
Qamar has married twice – initially to Rubi Naz and later to Rozina Qureshi.
Recently actress Resham shared her stance on Khalil-ur-Rehman and Mahira Khan’s controversy on Tabish Hashmi’s show Hasna Mana Hai.
On being asked by the host about her opinion on the writer, Resham said that he is talented when it comes to story telling, however his comments about top actress Mahira Khan are derogatory.
“He said that he regrets signing Mahira for Sadqay Tumhare, but who is he to sign her?,” she asked.
It is the producer or the channel’s call to hire an actor and that too of Mahira’s stature. Khalil is just the writer and doesn’t hold the autonomy on over the project’s casting.
The Naagin star also said that that Qamar likes to connect his name to established stars particularly females to get clout on media.
Previously Resham took to her Instagram handle to write a scathing comment for Qamar after the latter commented on the Masjid-e-Nabvi incident involving PMLN leaders.
The Jeeva star said that Khalil has gone mad and he needs to admitted to a mental hospital before he starts biting everyone with his poisonous teeth.
Writer-Director Khalil-ur-Rehman recently took to his twitter handle to share his take on the Masjid e Nabvi incident involving PML-N.
He asked that when was this ordered that we can’t term a thief as one at the holy place?
This year marks the 75th year of independence for the country and to commemorate the occasion, 253 Pakistani citizens from all walks of life, as well as foreign nationals, were awarded the highest honors: the Pakistan Civil Awards by the President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi, for showing excellent courage and remarkable achievements in their respective fields. A number of prominent Pakistani celebrities, belonging to the field of entertainment and sports were also conferred with the Civil Awards.
The list of the celebrity recipients is as follows:
Nishan-e-Imtiaz
Musical composer Ahmed G. Chagla
Actor Qavi Khan
Hilal-e-Imtiaz
Writer, author Amjad Islam Amjad (Urdu Literature)
Sitara-e-Imtiaz
Filmmaker Riaz Shahid
Poet Naseer Turabi
Singer Hassan Jahangir
Actor Tauqeer Nasir
Actor, singer, anchorperson, pilot Fakhr-e-Alam
President’s Pride Of Performance
Singer Gul Zari Wagma
Singer Arooj Aftab
Actress Anjuman
Actor Afzal Ahmed
Actress Sangeeta
Tamgha-e-Imtiaz
Urdu poet Neelam Bashir
Author Noorjehan Bilgrami
Actor Arbaz Khan
The awards were conferred on the occasion of the country’s 75th Independence Day. However, the Investiture Ceremony of these awards will take place on Pakistan Day, 23rd March, 2023.
