Tag: Sarwat Gilani

  • Anoushey Ashraf, Sarwat Gillani call out Anchor Imran Khan for victim-blaming

    Anoushey Ashraf, Sarwat Gillani call out Anchor Imran Khan for victim-blaming

    Actor Anoushey Ashraf has called out senior anchor Imran Khan for his insensitive remarks on the Noor murder case. The Chinaar Ghaati actor shared the clip of Imran’s statement on her Instagram story and wrote: “I have five messages to my dad and 45 voice note to my driver over the last five months.”

    She continued further by expressing her anger over Khan’s statement, “Take up Bollywood gossip if you want viewership, leave Noor and her honour alone.”

    A video clip of Imran is making rounds across social media platforms for the last two days in which Imran can be heard drawing parallels between Noor Mukadam’s murder and her lack of telephonic conversation with her father. His comments have been scrutinized by netizens on social media.

    Jawani Phir Nahi Aani star Sarwat Gillani also expressed her stance on the problematic statements of the senior journalist, with a comment, “When ‘educated’ people make such statements you know the state of affairs and state of mind both are in the wrong place.”

    “What about the murderer, follow some rules and do not kill people,” she stated in another comment.

    Read more– Did Zahir’s mother help cover up Noor’s murder? Investigators look through call logs

  • Sarwat Gilani shares her unfulfilled desire, with a Bollywood twist

    Sarwat Gilani shares her unfulfilled desire, with a Bollywood twist

    Sarwat Gilani has shared her unfulfilled desire of working with Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan.

    The Churails actress hosted a Q and A session on Instagram and one of the fans asked her about any wish of hers that was not fulfilled till date. Sarwat replied: “To work with Aamir Khan.”

    When asked to choose between Mahira Khan and Humayun Saeed, the Jawani Phir Nahi Ani actress chose both.

    A fan asked that if Sarwat was doing a movie, the Khasara actress said: “Yes, and I’m super excited to talk about it soon.”

    Earlier the Dil-e-Muztar star revealed that she was approached for a film opposite the Late Irrfan khan which couldn’t materialize due to the political turmoil.

  • Four cross-border stories of love and appreciation of the week

    Four cross-border stories of love and appreciation of the week

    Art knows no boundaries and Pakistani celebrities don’t shy away to express their love for Indian artists and vice versa. Recently four cross-border stories of love and appreciation have grabbed the attention of people from both the countries.

    Here are the artists who have praised and appreciated each other in their own ways:

    Sarwat Gilani and Alia Bhatt

    Pakistani actress Sarwat Gillani believes that talent should be appreciated even if the artist belongs to another country. The Churails star recently took to Instagram to let her fans know that her praise will not be confined by borders.

    Replying to a comment of a fan asking her why Pakistani celebrities praise Bollywood actors even though, according to the fan, they are much more talented than their Indian counterparts.

    Sarwat gracefully replied back and lauded Bhatt by commenting, “We must learn to appreciate the people who deserve our praise. You don’t know how hard they’ve worked to get where they are. Alia Bhatt is an amazing artist and praise knows no boundaries or borders.”

    Sajal Aly and Shabana Azmi

    Veteran Bollywood actress Shabana Azmi showered love on Sajal Aly after the latter posted her dazzling photos. Both the actresses are working together in a Hollywood film titled as What’s Love got to do with it? When the Alif actress shared her stills from a photoshoot, Shabana displayed her love for her by commenting, “Hai main mar javaan!!!”.

    Imran Abbas and Geeta Kapur

    Imran Abbas recently showered love on the acclaimed Indian choreographer Geeta Kapur.

    In a surfaced video from the Indian reality show Super Dancer 4, veteran actress Neetu Kapoor praised Geeta which the Kuch Kuch Hota Hai fame posted on her Instagram handle. The Thora Sa Haq actor commented on her post and Geeta was quick to respond back.

    Zara Noor Abbas and Shah Rukh Khan

    Zara engaged in a Q&A session with her followers on Twitter. A fan asked her about her favourite movie of Shah Rukh Khan, to which she replied, “There isn’t one, I love every single film of his, every ad, every interview and every sentence”.

    Earlier, veteran actor Simi Raheel’s sweet interaction with Johnny Lever won transnational hearts. The actress par excellence gushed over how good it felt to receive praise from the Bollywood legend.

  • Mother’s Day 2021: Celebrities shower love on their mothers

    Mother’s Day 2021: Celebrities shower love on their mothers

    A mother’s love is like none other and while mothers should be celebrated every day, every year comes a day entirely dedicated to them giving everyone to chance to let their mothers know how much they mean to them. Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May. Some celebrate the day with their mothers, showering them with gifts and flowers, while others celebrate them in their memories. Like every year, this year too Pakistani celebrities expressed their love for their Moms on social media, giving the day more traction.

    Check out some sweet wishes below:

    Imran Abbas

    Sharing a picture of himself kissing his mother’s foot, Abbas said: “‘Beshuk Jannat Maañ ke qadmon ke neechay hai’. I am nothing without you Maañ Ji, my ‘Jannat’!”

    “May I always keep kissing your feet till I am alive,” he added.

    Maya Ali

    “Meri pyaari Amma, thank you for making me what I am today,” said Maya. “Thank you for letting me know how to deal with the bad and good. Thank you for telling me that whatever happens, whatever someone says, whether it’s good or bad, you have to be positive and always think positive. I never used to understand before, but now I know what you meant. I am proud that I am your daughter. Love you Amma.”

    Sajal and Saboor Aly

    The Aly sisters remembered their late mother by sharing old photographs of her.

    “I have so much left to say to you. Not a day passes by that you don’t cross my mind. The fact that you’re no longer here will always cause me pain but you’re always in my heart,” wrote Saboor, alongside a picture of her mother.

    “I know that you still hear me Mama, so please know this is true, that everything I’m today is all because of you. I miss you every day. You didn’t go alone, part of me went with you,” she added before going on to wish mothers across the world a Happy Mother’s Day.

    “Take care of your mother because you will never get another,” said Saboor.

    Iqra Aziz and Yasir Hussain

    Posting a picture of herself and her mother from her godh bharai, Iqra said that she has no words to express how blessed she is to have her mother.

    Iqra, who is also expecting her first child, said that she can’t wait for her little one to come and experience her grandmother’s love. The actor added that she is lucky to have her mother to hold her hand through it all.

    Yasir shared a photo of himself with his late mother and said: “Yeh tasweer zaroor dhundli ho gai hai magar Amma aap ki yaad nahi. Love you. Aaj mother’s day hai aur 12 baje aap ki barsi. Meray liye Mother’s Day ko hamesha yaad rehny wala din bana dia.”

    Babar Azam

    Pakistani skipper Babar Azam paid a heartfelt tribute to his mother, writing: “Mama Ji, beyond your love, support, care and kindness I do not exist. Forever in your debt. May Allah SWT keep your shade on us.”

    Asim Azhar

    Asim called his mother his “queen”.

    Sonya Hussyn

    Sonya took to Instagram and shared a picture of herself with her mother, saying: “I know Ammi that you’ve gone through a lot of struggle and pain in life. But I promise I won’t let all that go in vain. I want to do justice to every time you believed in me. I will grow up, to be the best I can be. I promise! I don’t know where life will take me as I grow old, but what I do know is that I will never be a person as big as you are.”

    She also prayed for her happiness and a long life.

    Momal Sheikh

    Momal shared a scenic photo with her mother. She also wrote:”My lovely mother, you are my life and my world. I am alive because of you.”

    Alizeh Shah

    Alizeh shared a beautiful selfie of herself with her mother, saying: “Thank you for showing me how to keep my guards up in this world, where manipulation and bare minimum attention is considered love, you truly are the only pure form of love.”

    Yumna Zaidi

    Yumna also took to Instagram, sharing a picture of herself with her ”Qeemti tareen,” mother.

    Zaidi also wished all the mothers a Happy Mother’s Day.

    Many other celebrities payed tribute to their mothers by taking to their social media and shared what they feel for them. Not only them but some celebrity mothers like Aisha Khan, Sarwat Gilani and Syra Yousuf among others celebrated this day with their children.

  • Sheheryar Munawar apologises for attending birthday party amid pandemic

    Sheheryar Munawar apologises for attending birthday party amid pandemic

    Sheheryar Munawar has apologised for attending a birthday amid the deadly third wave of the coronavirus in Pakistan. The actor was recently spotted at Fahad Mirza’s 40th birthday celebrations, where he was photographed sans mask enjoying a candid moment.

    After he was called out for being irresponsible, Sheheryar Munawar, in a statement apologised for his actions, saying: “Last week I went to wish my neighbour on his birthday on an invitation I had accepted two weeks prior.”

    Munawar said that he was not expecting such a crowd and left five minutes after wishing the birthday boy.

    “In a candid moment I was asked to take my mask off and pose for a picture,” continued Sheheryar. “Rightly so, I was called out for doing that and not following the SOPs. There is no justification for my actions and I stand corrected.”

    Taking full responsibility, Sheheryar apologised for his “ignorance, lapse in judgement and lack of better sense” and thanked his social media family for “keeping my moral compass in check”

    “Times are tough and we must all follow SOPs outlined by the government,” added the actor before extending prayers for those affected.

    Later, while responding to a social media user, Munawar asserted that there are “no justifications for my actions”.

    It is pertinent to mention here that Munawar had tested positive for COVID-19 when Pakistan experienced its first wave.

    Meanwhile, Mirza’s birthday party was an extravagant affair with many celebs including wife Sarwat Gilani, Zeba Bakhtiar, Frieha Altaf, and Mansha Pasha in attendance. After pictures from the celebrations went viral on social media, people present at the event were heavily criticised for not following the SOps.

    Frieha had defended the celebrations, saying: “First of all, it was a very small gathering and it was on an open rooftop. All SOPs were followed, there were masks, temperature checks at the gate and I believe most of the guests already vaccinated or had antibodies.”

  • IN PICTURES: Fahad Mirza celebrates birthday sans social distancing

    While a pandemic rages across the country, our celebrities appear to live in another dimension.

    Fahad Mirza recently celebrated his 40th birthday in an extravagant party that saw several celebs including Mirza’s wife Sarwat Gilani, Zeba Bakhtiar, Sheheryar Munawar, Frieha Altaf, and Mansha Pasha in attendance. Besides the birthday celebrations, there was also a qawwali performance by Fareed Ayaz. However, what was missing was social distancing, masks, and other COVID-19 protocols.

    Fahad Mirza

    Shaharyar Munawar and Sarwat Gillani
    Fahad Mirza
    Fahad Mirza and Sarwat Gillani
    Fahad Mirza
    Fahad Mirza
    Birthday Party
    Birthday Party
    Birthday Party of Fahad Mirza

    Meanwhile, Frieha defended the celebrations, saying “”First of all, it was a very small gathering and it was on an open rooftop it was also Fahad’s 40th birthday. All SOPs were followed, there were masks, temperature checks at the gate and I believe most of the guests already vaccinated or had antibodies,”

    Speaking to The Express Tribune, the model-actor said: “The only time anyone took off the mask was to take a picture. I think when people see pictures and videos they end up assuming the worst.”

  • ‘Churails’ wins ‘OTT Show of the Year’ at British Asian Media Awards

    ‘Churails’ wins ‘OTT Show of the Year’ at British Asian Media Awards

    Made in Pakistan and released on Indian OTT platform ZEE5, Churails has won the ‘OTT Platform Show of the Year’ at the British Asian Media Awards (BMA).

    Sharing her thoughts on the win, Chief Business Officer at ZEE5 Global, Archana Anand said: “Churails with its rich, bold narrative and the globally relevant storyline has broken stereotypes and opened up the fresh conversation around gender equality not only in South Asia but also in other markets across the globe by putting strong women at the center of its story.”

    “Winning this award is a recognition of the tremendous impact that our content has created across key markets and how deeply it is resonating with the audiences,” she added.

    Read more – The ‘Churails’ are the superheroes we wish we had

    According to details, “The British Asian Media Awards (BMA) acknowledge the growing and persistent influence of different cultures and communities living in the UK.”

    The awards aims to help the industry develop by showcasing exceptional work and proving the value of Asian media to the wider market.

    Written and directed by Asim Abbasi and featuring, Sarwat Gilani, Yasra Rizvi, Nimra Bucha, Meher Bano and Omair Rana among others, Churails is the story of four self-proclaimed ‘Churails’ who come together to open a covert detective agency to expose cheating husbands amongst the city’s elite. As their operations expand, they come to be saviours of abused, harassed and mistreated women. The 10-episode series covers a myriad of issues such as child abuse, sexism, the domination of class and race and aims to challenge the hypocrisy of patriarchal societies.

    In October 2020, the show was banned for viewers in Pakistan. However, it was restored in less than 48 hours. According to Abbasi, the show was taken off after the streaming platform received complaints from authorities here.

    Meanwhile, in November 2020, the State Bank of Pakistan ordered all banks to block Pakistani users from subscribing to Zee5. Zee5 had commissioned five original web series from Pakistan. While two of them have released, three more are in the pipeline including Saba Qamar and Naumaan Ijaz’s Manjogi and Ahad Raza Mir and Sajal Aly’s Dhoop ki Deewar.

  • I have always been a ‘Churail’, says Sarwat Gilani

    Sarwat Gilani says that she has always been a churail.

    In a recent interview Sarwat candidly talked about her character in Churails and her definition of feminism.

    Responding to a question about who her favourite character, Sarwat said: “Sara in Churails. Undoubtedly.”

    IN PICTURES: Sarwat Gilani’s ‘Churail’ themed birthday

    When asked how the web series changed her, Sarwat said: “I was a very Churail-like person myself, I have always tried to carry women along.”

    “I have travelled in all kinds of public transport during my university days to save money, so I have always been a Churail,” she continued. “But Churails taught me how to take ownership of your own problems.”

    Later while talking about her thoughts on feminism, Sarwat said: “I would not say I am a feminist.”

    She continued: “I feel a man has his own place. I feel that a certain time a woman needs a man, no matter how independent she is. I am an independent woman, but at the end of the day I feel like I need somebody, who would say that I will take care of you and who I can depend on.”

    “But at the same time, especially in Pakistan when we talk about feminism, people think that men have nothing to do with it but there are so many men who help to promote feminism because they support their women to come forward, so I feel feminism is a very balance sort of idea where you say everything belongs to whoever earns it,” she added.

    When the host questioned if Sarwat why she is hesitating to call herself a feminist, the actor said: “A lot of people think that feminism is all about women. I feel it has to do with men also. If a man is making changes in himself we can also call that feminism.”

    “We misunderstand feminism, that is why I don’t call myself a feminist,” said Sarwat. “But yes I talk about equal rights.”

    “I’m feminist but I also talk about the problems faced by men,” she added.

    Read more – Who banned ‘Churails’?

    Meanwhile, in a recent interview with The Current, Sarwat talked about her experience of working in Churails and how she felt when the series received backlash in Pakistan.

  • IN PICTURES: Sarwat Gilani’s ‘Churail’ themed birthday

    IN PICTURES: Sarwat Gilani’s ‘Churail’ themed birthday

    Sarwat Gilani celebrated her birthday with husband Fahad Mirza and close friends this weekend.

    Pictures of the celebrations were shared by those in attendance on social media. Among those present were designers Nomi Ansari and Asim Jofa, stylist Khojii, model Fouzia Aman, Shazia Naz Khan and Hasan Rizvi.

    Read more – Did you know Sarwat Gilani has royal roots?

    Check out pictures from her birthday party here:

    Starting with a picture of the birthday girl glittering in a black dress, cutting her birthday cake.

    Pictures with her friends from the industry.

    The birthday girl cut a beautiful white cake, which had a portrait of her character ‘Sara Khan’ in blue burkah on the top.

    In a recent interview with The Current, Sarwat talked about her experience of working in Churails and the backlash the web series got in Pakistan.

  • Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, Sarwat Gillani, Bilal Abbas among Asia’s Top 50 celebrities of 2020

    Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, Sarwat Gillani, Bilal Abbas among Asia’s Top 50 celebrities of 2020

    Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, Sarwat Gilani and Bilal Abbas and Ali Zafar have been listed in Eastern Eye’s Top 50 Asian Celebrities of the World in 2020.

    According to the publication’s website, “The list is based on those who did good work, made a positive impact, broke boundaries, shattered glass ceilings, gave hope, did philanthropic deeds or were just inspiring in their own unique way.”

    The highest Pakistani on the list was Sarwat Gilani on number 21 beating the likes of Salman Khan and Pankaj Das.

    “The Pakistani actress headed the cast list of the best new South Asian serial of the year, Churails, which exploded onto the scene and destroyed all existing rule books,” wrote the publication about the actor. “With the electrifying drama, she opened the door for a new era of TV content in Pakistan box and consolidated her position as a feminist icon.”

    Read more – Did you know Sarwat Gilani has royal roots?

    Bilal Abbas Khan was number 28 on the list and was acknowledged for his work in Eik Jhooti Love Story and Pyar Ke Sadqay.

    “The fastest rising acting star in Pakistan continued reaching new heights in 2020. The unstoppable actor started the year with HUM TV series Pyar Ke Sadqay and ended it with ZEE5 sleeper hit Eik Jhooti Love Story. With some more high-profile projects on the way, Khan looks like the future of Pakistani film and television,” wrote Eastern Eye about the heartthrob.

    On number 39 was actor and singer Ali Zafar.

    “The Pakistani singer, actor, musician and humanitarian saved the Pakistani cricket league this year by giving them a better anthem than they had. He also promoted new talent with his record label. More meaningful was the immense humanitarian work the actor did for those who were suffering during Covid-19. His actions inspired others and consolidated his star credentials,” said the publication about Zafar.

    Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy at number 49 was the only director included in the list.

    “The only director in the list once again used her platform to raise awareness about social issues, nurture new talent and gain international attention for her work. A big highlight was the stunning animated short Sitara: Let Girls Dream, which premiered earlier this year. The Oscar winner was also signed up to direct superhero series Ms Marvel.”

    Meanwhile, Bollywood actor Sonu Sood topped the list because of his relief efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown.

    “No celebrity did more to help others during lockdown than the big-hearted Bollywood star,” said Eastern Eye. “What started off with him helping impoverished migrant workers stranded by lockdown get back home evolved into a spectacularly philanthropic mission that made a difference to so many during the pandemic.”

    “Whether it was paying for surgery, setting up a scholarship, campaigning for women’s rights, or buying a new tractor for a farmer, so his daughters could study and not plough a field, super Sonu helped in any way he could in 2020. He became a strong symbol of hope during a crushing year where it was needed more than ever and that is why he is named as the greatest Asian celebrity in the world for 2020,” it added.

    The star-studded list also included major names like Anushka Sharma, Salman Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and Zayn Malik.