On Saturday, Bollywood playback singer Shaan Mukherjee wished Eid Mubarak to his Muslim fans by posting a picture of himself wearing a white shalwar kameez and prayer cap. However, the picture got backlash from extremist Indian trolls, to the point that the singer decided to restrict comments on his post.
Now, the ‘It’s The Time To Disco’ singer has addressed the reaction, calling for his audience to be more empathetic and kind towards each other as both Muslims and Hindus celebrated their religious festivals on the same day this year.
Fans in Pakistan and India have applauded Mukherjee’s empathetic and sensible post, a rare move in the time when religious extremism is rising in India, as the BJP continues to marginalise Muslims.
Twitter users praised Shaan for calling for his followers to respect all religions.
Shaan spoke on his IG Live. Politely explained his disagreement wrt hate comments on his Eid post to his 1.5mn followers, and how there shouldn’t be hate for any festival or religion. Said that he’s got many muslim friends, and this hate perturbed him.pic.twitter.com/318HFpvQc2
Unlike many other celebrities, who would have deleted that post but he just didn’t delete the post, but also came out defending it with a great message. https://t.co/jA1pTbqLHK
The tragic state of affairs on Indian social media when a Hindu wishing Eid Mubarak produces so much hateful racist resp— praying for Indian Muslims’ safety & really wishing more of Indian diaspora in US higher educ were speaking up, esp given their complicity in US Islamophobia https://t.co/CPBes12tAR
Veteran film star Shaan Shahid recently interviewed former Prime Minister, Imran Khan for an Eid special show.
Now during a press interaction, Imran has bashed Shaan for his set’s creative elements especially lighting. “Agar apki light sahi nahi to sara kharab lagta hai.”
On his recent podcast, PTI chairman stated that the host asked very long questions, he should have made it crisp.
The former PM opened up on his show that his mother used to always tell him that he is a very innocent and straight person and hence gets betrayed by everyone around him.
He revealed, “My mother used to say that mera beta bohat seedha hai, subse dhoka khata hai.”
Khan added that his wife, Bushra gets angry if he does not serve his guests well.
He also claimed that the Sharif family is preparing to launch a campaign against him after Eid.
Last year the former PM paid his condolences when the Khuda Kay Liye star’s mother passed away.
Soon after Shaan announced the news, messages of condolences began to pour in, Imran expressed his grief and extended his condolences to Shaan and his family.
@ImranKhanPTI pls remember her in your prayers as she always prayed for you.
Actress Sahiba Afzal’s youngest son Zain Khan has shared his response to the on-going controversy in an Instagram story. The aspiring musician has shared that the negativity is affecting his mother and the entire family’s mental health.
While he understands that the usage of words could have been better but the way his mother’s remarks are being portrayed are ‘disturbing’ for them.
Actress Saboor Aly liked his stance on a portal’s feed.
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Celebrity couple of Afzal Khan aka Rambo and his wife Sahiba Afzal appeared on Nida Yasir’s sehri show with their sons Ahsan and Zain.
Yesterday Sahiba has come under the scrutiny of netizens for stating misogynist comments on the show regarding not wanting daughters. The Kaanpien Tang Rahi Hain star said that she never wanted to have a daughter, she is thankful that she doesn’t have one and instead only has two sons.
Rambo was quick to intervene her stance and said that when he sees his contemporaries like Shaan Shahid and Saud Yousuf sharing a beautful bond with their daughters, he feels like he wants to experience that bond too and hence always wanted a daughter.
Sahiba then added that she doesn’t want a daughter because women have no autonomy on their choices in this world and that their remains a fear about their luck.
Recently Sahiba’s friend and actor Moammar Rana’s wife Mehnaaz has took to her Instagram handle to share her stance on the on-going controversy of actress Sahiba.
Mehnaaz stated that daughters are a blessing and not burden after a clip of her husband’s co-star has gone viral.
Shaan Shahid, known for his hard-hitting statements, called former finance minister Ishaq Dar “shameless to the core” after the latter’s interview with BBC HARDTalk went viral on social media.
The actor, in a social media post, wished that “Pakistani authorities were strong on accountability as these people are bad image for Pakistan”.
He also tagged Prime Minister Imran Khan in his tweet, requesting him to take action against the corrupt.
“Corrupt should be made an example of by putting them behind bars and strip them of all the assets they sold their soul to make,” wrote the actor further. “Let there be a wall of shame built and let their names be written there forever so the nation could see that lies never win no matter how rich they are.”
“Let it be known that honesty and truth will always remain our core values. Let the truth win for once. Pakistan Zindabad”, he concluded.
Later, when a Twitter asked Shaan: “Are you [an] actor or politician? Or [a] puppet like Shahbaz Gill?,” Shaan responded: “I’m a Pakistani first, who is hurt by the words and the actions of the corrupt. In cleaning themselves, they are dirtying the name of Pakistan.”
I’m a Pakistani first who is hurt by the words and the actions of the corrupt .. in cleaning themselves they are dirtying the name of Pakistan
Dar, who is in a self-imposed exile after corruption cases were filed against him, appeared on BBC News to talk about corruption charges, PML-N fight against the government, and NAB.
When the host asked Dar about the number of properties owned by his family. The PML-N leader responded, “It’s all in my tax returns.”
Upon the insistence of the host, he said: “I have my main residence in Pakistan which has been taken over by this regime… I haven’t got too many properties.”
“How many properties do you and your family own,” the host asked him again. At this, Dar said: “One.” At this, the show host asked him about the news reports in the Pakistan press that claim that the former PML-N minister owned multiple properties in and outside Pakistan. “You are sitting in London and you don’t own anything here,” the host asked Dar.
Dar responded that he doesn’t own any property in London or anywhere else as claimed by the media reports.
However, he went on to admit that his sons recently acquired a villa in Dubai. “They are adult and are in the business for the past 17 years,” he clarified.
Dar, 69, is currently in London, “undergoing medical treatment”. He is absconding from several cases in Pakistan since 2017 and has been declared a proclaimed offender by the courts. He is facing charges of accumulating assets beyond known sources of income.
Meanwhile, Shaan has often voiced his support for PM Khan and spoken against PML-N, Nawaz Sharif and his aides.
In a recent interview, Shaan had said that though he is not from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) or any other political party, he believes that Pakistan needs to give the PTI government, which came to power in 2018, more time to govern.
“The race is not yet finished,” said the actor. “Give him [PM Imran] enough time to prove himself. As a Pakistani, I feel that this [PTI government] is the last hope for democracy in the country.”
In a recent interview with Arab News, Shaan said that though he is not from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) or any other political party, he believes that Pakistan needs to give the PTI government, which came to power in 2018, more time to govern.
“The race is not yet finished,” said the actor. “Give him [PM Imran] enough time to prove himself.”
He continued: “As a Pakistani I feel that this [PTI government] is the last hope for democracy in the country.”
Meanwhile, while talking about his criticism on the state-owned Pakistan Television (PTV) for airing Turkish series Diriliş: Ertuğrul, Shaan said that while the show was good, programmers at PTV need to “wake up and do their jobs”.
“You can’t control the content of private channels. They will make what they think is right,” said Shaan. “But… you’ve got a channel that’s beyond satellite and that’s PTV.”
“If PTV was producing what the Prime Minister thinks should be produced…I want to see that content,” added the actor. “I don’t know who’s doing the programming in PTV, but whoever it is needs to wake up and do his job.”
Sharing his thoughts on vulgarity and content censorship, the actor said: “Nobody can define what vulgarity is… but there should be a line that none should cross.”
Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has announced that his ministry is all set to launch Pakistan’s first OTT (over-the-top) platform. An OTT media service is a streaming media service offered directly to viewers via the Internet. OTT bypasses cable, broadcast, and satellite television platforms, the companies that traditionally act as a controller or distributor of such content.
In a tweet, the Minister said: “We at the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) are all set to launch Pakistan’s Version of Netflix,” adding that the technology part of the initiative is complete.
Chaudhry further said that he has directed PEMRA to “prepare a guideline on content” following which the platform will be launched in PPP (public private partnership) mode.
پاکستان کا پہلا OTT لانچ ہونے جا رہا ہے، (Netflix کی طرز پر) ہم نے ٹیکنالوجی کا معاملہ حل کر لیا ہے PEMRA کو کہا ہے کہ وہ Content پر گائیڈ لائین تیار کر لے جوں ہی پیمرا کی گائیڈ لائیں ملتی ہے ہم پارئیویٹ کمپنیز سے کہیں گے کہ ہمارے ساتھ ملیں اور OTT سروس شروع کریں
Speaking exclusively to The Current, Fawad said that his ministry will provide content creators with the technical support – such as compression technology – they need.
As far as the content on the platform is concerned, the Minister said that PEMRA has been directed to classify content keeping in mind international standards.
“Our aim is to put Pakistani content on the map and PEMRA has been asked to prepare guidelines keeping in mind the international market,” said Fawad, adding that with internet freedom, censorship is unlikely.
He also said that content on the platform will be different from what we usually see on television.
When asked what the payment process will be like given that the majority of Pakistani don’t have credit cards, Fawad said that the payment process will be simple and viewers will be able to pay through their mobile phones.
A new streaming platform will open new doors for Pakistani filmmakers and content creators giving them creative space and liberty. According to a recent report, Netflix has over 180 million subscribers worldwide, but only 100,000 in Pakistan as most Pakistanis do not have credits cards to pay for the service. This is one of the primary reasons why Netflix has not attempted to commission original Pakistani content, besides “weak storytelling, flawed screenplays and scripts that don’t meet international standards”.
India, on the other hand, has about 40 providers of OTT media services including Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney Plus.
Pakistan forayed into the digital world just recently with Churails, that was released on Indian streaming platform Zee5.
Senior PTI leader Senator Faisal Javed Khan, who is also the Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Information Broadcasting and Heritage, lauded Fawad for his initiative.
Meanwhile, noted actors including Shaan Shahid, Humayun Saeed and Asad Siddiqui thanked the Minister for taking the initiative and introducing such platforms in Pakistan.
“It’s time we make our presence in the entertainment arena of the world,” said Shaan, while Humayun said this will “open doors of opportunities for many many talented people and eventually help Pakistan reach a truly global audience.”
It’s a brilliant effort by @fawadchaudhry it is time we make our presence in the entertainment arena of the world a new market for the content developers of Pakistan will give them freedom to work . Thankyou ♥️
This is such a great news! Thank you @fawadchaudhry and @MinistryofST for this much needed initiative. It will open doors of opportunities for many many talented people and eventually help Pakistan reach a truly global audience. Insha Allah https://t.co/d8vKJmCmEW
However, Osman Khalid Butt remarked that PEMRA should not be allowed to prepare a content guideline for the platform.
Can someone – literally anyone else prepare this content guideline. Let’s not forget PEMRA issued a show-cause notice to Udaari over ‘immoral content’ because it was highlighting child abuse. https://t.co/S6ZfuOJkUr
With the Pakistan Democratic Movement holding rallies in different parts of the countries in a bid to oust the government, Sanam Saeed has criticised them for “creating more mess and chaos like always”.
“Utter disgrace,” remarked the actor.
However, the actor received immense criticism for her tweet following which she later deleted it.
She is stuck in SUV while Mariam Nawaz drives in her Mehran all day long…definitely some leader material
Meanwhile, other members of the entertainment industry including Shaan Shahid, Haroon Shahid and Omair Rana have condemned Capt (r) Safdar and PML-N for raising slogans at the mausoleum of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan and jumping over the grill surrounding the grave.
Don’t use quaid for political mileage..I strongly condemn this act on mizar e Quaid by the opposition . Yeh log Apnay jhoot ko sach kernay kai liyay quaid ka Sahara laitay hain inka quaid London mai hai Karachi main nahee .qaid e Azam is & will always be the symbol of the pure . pic.twitter.com/fVUVAKhCnT
Hey @BBhuttoZardari Sir, could you please look into the matter? As Policing is a provincial subject, this might interest you.
Oh wait, you must have run into him at the #PDMKarachiJalsa and given him a warning Haina? Well it’s not like he did this at Gari Khuda Bukhsh. Haina? https://t.co/Ci9vspqEBi
Adnan Siddiqui may have shared the screen with international superstars such as Sri Devi and Angelina Jolie, but it is Humayun Saeed and Shaan Shahid who left him starstruck.
Sharing a black and white picture of himself with the two actors from Humayun’s brother Salman Saeed’s wedding, Adnan said: “It has taken me 10 days to realise the full extent of being in the same frame as these two.”
“I saw the photo being widely circulated on social media, among friends and colleagues but I couldn’t react. So starstruck I was with the moment long after it had passed,” he continued.
“I am forever thankful to Shaan Shahid and Humayun Saeed —legendary stars of Pakistani industry for being gracious enough to agree to a photo with me, and also for letting me literally be the centre of attraction,” he added.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CF7TdYMnHfG/
While Humayun and Shaan are yet to respond to Adnan’s comments, Aijaz Aslam commented: “Rula diya paglay“.
Meanwhile, Adnan also shared that he will be reading Elif Shafak’s The Forty Rules of Love next after Prime Minister Imran Khan recommended everyone to read it.
On my list for next read ‘The 40 Rules of Love.’ Thank you for the recommendation @ImranKhanPTI . Great reason to finally pick it up from my bookshelf where it’s been lying for months! Hope it inspires me as much! #bibliophile#goodreadspic.twitter.com/FPDAHSphow
Renowned TV actor and comedian Mirza Shahi passed away on Tuesday, a week after being diagnosed with COVID-19. According to details, he died of cardiac arrest at Karachi’s Civil Hospital. He was 70.
Nida Yasir took to social media to announce his demise and prayed for the departed soul. The two had shared the screen in the hit sitcom Nadaaniyaan. Earlier, Nida and her husband Yasir Nawaz had shared that the veteran actor was on the ventilator after testing positive for COVID-19 and requested their followers to pray for him.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFueMsZhks5/
Faysal Quraishi, Shaan, Adnan Siddiqui and Fahad Mustafa took to social media to express their grief at the actor’s demise and prayed for him.
I was such a big fan of mirza sb s work . What a fine actor and a gentleman . May his soul rest in peace . his characters that he played lives in our heart and mind. ♥️
Deeply saddened by the demise of #Mirzashahi sahib. Fought like a warrior but whatever is Allah’s will. Let’s remember the legacy of work he leaves behind. May Allah grant him the highest place in Jannah. Prayers to the family . #pakistanilegend#veteranpic.twitter.com/CatIRsbA3o
Shahi began his career in 1965 in the East Pakistani film industry. He rose to prominence after he appeared in filmstar Nadeem’s first movie Chakori in 1967.
Following the fall of Dhaka, Mirza moved to Karachi where he took up minor jobs due to financial hardships. Later, he resumed acting and worked in several hit PTV dramas including Fifty Fifty.
Humayun Saeed’s younger brother Salman Saeed got married in Lahore Friday night and the wedding ceremony was a star-studded affair with Adnan Siddiqui, Shaan Shahid, Imran Ashraf, Ahmed Ali Butt, Vasay Chaudhry, Nadeem Baig, Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar and Azhar Ali in attendance.
