Hamza Ali Abbasi’s much-awaited project Alif has finally seen the light of the day and is set to air on Geo Entertainment some time this month or early next month.
Two teasers of the drama have been released and from the look of it, the drama is pretty intriguing. Hamza plays a hotshot director who thinks the world of himself, while Sajal is an aspiring actor.
The second teaser featured Kubra Khan and Ahsan Khan but it was hard to tell what their characters would be about.
The drama has been penned by Umera Ahmed and directed by Haseeb Hasan (Mann Mayal, Parwaaz Hai Junoon).
Meanwhile, Hamza took to Twitter to share that his character in a “lot of ways reflects my own personal ongoing journey.”
He also said that “this project will set an example of how to use the medium of television to make people reflect on their lives and get back in touch with their Creator.”
Guess we already know how the drama will end.
Thankful to Allah for the amazing feedback on #Alif teasers. This project will set an example of how to use the medium of television to make ppl reflect on thr lives & get back in touch with their creator. Qalb e Momin in a lot of ways reflects my own personal ongoing journey.
Coke Studio 12 has everyone buzzing. With Rohail Hyatt donning the producer’s hat once again, music lovers are excited for the upcoming edition of the show, especially considering last year’s debacle. Remember Ko Ko Korina?
Nonetheless, the line-up of the latest season has finally been revealed. While it features some of the regulars, others who were the part of the previous seasons, including Momina Mustehsan, Strings and Asim Azhar, are not part of the lineup.
Here are some of the artists who will be part of this season’s show:
Sanam Marvi
Fareed Ayaz & Abu Muhammad
Umair Jaswal
Atif Aslam
Hadiqa Kayani
Aima Baig
Zoe Viccaji
Ali Sethi
Shuja Haider
Rachel Viccaji
Nimra Rafique
Quratulain Baloch
Abrar ul Haq
The season is set to air sometime around mid-October.
Models Mushk Kaleem and Alicia Khan are all set to walk the ramp at the Milan Fashion Week for Italian designer Stella Jean. Mushk also won the Lux Style Award this year for Best Emerging Talent in Fashion.
Mushk Kaleem
Alicia Khan
Taking to social media, Mushk shared that she is en route Milan for the fashion week. She also said that she is “immensely honoured and proud” to represent the country at an international level.
Speaking to a local media outlet, Mushk shared that the opportunity arose when the designer Stella Jean visited Pakistan earlier this year. The designer not only took inspiration from Pakistani heritage and culture but also decided to incorporate Pakistani models into her showcase.
Mushk revealed that the vetting process was long and tedious because everything was very detailed.
“There is a certain standard size and height that has to be met for a model to be accepted into the fashion week. We also sent images from the ramp, fashion shoots and videos,” she shared.
Meanwhile, model Alicia Khan will also be going with Mushk to the fashion week. She also shared a picture of herself on board.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B2mmrgol62o/
The Milan Fashion Week, established in 1958, is part of the global “Big Four Fashion Weeks”, the others being Paris Fashion Week, London Fashion Week and New York Fashion Week. The schedule begins with New York, followed by London, and then Milan, and ending with Paris.
Recognised as the first Black Italian designer, Stella Jean lives and works in Rome and is considered to be Giorgio Armani’s protégé. In 2019 she was highlighted by the New York Times as the most convincing of all the New Gen designers in Milan.
There were rumours abound that Prince William and Kate Middleton were going to have another baby. And the rumours seem to be confirmed by an unlikely source: their four-year-old daughter Charlotte.
Princess Charlotte and her brother Prince George before going to school
Apparently, Charlotte, who recently started school, was heard speaking to a friend at school that her “mummy is having another girl.”
Walking to school with her Mama
A source revealed that one of the teachers also overheard Charlotte, saying that Charlotte was speaking very loudly and was convinced that her mother was pregnant.
Princess Charlotte’s viral image of her sticking out her tongue at an event
Another baby would be the fourth Royal to be born in the family and we wonder if SHE (since Charlotte also revealed the gender) will be as mischievous as her older sister.
Claiming that Actor Ali Zafar has caused her “mental torture and agony,” and damaged her reputation and goodwill, singer Meesha Shafi has filed a two billion rupees damages suit against him in Lahore sessions court.
She has also asked the court to declare Ali’s statements as “false, malicious and defamatory” and that they ruined her reputation. She also demanded that he be restrained from making any more statements against her.
Ali had earlier filed a one billion rupees defamation suit against Meesha that is underway in Lahore sessions court.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHiqV912X38
A short explainer of what happened to the sexual harassment case filed against Ali
Both Ali and Meesha did rounds of television talk shows and spoke about the allegations against them and their own version of what happened.
Meesha Shafi on Shahzeb Khanzada’s program
Meesha had tweeted in April that Ali had sexually harassed her. Ali denied the allegations and the case is currently in court.
Ali Zafar on Mubasher Lucman’s program
Meesha had filed a sexual harassment case against him which was dismissed since it could not be determined that the alleged sexual harassment took place in a workplace. Ali then filed a defamation case against Meesha, and Meesha sent him a defamation notice in May. She has now filed the defamation suit.
Two rival networks, two new shows – Daasi and Bewafa. Starring Mawra Hocane and Adeel Hussain in the lead, Daasi aired on Hum TV while Bewafa starring Ali Rehman Khan, Navin Waqar and Ushna Shah in the lead aired on ARY Digital.
Which one was more promising? Read on.
Daasi’s first episode served to introduce the characters. Mawra had a typical, chulbuli and colourful entry which lasted for a good five minutes. She burst onto the screen in an orange shalwar kameez and instantly reminded me of Hira Mani for Do Bol. She referred to herself in the third person whenever she talked and was your regular TV drama, middle-class girl.
Adeel’s character, Aael, on the other hand, was sombre and sad and there were glimpses of him being troubled. He had just lost his father and decided to leave his home right after because of tensions with his mother. Fate brought Adeel to Sunheri face to face and the two immediately clashed – not very original. The same night, Adeel ends up at Sunheri’s house as a tenant and the episode ends Sunheri saying, “Tum?”
The first episode pretty much laid out what the drama is going to be about – two conflicting opposites who fall in love. What the conflict will be that hasn’t been revealed as yet, but judging from the promos and teasers, its probably going to be about their different worlds. Unless the writers introduce a refreshing twist, the drama is going to become another love story in Hum TV’s list of productions.
Meanwhile, Bewafa, as the title suggests is about being unfaithful and judging from the promos one can guess that it will be about cheating followed by a second marriage. What I liked about this drama was that it was fast-paced – there was no lead-up or anything, you just dived right in. Ahaan (Ali Rehman) and Kinza (Navin Waqar) are a couple married for six years. Ahaan is an IT professional with a stable job, while Kinza is a housewife and the two appear to lead a seemingly normal life. But a few minutes into the first episode, we are shown glimpses of Kinza’s overbearing and suspicious nature. She is forever questioning Ahaan about his whereabouts and tries to control him. This not only puts off Ahaan but also me, as a viewer. Itnay sawaal jawab toh bhae meri Ammi nay kartein mujhe say.
The third person in this relationship is Shireen (Ushna Shah), who works in Ahaan’s office and is love with him. Actually his money and status more, than him. She belongs to a lower background and is willing to go to any length to uplift her social status. Shireen declares her love for Ahaan through a voice note which by chance Kinza gets her hands on first. Of course, she throws a tantrum on this despite Ahaan’s assurances that there is nothing going on between the two and that Shireen’s feelings are one-sided and he has no feelings for her. This, in turn, causes Ahaan to lash out on Shireen, who goes home crying. Kinza later apologises for her behaviour and all is well between the couple. However, Ahaan begins to feel bad about his outburst and the promo for the next episode shows him going to Shireen to apologise.
After Khaas and Meray Paas Tum Ho, Bewafa is another drama centred on the subject of cheating. While all three dramas appear to be different, their premise is the same. Whether on not Bewafa is different from the other two, time will only tell.
Meanwhile, have to say the performances of all the three leads were brilliant.
It’s hard to make a call given that only one episode has aired, but if I had to pick one, I’d probably choose Bewafa because its more masalaydaar and faster-paced. Daasi has a dark touch to it, and I, for one, have had enough of such love stories.
The Appellate Tribunal for the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) has imposed a penalty of 50 lakh on singer Adnan Sami for purchasing eight flats and five parking spaces in Mumbai in 2003 without prior permission from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) when he was a Pakistani national. However, at the same time, a tribunal in New Delhi has set aside the confiscation of the properties saying no foreign exchange was involved in their purchase.
According to a report in the Hindustan Times, authorities had seized the properties saying Sami acquired them in 2003 without Reserve Bank of India (RBI)’s permission in violation of the law. Given that Sami was a Pakistani national at that time, he needed special permission to make the purchases. A penalty of Rs 20 lakh had also been imposed on the singer. Foreign nationals are required to seek RBI’s permission to buy property in India.
The court in its order quashing the previous order said, “Admittedly, in the present case, no foreign exchange is involved and concomitantly, there has been no loss of foreign exchange as the entire sale consideration has been paid by way of a loan and income which has not only been generated in India, but the tax which has so accrued on such income has also been paid by the appellant [Sami] herein.”
Sami, who was granted Indian citizenship in January 2016, said that he was not aware of this rule when he made the purchases but was very happy with the ruling of the court. Expressing his joy, Sami is reported to have said he was very emotional as he got this victory on the day of his wife Roya Faryabi’s birthday and that made it even more special.
“It has been a big struggle of nine years. I am ecstatic about the fact that being an Indian justice finally prevailed. Whatever I earned with my blood, sweat, and tears, I have finally got them all back,” Sami said.
As for the fine, Sami will have to pay Rs 40 lakh within 3 months as he had paid Rs 10 lakh earlier.
Just when we thought we had heard every Asim Azhar song there is, Asim drops a huge bomb us which changes our entire childhood.
We’ve all grown up listening to the Cocomo jingle Cocomo Mujhe Bhi Do and Dairy Milk’s ad which had the tune Kitna maza aye re, dunya dairy milk ki ban jaye. Turns out that Asim had sung both these jingles, with the cherry on top being that he was only ten years old when we recorded the Dairymilk song.
Oh man, did not see that one coming.
Jee, yay sach hai. I was about 10 when I recorded the ‘kitna maza aaye ray’ dairymilk wala gaana.
The Punjab Wildlife Protection and Parks Department has submitted a challan in court against singer Rabi Pirzada for taking pictures and videos with reptiles including snakes and crocodiles and keeping them at her salon in Lahore.
Under the Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Conservation and Management) Act of 1974 possession of these animals is considered illegal and can lead up to imprisonment and fine.
Rabi’s reptile collection came to light on September 2 when she uploaded a video on her YouTube channel in which she can be seen with the snakes and a crocodile in the frame.
She starts the video by saying that a Kashmiri woman and her snakes are ready to take on India and all these gifts are for Indian PM Narendra Modi and her reptiles will feast on him.
Following the media reports, Rabi took to Twitter to say that she was being framed by “Modi’s friends” because she spoke up for Kashmir. Rabi asserted that she has been shooting with animals for the past five years but no one took notice of it till now.
واحد ایک لڑکی نے ہندوستانی میڈیا کو ہلا کر رکھ دیا، پچھلے پانچ سال سے سانپوں شیروں اور مگر مچھوں سے کھیل رہی ہوں کبھی نوٹس نہیں آیا۔ مودی کے دوستوں کچھ بھی کرلو، مودی کتا ہے اور رہے گا۔ #chotisibaatpic.twitter.com/IcuMkhyTWk
The Pakistani Academy Selection Committee, chaired by two-time Academy Award winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, has selected crime thriller Laal Kabootar as Pakistan’s official entry to the Oscars.
The Oscar committee which includes Zeba Bakhtiar, Zarrar Khuhro, Sarmad Khoosat, Asim Abbasi, Rizwan Beyg and Sanam Saeed among others chose the film to be submitted for Oscar consideration in the ‘International Feature Film Award’ category for the 92nd Academy Awards.
Laal Kabootar features Ahmed Ali Akbar and Mansha Pasha in the lead roles. Ahmed plays a taxi-driver, looking for a way out of Karachi while Mansha plays Aliya, a strong-headed woman navigating through the city. The film was well-received both critically and commercially.
The film has been directed by Kamal Khan while Hania Chima and Kamil Chima were the executive producers.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will choose the final nominees for all award categories including International Feature Film in December 2019. The complete and final list of Oscar nominees will be announced on 13th January 2020 with the presentation show for the 92nd Academy Awards scheduled to take place on 9th February 2020.
Speaking about the selection, producers Kamil and Hania said, “This is very exciting news. This is a moment of immense pride for the entire team, from the investors who put their faith in us, to the cast and crew that worked tirelessly to tell a daring story.”
Meanwhile, committee member Sarmad Khoosat was all praises for the film remarking, “Laal Kabootar is an authentic representation of the new wave cinema in Pakistan. Karachi’s raw and fierce beauty has never been shown like this on screen before.”
