Tag: trending

  • At the end of the day, ‘Suno Chanda 2’ failed to meet expectations

    At the end of the day, ‘Suno Chanda 2’ failed to meet expectations

    Ever since the second season of Suno Chanda was announced, fans, including myself, had been waiting with bated breaths for the return of their favourite characters. Expectations were naturally high but unfortunately, the show fell a little short of them and left us wanting a lot more.

    The season started the day after Arsal and Jiya’s wedding and ended with the season’s new characters Mithu and Maina getting married. As a result, the new season saw the focus shift from Arsal, Jiya and the rest of the family to the new characters of Mithu, Maina and Bebe. But that is not what the fans had been anticipating. They were more interested in seeing how Arjiya’s married life progressed and how they, and their family members, dealt with the changes.

    Unfortunately, Arsal and Jiya pretty much spent the entire season fighting with one another only to reconcile in a rushed final episode. Shahana’s scenes were limited and scattered. We barely saw Sherry and Kinza who were reduced to just advertising the sponsors of the show. Bi Jaan, Agha Jee, Nazakat, DJ, Naeema, Masooma and Jamshed were also seen more in the first half of the season. The punch lines which became so popular in the first season were limited in this one and the season jumped from being a light-hearted comedy to more of a family drama.

    I simply failed to understand why Jalal Phuppa was given so much screentime considering his character was hardly likable. Throughout the season, he was either throwing his weight around because he’s the “ghar ka aklota damaad” or he’s out hitting on various women in the family. I was also not a big fan of Pino, Mithu and Maina but considering a lot of people liked their characters, I will reserve my thoughts on them.

    My biggest disappointment from this season was Arsal and Jiya’s characters. Arsal’s character was nothing more than a man-child who sulked every time things did not go this way, while Jiya was like dynamite, ready to blow up any minute. Instead of showing them bickering and ignoring one another, the writers could have shown their struggle as a young, married couple learning to live with one another.

    On the contrary, one of the highlights of the season was Shahana as the mother-in-law. She was supportive of her daughter-in-law and did not hesitate to call out her son every time she felt he was getting out of line. She was without a doubt the one person who pulled together the show and I can confidently say that she was the one who brought in the viewers each night. That along with the chemistry of the cast with one another.

    Despite all the shortcomings, the serial pulled in viewers each night because there is a dearth of such shows on our television screens. Most TV serials either focus on unrequited love or saas-bahu tensions which have now been done to death. Apart from that, a lot of drama nowadays focus on society’s ills and while those are amazing for spreading awareness, they also dampen our already depressed moods.

    Suno Chanda provided a light-hearted, mindless watch even though it became boring to some extent. Aehsun Talish is a brilliant director who really knows how to bring out the best in his actors while Saima Akram Chaudhry deserves a round of applause for her writing. The cast’s performances were also brilliant apart from a few opening episodes in which Iqra Aziz and Farhan Saeed went overboard with their acting.

    If Hum TV is planning on bringing back a third season, I hope they will focus more on Arsal and Jiya instead of bringing in other characters. Oh and the OST was lovely. Kudos to Farhan for writing such beautiful lyrics.

    At the end of the day, the numbers were not because of content, but because of a lack of other content.

  • Zartaj Gul and Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari fight it out on Twitter

    Zartaj Gul and Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari fight it out on Twitter

    The week has been pretty lit as far as Pakistani politics is concerned with three high-profile arrests, including those of former President Asif Ali Zardari, Altaf Hussain and Hamza Shehbaz, and the 2019-20 budget being presented.

    Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari, who often expresses her political thoughts on Twitter, took to the social media to defend her father and in the process, got into a Twitter feud with State Minister for Climate Change Zartaj Gul, who is also no stranger to controversy.

    It all started when Gul tweeted a picture of the arrested politicians crying, referring to Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, who in his election campaign, had vowed to “make his opponents cry”.

    Bakhtawar responded to Gul in a tweet she later deleted. But, Zartaj had already taken a screenshot. She shared the tweet, calling Bakhtawar “disoriented”, “timid” and a “coward” and referred to Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari as her “sister”.

    Bakhtawar was not to back down and mocked Gul for her accent at the recent speech at the UN-Habitat Assembly.

    Zartaj then decided to have the final word.

    Later, Zartaj even took a dig at Bilawal when he called the budget “economic suicide.”

  • Two frogs married in India to bring rains

    Two frogs married in India to bring rains

    India and Pakistan have been hit by a terrible heatwave which is making life very difficult for those living in these areas.

    While the rest of us wait for the monsoon rains to come, citizens from the Indian state of Karnataka decided to take matters into their own hands. They got together and arranged a marriage between two frogs to appease the Hindu rain god.

    According to reports, four frogs were taken by the organisers to the department of Zoology in Manipal, where the zoologists identified the male and female frogs. Following the identification, one male and one female were singled out.

    The two frogs were then dressed up in specially made outfits and taken to the wedding venue in a decorated cycle auto.

    Several guests participated in the frogs wedding ceremony and celebrated the occasion. A feast followed the wedding ceremony.

    Interestingly, the frog couple will be sent on a honeymoon to Manna Palla near Manipal in Udupi. The main intention in arranging this frog wedding was to appease the rain Gods who seem to have deserted the coastal district over the past few months, and the people have been struggling to get water for drinking and other basic purposes.

    frogs-marriage1
  • ‘Love Pakistan,’ says Adnan Sami’s Twitter bio

    ‘Love Pakistan,’ says Adnan Sami’s Twitter bio

    Just a few hours after Turkish hackers took over Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan’s Twitter, they have now hacked into Adnan Sami’s account.

    The hackers have not only uploaded a series of pro-Pakistan tweets, but they have also change the singer’s username and bio, as a result of which the blue verification tick has disappeared. The account’s profile picture has been replaced by a picture of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the same one which was used on Amitabh’s Twitter. Though the tweets have now been deleted, screenshots are forever.

    The hackers also shared screenshots of Adnan Sami’s DM on their own Instagram page.

    It is interesting to note that a few hours before the incident, the hackers hinted that they will troll Adnan Sami. Sharing a photo of Adnan’s anti-Pakistan tweet, the hackers asked their followers, “What shall we do about this man?” While a lot of social media users asked the Ayyildiz Tim to change Adnan’s name to Major Adnan Sami, they decided to take over his account and post pro-Pakistan stuff.

    Late last night, the Ayyildiz Tim hacked in Amitabh Bachchan’s Twitter account and also posted a series of pro-Pakistan tweets while also changing the profile picture to that of Prime Minister Imran Khan. The tweets were later deleted and Bachchan is said to have taken the case to the Mumbai police who are investigating the matter. Funnily, a lot of Twitter users suggested that Adnan Sami was behind the hacking Big B’s account.

  • ‘Chhalawa woh film hai jo samajh na aye’

    ‘Chhalawa woh film hai jo samajh na aye’

    Before I begin, I’d just like to put it out there that I love everything desi and dramatic; Chhalawa promised just that. And on that front, it did deliver but on other fronts, not so much.

    Much like all desi rom-coms, Chhalawa is centred around a couple who wants to get married but the girl’s father has other plans in mind for her future. As the couple, along with their friends and siblings, hatch a plan to get together, chaos ensues but eventually, they beat all odds and get married. Nothing original there, but then again, like Mehwish Hayat — in her exclusive interview with The Current — said, people in Pakistan love shaadis and everything about them, so it’s natural that films reflect that. In fact, the best part of the film was without a doubt the Chhalawa title song, which is definitely going to be the shaadi anthem of the year. But don’t forget, you heard it here first!

    Moving on, my main concern with the film was the fact that the scenes were inconsistent – there was nothing binding them together. A lot was left to the imagination and though I understand filmmakers have limited time, what they cannot depict through actions, can they not tell through dialogues?

    The end result was a bit hotchpotch and it was left up to the viewer to decide what to make of it. The characters were also underdeveloped (for example, we never really found out how Asad Siddiqui ended up being a pir), though the actors made up for that with their brilliant performances. Mehmood Aslam was fitting as the loving but authoritative father as was Aashir Wajahat as the younger brother. Azfar Rehman and Asad Siddiqui were natural in their roles and their chemistry stood out and was thoroughly enjoyable.

    I do feel Mehwish did not get enough opportunity to shine but she still managed to make an impression, especially in the second half. She is also probably the only Pakistani heroine who makes her co-star look good. Whether it is Humayun Saeed or Fahad Mustafa or in this case Azfar Rehman, Mehwish ensures that her counterpart brings forward their best self.

    The shining star of the film was without a doubt Zara Noor Abbas. From her opening scene (which kind of reminded me of Rani Mukherjee from Bunty and Babli) to the final one, Zara’s performance as Haya is truly praise-worthy. Her dialogue delivery, expressions, body language and dance were natural and on point.

    I’d like to add here a special round of applause for the hair, makeup and costume team. Zara and Mehwish looked absolutely stunning in every single scene.

    The dialogues of the film were very millennial, current and relatable and made you chuckle at several intervals, so thumbs up to the writers there. The length of the film was just right and I did not feel it dragged at any point except for the item song ‘Chirya’ which was unnecessary and very very uncomfortable. In an age where international filmmakers are moving away from such frivolities, it is disappointing to see our filmmakers objectify women in their films.

    Apart from the Chhalawa song, the other scene that stood out was the ending, which was my personal favourite. I’ve seen a lot of filmy marriages happen at odd places, but a nikkah on a bridge in a traffic jam is a new high for me. The last scene was everything I wanted in an Eid entertainer: (over) dramatic, emotional, entertaining and one that put a huge smile on your face, at least mine (no judging).

    To truly enjoy Chhalawa, it is best to leave common sense out of the cinema hall and immerse yourself in the colour, masala and beats of the film.

  • Theresa May accused of sexism over gift given to Melania Trump

    Theresa May accused of sexism over gift given to Melania Trump

    All eyes are on the Trumps as they currently tour the United Kingdom. Ever since they landed on Monday afternoon, they’ve been engaged with the Royals. While Trump has back to back meetings today, his wife, Melania Trump will be having a tea with Britain’s outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May’s husband.

    However, the residents of 10 Downing Street are facing accusations of “lazy sexism” for their choice of gifts. While Donald Trump received a historical artefact recalling the Second World War alliance of their nations, his wife Melania received a tea set from the Prime Minister.

    Trump’s gift was a framed typescript draft of the Atlantic Charter agreed by their predecessors, President Franklin Roosevelt and Sir Winston Churchill, in 1941. The president is a great admirer of Churchill and moved a bust of the wartime leader back into the Oval Office as one of his first actions on entering the White House.

    Meanwhile, Melania received a bespoke No 10 tea set, created by British designer Emma Bridgewater. The Prime Minister’s spokesperson said that both gifts had been carefully chosen and the tea set was “a memento of a visit to No 10 as part of what we hope will be a successful state visit”.

    Melania’s choice of present did not sit down well with the public who described the tea-set as “patronising” and that it “portrayed an outdated view of gender roles.” They called out Theresa May for her “outdated belief that there are ‘boys roles’ and ‘girls roles’.”

    Some even joked that “Melania is married to one of the most divisive and unpleasant men in modern history – so at the very least she will need something stronger than tea.”

  • Want to impress your Khalas and Phuphos?

    Eid and dawats go hand in hand, especially considering the festivities of Eid would mean nothing if not for family gatherings. This Eid, TheCurrent helps you set up your Eid table so you can impress all your Phuppos, Khalas and Chachis.

  • ‘PM Imran leaves Shah Mahmood Qureshi behind on Saudi Arabia trip’

    ‘PM Imran leaves Shah Mahmood Qureshi behind on Saudi Arabia trip’

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, who reached Saudi Arabia to attend the 14th Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Summit in Makkah last week, reportedly left his foreign minister (FM), Shah Mahmood Qureshi, behind.

    According to journalist Azaz Syed, FM Qureshi was left behind after “he was barred from boarding PM Imran’s special flight due to lack of space”.

    “The FM had to make alternate arrangements,” the journalist claimed in a tweet which has not yet received an official reaction.

    While sources have also confirmed the episode to The Current, they clarified that the FM wasn’t offloaded, but told beforehand to arrange his own trip since there wasn’t enough space in the premier’s aircraft.

    Earlier, a meeting of the OIC countries’ foreign ministers preceded the heads of states session to finalise the draft for ‘Makkah Memo’ that was presented and approved at the conference.

    FM Qureshi represented Pakistan at the meeting after managing to reach the Kingdom on time.

    The summit convenes every three years to make decisions about how to confront and contain conflicts and crises in Muslim-majority countries. This year, the conference focused on challenges faced by the Muslim community as it enters a new era with the aim to reach a unified stance.

    ‘WIDENING RIFT IN PTI’:

    The journalist’s claim regarding the FM being left behind comes two days after Federal Minister for Science & Technology Fawad Chaudhry hinted at a “cold war going on within the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)”.

    In an interview to a private media outlet, Fawad had mentioned interference of non-elected people in the affairs of the government. “At times, some important decisions are taken and we don’t even know. I still believe that we have some political weaknesses in decision-making,” he had said.

    FM Qureshi had earlier made headlines after an exchange of heated arguments with PM Imran’s close aide and former PTI secretary general, disqualified Jahangir Khan Tareen.

  • The road less travelled – Pakistan’s offbeat tourist locations

    The road less travelled – Pakistan’s offbeat tourist locations

    Can’t figure out where to spend your summer break this year? Been to all the popular tourist spots? We have you covered. Take a break from your regular routine and plan a trip to one of these offbeat places in Pakistan:

    Kumrat Valley

    Naran, Kaghan aur Hunza toh sab hee jaatay hain garmion ki chution main. But if you truly want to enjoy natural beauty, Kumrat Valley is the place to go. This area is not as well known as the rest which means it is still untouched. The location is perfect for those who don’t like the rush. Visit this place before its natural beauty is replaced by architectural infrastructure.

    Gorakh Hill Station

    Also known as the ‘Murree of Sindh’, the Gorakh Hills are magical. The best part is that the holiday destination is relatively inexpensive. It’s best to go there with company, unless you’re a loner, as there is not much to do there except enjoy the sunset and sunrise and camp out in the open with a bonfire.

    Astola Island

    Everyone is familiar with the beauty of Pakistan’s northern areas, but a few have taken the time to discover the mesmerizing charm of the country’s coastal south. Clear blue water and white sandy beaches, what’s Maldives?

    Kanhatti Gardens

    Soon Valley is a breathtaking vista of natural beauty comprising of lakes and springs, lush green fields and gardens. Though many people visit Soon Valley, they often miss out the Kanhatti Gardens.

    Kanhatti Garden’s name is derived from ‘Kanhat’, a special rock found at natural water spring. Visit the Soon Valley and Kanhatti Gardens this summer and enjoy eating fresh almonds, apricots and pineapples there.

    Rama Meadows

    If you ever happen to find yourself in surrounded by clear, ice-cold water flowing in streams, sheep and cows grazing in peace and pine trees all around, then you are probably in Rama Meadows. Rama is located on the foothills of Nanga Parbat and no picture can do justice to the beauty of the place.  

    Take a virtual tour of these places by watching the video below and then make your decision.

  • Celeb inspired Eid shopping

    Celeb inspired Eid shopping

    Eid main reh gaye hain kuch hi din to shopping to banti hai. This Eid, TheCurrent has made life easier for you by doing a detailed market survey. Watch the video to find out how to make celebs inspired joras easily this Eid.