Tag: Wahaj Ali

  • See Prime’s ‘Teri Meri Kahaniyaan’ is Pakistan’s biggest creative ensemble with three directors

    See Prime’s ‘Teri Meri Kahaniyaan’ is Pakistan’s biggest creative ensemble with three directors

    The upcoming anthology film ‘Teri Meri Kahaniyaan’ is bringing together a star-studded cast with some of the biggest directors and actors for three short films which will be directed by Nadeem Baig, Nabeel Qureshi and Marina Khan.

    The film will feature diverse tales from the minds of storytellers like Khalil-ul-Rehman Qamar, Vasay Chaudhry, Ali Abbas Naqvi and Basit Naqvi. Pakistan’s biggest stars like Wahaj Ali, Mehwish Hayat, Shehryar Munawar, Ramsha Khan, Hira and Mani are cast in lead roles, making it one of Pakistan’s biggest creative collaborations.

    The Current spoke to veteran actress, director and producer Marina Khan, one of the directors helming the project. We asked her how this collaboration came into being, and she revealed that originally, Qureshi had made a short film for See Prime. But the production house decided to expand it into an anthology film by reaching out to Baig and then her:

    “Nabeel had been making a short film for See Prime, which turned out nicely, and they did not want to only upload it on YouTube. So the team of See Prime approached Nadeem for the second film, who reached out to me for the third film.”

    The film features three unique stories with a different cast. Nadeem Baig will be narrating a classical love story “Aik Sau Taeswaan” written by Khalil-ul-Rehman Qamar, which will star Mehwish Hayat and Wahaj Ali. Nabeel Qureshi will helm a ghost story “Jin Mahal” which will feature celebrity couple Hira and Mani, while Khan will be directing a modern love story “Pasoori” which will star Ramsha Khan and Sheheryar Munawar. Speaking on what her short film is about, the ‘Dhoop Kinare’ actress revealed:

    “It is the story of a girl whose childhood dream has come true. But, she now has to make a choice between the dream or her wedding day.”

    Nadeem Baig was also contacted by See Prime for the idea of an anthology film. Speaking to The Current, he said he was also looking forward to watch it in the theatre.

    Discussing the casting choice behind his short film, which will feature a classical love story between the main leads, the ‘Kuch Ankahi’ director revealed that he felt that there would be good chemistry between Mehwish and Wahaj:

    “I thought Wahaj would suit the character and I thought he and Mehwish would have quite interesting chemistry, and I hope it works for the audience as well.”

    The film will release on Eid-ul-Azha in theatres across Pakistan. Watch the complete trailer below:

  • In the latest really messed up development of ‘Tere Bin’ it turns out that Meerab, Murtasim did it consensually

    We all know that the latest act in the cesspool that is the Pakistani drama circus was the controversial promo of ‘Tere Bin’ which aired last week. The trailer implied that female lead Meerab (played by Yumna Zaidi) was raped by her husband Murtasim (played by Wahaj Ali).

    Twitter users were shocked, tagging the actors, production staff and even the writer, Nooran Makhdoom herself, to criticise the development as deeply misogynist and horrifying. But then, instead of reassuring the audience, Makhdoom decided to fan the flames even more with controversial statements given to Arab News, defending the marital rape by saying that it has been going on for a long time on Pakistani screens.

    Mmmm.. still not a good reason though.

    Finally, the episode has aired and it turns out, the sex was not rape. It was consensual.

    Yes, you read that right.

    We are dragged through the first agonizing 15 minutes of Mariam’s marriage, and her reluctance to open her heart, yada yada.

    And then we are reluctantly led to THAT scene where our favorite toxic jori, Murtasim and Meerab, actually did the deed in a consensual manner, but even that led to a lot of ronay dhonay.

    Twitter was mostly amused but some were horrified at how a once popular show has destroyed itself by pandering to sensationalism. Kudos to them for taking out the marital rape but really, where is the plot going?

    On God this is hilarious

    Chalo iss baat mein hilarious memes tou mil gayien

    https://twitter.com/thatdumbkido/status/1661426180237525023?s=20

  • Dear ‘Tere Bin’ writer, marital rape is rape

    To Nooran Makhdoom, the writer of the drama ‘Tere Bin’.

    How you chose to write your script is your own business. But to say that a heinous act like marital rape is justified and needed for the script is completely wrong and horrifying, as well as an insight into how the Pakistani entertainment industry keeps alienating women every year.

    This spectacle started on Friday, when the promo for the upcoming episode showed that after accusing Murtasim of cheating on her with Haya, Meerab is raped by her husband as punishment. Social media users were rightfully horrified, which led to a stream of hashtags like ‘Shame on Tere Bin Makers’ and ‘Nooran’, with users beginning to withdraw their support from the once popular drama, and criticising the production team for taking such a heinous step without realising its consequences and impact.

    Instead of listening to your fans and hearing their well-justified complaints about Meerab’s rape, you, Ms. Makhdoom, have instead decided to double down on your stand and defend it. In your statement to Arab News, you said that this is just a drama, and that this had not happened for the first time, so fans should stop complaining about every single episode.

    Now, Ms Makhdoom, we have to point out that you are entirely wrong to dismiss these complaints. Because:

    a. Marital rape is a crime, and many women in Pakistan suffer from it.

    b. Films and dramas are more than just means of entertainment. They are powerful tools to influence audiences.

    Let us break down all of this to you because clearly, you are not aware about the audience you are writing for.

    Marital rape has been declared as a human rights violation by the United Nations High Commissioner For Human Rights in 1993, when they included it in the ‘Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women’. However, in Pakistan where approximately 40% of women have experienced physical or emotional violence in their lifetime, there are no laws that recognise this as an illegal act.

    Already Ms. Makhdoom, you must be aware that the country you are writing dramas for, is one where women are not granted financial independence or any form of security so that if they are suffering from violence, they find some solace and escape. But because of cultural restrictions that prevent women from finding support, as well as a dilapidating justice system that refuses to help survivors, very few women live to see the day when they are able to escape their abusers with ease.

    So to stress on why saying this is ‘just a drama’ is wrong, these kinds of scenes undermine the difficult realities of women in Pakistan. It refuses to acknowledge them as individuals with the right to reject sex from men, whether or not they are married to them. And such actions being normalised by some of the top rated dramas in this country will only further erode the little progress that has improve the rights of women in Pakistan.

    Furthermore, dramas aren’t ‘just dramas’ Ms. Makhdoom, but powerful instruments of change that can influence the masses that are watching them. As a script writer, you do not get to evade the responsibility that comes with being a public figure, because ultimately the public looks up to you and is watching your dramas to learn more about the society around them. Which is why, it speaks volumes about the way our entertainment industry has continued to dig itself further and further into a hole when one of the highest rated dramas of a country which has been declared as the fourth most dangerous country for women, thinks that showing marital rape is okay.

    It’s never okay. And we urge you, Ms. Makhdoom, to stop hiding behind such baseless defences, and actually look down to see the consequences of the narrative you are promoting. Women in Pakistan are in pain. And it is only when public figures like you take responsibility for your actions and stop churning out such debauched dramas for the sake of good ratings, that we can actually progress forward.

  • ‘I stand by it’: Tere Bin writer Nooran Makhdoom defends controversial rape scene

    Trigger warning: victim blaming, discussions of marital rape, assault

    Pakistani drama ‘Tere Bin’ has been in the eye of a social media storm since yesterday a controversial scene from the drama serial went viral on Twitter. In the scene, the female lead Meerab (played by Yumna Zaidi) is raped by her husband Murtasim (played by Wahaj Ali) after she accuses him of attempting to start an affair with Haya.

    Social media users, who had already labelled the drama as problematic for past controversies like slaps, attempted suicide, stalking and poor story pacing, declared that they were dropping their support for the once-popular drama. But it turns out, the writer behind the drama Nooran Makhdoom, is not moved by the backlash, defending it as a ‘a demand of the serial’, in an interview with Arab News Pk.

    “It’s a situation which was the demand of the serial that will lead to the climax,” explained Makhdoom.

    She also went on to defend the story by saying she won’t be changing the script because of fans:

    “If the audience isn’t getting it, I can’t change it,” she said. “It’s just a drama. They should wait for the entire story to unfold instead of taking issue with every episode.”

    Makhdoom also pointed out that such a horrfiying trope is not being used for the first time, and that the entire production team or director had not objected to the scene:

    “It’s not like this has happened onscreen for the first time. It’s just that this project has received such wide recognition that people reacted strongly to the recent twist.”

    Makhdoom also shared with Arab News that she had not initially added the slap and the spit scene, which was added in before filming, but she took complete responsibility for writing the script:

    “If you speak of my social responsibility, I created a story and I stand by it,” she said. “And this is not an unusual occurrence; it has happened before.”

    This revelation has led to more backlash on social media, with hasthags like ‘Shame on Tere Bin makers’ and ‘Nooran’ trending on Twitter, and users calling for a boycott of the drama.

  • ‘Horrifying’: Twitter users slam ‘Tere Bin’ promo for depicting assault

    Trigger warning: discussions of marital rape, assault

    In the topsy-turvy world that is Pakistan right now, ‘Tere Bin’ is playing its part by keeping fans running around in circles. With the love-hate relationship between the main leads Murtasim (played by Wahaj Ali) and Meerab (Yumna Zaidi) switching from adorable to toxic to downright horrifying in the recent episode, fans have had enough.

    The recent episode of the drama tried to one-up itself to see how low it can go in disappointing its viewers, with once again the writers deciding to bring out the Murtasim caught cheating with Haya card, and ending the episode with Meerab’s assault.

    From the promo, viewers can definitely assume that Meerab has been assaulted by her husband and has chosen to leave him.

    Was it necessary that Murtasim, who is currently one of the most feminist male leads on our screens, be thrown under the bus just to churn up some views? Why did the writer even assume that after stalking, slapping and attempted suicide, this ‘love story’ had to hit its peak with the most heinous thing: domestic violence?

    Legal analyst Reema Omer criticised the scene on Twitter, writing:

    “TW: After months of justifying Murtasim slapping, shoving, dragging, asking Meerab to jump off the roof to prove her chastity + other toxic/violent behaviour, even #TereBin fan club is up in arms over the possible marital r*pe suggested by the promo Some silver lining, I guess.”

    Founder of ‘Something Haute, Aamna Isani wrote that she was shocked by the depiction of assault, and how could this possibly be a chance after this that Murtasim’s character would be redeemed.

    Users were tweeting that they were heartbroken at how the writer of the show has completely destroyed Murtasim’s character

    Many were tweeting that this was the end of their support for the drama, given that there is no possible justification to depict marital rape and domestic abuse.

  • Upcoming Pakistani dramas we’re incredibly excited about

    Upcoming Pakistani dramas we’re incredibly excited about

    There hasn’t been a better time to watch Pakistani dramas than now, what with a whole range of shows and actors set to make their mark on our screens. It looks like finally the entertainment industry has started listening to our calls for something other than the saas-bahu jhagray, because these shows range from celebrating women in sports to satire to exploring the thrills of first love.

    It also looks like Pakistanis are about to see fresh faces as well as some beloved actors make their debute on screen as Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed are coming back once more, and Instagram influencers like Mamia Shahjaffer, Khushhal Khan and Dananeer are set to star as main leads.

    We’re definitely certain that you’re cancelling your plans to set up your movie night after scrolling through our list.

    22 Qadam

    Starring Hareem Farooq and Wahaj Ali, the drama is set to explore the lives of women in sports, through the story of Fari (played by Farooq) who aspires to become a cricketer. Speaking to The Current, Farooq called 22 Qadam “the voice of the unheard” and said that the sole inspiration behind this show was women like Sana Mir:

    “The first person that comes to our mind when you talk about women and cricket is Sana Mir, she’s been an inspiration for so many women out there. It is just about breaking stereotypes and the taboos out there that women can also excel in sports, and if nothing else it makes you more independent and gives you that confidence that allows you to face the world in the best way possible.”

    College Gate

    It looks like the entertainment industry has finally understood that there isn’t any one out there willnigly ready to sit down and listen to another shaadi story about underaged women marrying men twice their age, because we’re finally getting a story about college students and their personal experiences. The show, starring Khaqan Shahnawaz, Mamia Shahjaffer and veteran actress Saba Hameed, promises to be a drama unlike what has been shown before with topics like addiction, peer pressure and depression thrown into the story.

    Barzakh

    Starring power leads Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed along with newcomer model Khushhal Khan, the series has definitely captured our attention, especially the fact that it is written and directed by the mastermind behind Churails (2018), Asim Abbasi. Speaking to Variety, Abbasi said that the inspiration for the series came after the death of his father and watching his own son grow into a young boy:

    “In the aftermath of my father’s passing, and witnessing my son grow into a young boy, I found myself consumed with nostalgia, and memories of times gone and loves lost. And I began to think about my fears – the end of consciousness, the end of imagination, the end of love. And from these fears, grew a story where love was indeed eternal. Where it survived us – making it the ultimate human legacy.”

    Producer of the series Kerjiwal said:

    “‘Barzakh’ is a product of COVID brain – it was a time where like everyone else, Asim and I were talking about love, life, death, losing loved ones, unable to say our goodbyes. There was a sense of loss, but also confusion, because of a lack of completion. Death and parting didn’t seem like a finality like it used to because funerals and weddings were both happening on Zoom.

    This new reality was surreal and to make any sense of it, physical contact or in-person meeting with friends and family became crucial. Hence the idea about a show which essentially was a family reunion came up.”

    101 Talakhien

    This looks like the perfect drama for anyone (especially us) who is bored to death of marriage obsessed culture, and wants something dark and satirical- which is exactly what the show promises to deliver. Zahid Ahmed stars as famous lawyer Rustom Kavasji, who artfully decodes how couples begin to fall apart after getting married.

    Muhabbat Gumshuda Meri

    This seems like a Pakistani version of K-dramas which will explore the thrills of high school relationships, because this trailer has already got us counting down the days to the release. TikTok star Dananeer and model and actor Khushhal Khan are the main leads of the drama and are shown to be complete opposites, who slowly come to fall in love with each other. However, their relationship is threatened by their parents leading to the couple going to any lengths to protect their relationship.

    Idiot

    Fans of Ahmed Ali Akbar who loved him in ‘Parizaad’ and ‘Ehd-e-Wafa’ are in for a treat because the hearthrob has already sparked anticipation with his upcoming film ‘Gunjal’ and now with his drama ‘Idiot’ where he is set to star opposite Mansha Pasha.

  • After ‘Kuch Ankahi’, ‘Fairy Tale’, Is 2023 the year we’re finally not glorifying toxic masculinity?

    We have been wasting our breath for years, criticising the entertainment industry and asking it to stop scraping the bottom of the barrel to give us another done-to-dust drama about saas-bahu jhagray. It seems like somebody has been listening to our laments. Recent serials, starring the likes of actors such as Mira Sethi, Ali Safina and Wahaj Ali, have us wondering whether the industry has finally begun to understand that toxic masculinity is not something to glorify or even a trait that women think is swoon worthy?

    In the disastrous year that was 2022, we got drama after drama with the same topic: bad boy meets good girl, he’s broken and needs fixing which apparently no therapist can do, his severe mommy issues need to be resolved by some naïve girl who has lived under a bunker all her life and is now the saviour she never signed up to be.

    However, this year with dramas like ‘Kuch Ankahi’, the popular Ramzan show ‘Fairy Tale’ and even Wahaj Ali’s hit ‘Mujhe Pyaar Hua Tha’, main leads are stepping away from toxic characteristics that symbolized what patriarchy thinks an ideal man must be like. Instead, men in these dramas are gentler, caring about the women they love and showcasing that being a man is not about being loud and brash, but infact it is about how attentive you are to the people around you.

    ‘Kuch Ankahi’ was like a breath of fresh air for audiences who were nostalgic for the days of Haseena Moin dramas, where the women were fearless and outspoken, not props to the men around them. The women in ‘Kuch Ankahi’ come in different shades of femininity: Samia is a shy homebody who wants to fulfil her parents wishes and get married to the man they pick, while Aliya is the complete opposite because she’s a headstrong, career-obsessed woman who wants to succeed in her retail-estate business. Their differences don’t prevent the siblings from bonding with each other or from standing up for their families. Many have praised the series for depicting a healthy relationship between siblings and called it the desi version of ‘Little Women’.

    https://twitter.com/decalsajal/status/1614558374787432456?s=20

    But what is also heartening to witness in ‘Kuch Ankahi’ is how all the men in the dramas are gentle and actively work around the family, rather than the typical men who lounge around, while the women cook. Agha Ji, the patriarch, champions his daughters, refrains from asking them to do his chores and continuously encourages the girls to pursue their dreams.

    Bilal Abbas’ character, Salman, Aliya’s professional rival in the drama, is also a fan favourite. He’s ambitious but he never resorts to sexist or demeaning jokes to push her out of the game. He is also respective and caring to his mother and even pulls his weight by helping around the house.

    Among the current on-going Ramzan dramas, ‘Fairy Tale’ has been winning hearts across Pakistan because of how it has re-written the grumpy x sunshine trope in a humorous, addictive story where the women lead the show and where the male lead treats women with respect.

    If audiences were left horrified when the male lead from last year’s ‘Kaisi Teri Khudgarzi’ forced the female lead to keep repeating his name in exchange for her dad’s release, this time they have better content to cheer on. Many Twitter users have found Farjaad’s dedication to Umeed quite moving as he keeps coming back to her despite convincing himself that they’re too different.

    We can not say that we’re okay with the current pacing of ‘Mujhe Pyaar Hua Tha’ and how the storyline features the trope of the selfish female lead and the money-obsessed mother-in-law, but credit to Wahaj Ali’s character Saad, the anti-thesis of the typical misogynist Pakistani male lead, if ever there was one. He refuses to engage in abuse or violence to pressurize the woman he likes to be with him, instead supporting Maheer in all of her decisions.

    Might we be witnessing the rebirth of the golden age of Pakistani dramas? Fingers crossed .

  • Wahaj Ali, Hareem Farooq’s upcoming drama ’22 Qadam’ is an ode to women in sports

    If fans haven’t had enough of Wahaj Ali in ‘Tere Bin’ and ‘Mujhe Pyaar Hua Tha’ then they’re in for a treat. His next drama is unique because it explores the issue of women in sports.

    Ali shared a first look of the venture where he will be playing a cricketer, writing on Instagram about the drama’s premise which is about supporting women cricket players.

    “As a society we need to promote women coming into all professional fields – from sports to sciences. The roots of 22 Qadam are embedded in inspiring and taking pride in the dreams and achievements of our women.”

    The female lead of this drama is going to be played by ‘Sar-e-Rah’ actor Hareem Farooq, who will essay the role of a small town girl named Fari, who dreams of becoming a cricketer.

    The Current reached out to Farooq on why she had chosen to become a part of this project, and she responded:

    “When we came up with this concept, the thought behind it was that we need to empower women in the best way possible and there is no way better than projecting women in sports. Cricket, especially being the most loved sport in South-Asia.”

    Farooq also reflected on how women like Sana Mir, who is a commentator and former cricket captain, served as inspiration for the drama by breaking stereotypes:

    “The first person that comes to our mind when you talk about women and cricket is Sana Mir, she’s been an inspiration for so many women out there. It is just about breaking stereotypes and the taboos out there that women can also excel in sports, and if nothing else it makes you more independent and gives you that confidence that allows you to face the world in the best way possible.”

    Hareem Farooq said that she feels that society needs the kind of entertainment where people are not just enjoying themselves but are also educated that stereotypes and taboos can be broken. “Even women, infact everybody, can achieve their dreams if they’re passionate about it.”

    Speaking about her character, the actress said that her character Fari dreams of playing for the national cricket team and making her country proud:

    “I play the character of Fari, who is this bubbly and happy girl who wants to spread joy and happiness where ever she goes. But she has a dream and a passion she wants to follow and she is determined to do that. In this way breaking stereotypes and taboos by playing for the national team and make her country proud, and make her parents proud. It is a journey of achieving that dream and the up’s and down’s she goes through, and how or will she ever be able to achieve that dream.”

    In many ways, Farooq says that ’22 Qadam’ is a groundbreaking show because it is “the voice of the unheard.”

    The drama is written by Zeeshan Ilyas and directed by Anjum Shahzad.

  • From dream boy to bad boy: Twitter shares why certain Pakistani dramas have aged badly

    If you’re a citizen of Pakistani Twitter, then you would be familiar with cult dramas like ‘Zindagi Gulzar Hai’, ‘Humsafar’ and ‘Tere Bin’, that have dominated social media with swoon worthy romances as well as dreamboats like Fawad Khan and Wahaj Ali. We’ll admit it, we have been obsessed too.

    But it might turn out that all that is old is not gold? And sadly, our fav heroes might not actually be the shehzada of our dreams but actually toxic men who needs to be re examined again.

    A Twitter user shared a tweet of the main leads from the most popular Pakistani dramas: ‘Tere Bin’, ‘Zindagi Gulzaar Hai’, ‘Humsafar’ and ‘Mere Humsafar’, and in the caption she shared that arranged marriage might not be such a bad idea if it were with men like them.

    But in today’s climate when more women are asking for better representation on television screens, a man like Ashar or Zarrun won’t sit well with audiences, regardless of how good looking Fawad Khan is. With that, more twitter users began sharing the ways audiences had overlooked how regressive and sexist these male leads actually were, and should not have been projected as the standard kind of man women should look for.

    Users shared that in ‘Humsafar’, Khan’s character Ashar, kicks his wife Khirad (played by Mahira Khan) out of the house while she was pregnant because he suspects her to be cheating on him with her friend, Khizar.

    Twitter users shared how toxic Murtasim was in ‘Tere Bin’ because he slapped Meerab in episode 5, and in the most recent episode he asks her to jump to prove she wasn’t having an affair behind his back.

    We hope that the entertainment industry takes a note of this and works on improving their scripts to stop romanticizing toxic men, who can only offer the bare minimum to the women in their lives.

  • ‘Completely unnecessary’: Tere Bin’s latest episode is drawing criticism for including an attempted suicide scene

    Drama serial ‘Tere Bin’ had been hitting the right notes for a while with electrifying chemistry between Yumna Zaidi and Wahaj Ali who star as conflicted enemies turned lovers. Fans have lauded the series for Ali’s powerful acting as well as Zaidi’s feisty and headstrong character Meerab who isn’t afraid to stand up for what she believes in. However, a recent episode has left fans conflicted with some arguing that the series has diverted away from the true nature of the male lead, Murtasim.

    In the previous episode, Meerab is kidnapped by her male friend, Rohail, who takes her to his house and confesses his feelings to her. After being unable to contact his wife and panicking, Murtasim rescues her from Rohail’s clutches and threatens to shoot him if he ever comes near her again. But this incident leaves our hero traumatised, thinking that Meerab is still in love with Rohail and had gone to Karachi solely to meet him.

    Now in the latest episode, Murtasim refuses to engage with his wife, despite her attempts to make him happy while cooking his favorite dishes. As the attempts fall flat, Murtasim accuses her of cheating by visiting Rohail in Karachi. When Meerab’s explanation doesn’t satisfy him, he takes his wife to the rooftop and asks her to jump from there to prove herself.

    Fans have slammed this scene as a complete betrayal to Murtasim’s character. Something Haute editor Aamna Isani wrote that the scene was completely unnecessary and had shattered the efforts the show had made in the previous episodes to put Murtasim in a positive light.

    “Like the slap, the jump scene was also totally unnecessary and stripped Murtasim of the human light he was portrayed in when he cried. Very confused, poor writing I’d say. #TereBin,” she wrote.

    Journalist Marvi Sirmed criticised ‘Tere Bin’ for turning Murtasim in to an ‘alpha male’ who tries to domesticate the free-spirited and ambitious Meerab, and slammed the writer Noor Makhdoom for this controversial scene.

    “But this final nail in the coffin of sanity was put when a stupid toxic Murtasim asks Meerab to jump from roof in order to prove her innocence. A grim reminder of Seeta’s Agni Priksha. What nonsense. Really Ms Makhdoom, what bloody nonsense?” she wrote.

    Many users had to point out that in previous episodes, Murtasim had spent two nights in his village with the antagonist Haya, an act that had angered Meerab. But did it lead to Murtasim being forced to prove his innocence? Then why was this imposed over Meerab?

    This is not the first time Tere Bin has attracted criticism for including controversial scenes that were contrary to the characters’ build up. For instance, the slap scene in episode five attracted intense backlash as social media users criticised the show for peddling sexist stereotypes once more.