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Showing posts from August, 2023

Govinda showed no interest in ‘Gadar’ over a moral issue

In a conversation with Bollywood Hungama, director Anil Sharma spoke about the casting choices for the original 2001 film ‘Gadar: Ek Prem Katha’. Rumors began circulating that Govinda was considered to play the lead role that eventually went to Sunny Deol. Now, the director has clarified that although the ‘Partner’ actor was not considered for the role, he himself wasn’t interested in the project because the film revolved around Hindu-Muslim conflict: “Govinda wasn’t a choice for Gadar: Ek Prem Katha. I had done a film called Maharaja with him. One day, I was just narrating the story of Gadar to him and he told me, ‘I can’t do this film.’ He thought that I was narrating the film to him because I wanted to cast him.” “Before narrating the story, I had told him that I have narrated this story to Sunny Deol and I am doing this film with him. Then he asked me, ‘What is the story?’ So then I narrated Gadar’s story to him and he told me, ‘No, I can’t do this film because it has so much Hin

Naseeruddin Shah opens up about ‘love jihad’ accusations on marriage to Ratna Pathak

Bollywood veteran Naseeruddin Shah recently wrote an open letter to the National Herald where he addressed his 41-year long marriage to Hindu wife and actress, Ratna Pathak. He wrote that their bond has remained strong despite accusations of ‘love jihad’ levied by the spouse of an ex-prime minister, who told him “No one said anything when you married outside your religion.” “I had no compunctions or hesitation about marrying a Hindu, and vice-versa.” wrote the ‘Masoom’ actor. “I didn’t dream that some put-out-to-pasture spouse of an ex-cabinet minister would, 38 years after my marriage, threaten me with ‘no one said anything when you married outside your religion’, stopping short of accusing me of love jihad but clearly implying that my time was now up.” The actor, who met Ratna during the rehearsal for Satyadev Dubey’s play ‘Sambhog se Sanyas Tak’ in 1975. The actor went on to clarify that he was incredibyl supportive of whether the actress wished to convert to Islam or not, and so

Five times ‘Fairytale’ Season Two was a gooey mess of wholesomeness

The second season of the popular drama ‘Fairy Tale’ arrived on our screens after a five month break, and this time the production delivered an empowering, wholesome story revolving around Farjaad and Umeed. If during the last season fans had to deal with the slow burn of the two settling their differences, learning to like each other and then developing a relationship, in this season we watch the two settle into married life and learn to overcome their personality clashes. Writer Sehar Majeed has left no stones unturned with the insane amount of wholesome, endearing moments she wrote for Farjaad and Umeed. Seriously, don’t watch the show unless you’re in your room alone because jitna hum nahi expect kar rahay thay kay aisa koi Pakistani drama would make us squeal this much. We know its too early but here are some of our favorite moments so far from the last four episodes where Farjaad and Umeed shine. 1 Starting with the dance sequence in last week’s episode, with shy boy Farjaad st

Eras tour in Karachi? Twitter hilariously reimagines Taylor Swift’s visit to Pakistan

Taylor Swift is taking her super successful Eras tour around the globe, with four sold out shows in Mexico City while more will follow in Germany, Singapore, Japan and other countries. As usual hum Pakistanis were left out of the planning. So X user Yusra Amjad imagined a hilarious twist on how everything would pan out if the Eras tour came to Karachi. “The only place in Pakistan that the Eras Tour could take place is the National Stadium in Karachi, btw. It has a capacity of 50k (Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore is 29k only),” the poet wrote. The only place in Pakistan that the Eras Tour could take place is the National Stadium in Karachi, btw. It has a capacity of 50k (Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore is 29k only) — not rupi kaur (@prelovedpoet) August 27, 2023 There were some witty responses with people imagining how the concert in Karachi would turn out. Eras tour in Karachi pic.twitter.com/O4IKs9Mqlz https://t.co/u5rLbFwAhN — (@hdralt_) August 27, 2023 OUR WORST NIGHTMARE

Nadia Afghan, Nadia Jamil slam ‘disgusting’ dialogue from ‘Hadsa’

Trigger warning: mention of rape, violence After the controversial drama ‘Hadsa’ was slammed by social media users for allegedly depicting without consent the ordeal of the motorway rape case that happened in 2020, several social media users slammed lead actress Hadiqa Kiani for her ‘tone-deaf’ statement, as well as writer Zanjabeel Asim Shah, and demanded that PEMRA take down the show. Now, a controversial dialogue from the drama has made rounds on social media, where the main character, Taskeen, can be heard saying “Jaisay murday ke jism mein rooh waapis nahi aati..waisay hee khoi hui izzat waapis nahi aati.” The clip was shared by Geo’s official Instagram account, as can be seen below. The dialogue was spoken in episode 5, after Taskeen is recovering in the hospital from her wounds after the violence. The controversial dialogue has launched more uproar on social media, with users demanding to know how it got approved by Hadiqa, who’s repertoire includes feminist dramas that em

Miley dedicates song to Sinead O’Connor, ending dispute with late singer

Pop star Miley Cyrus has dedicated her song ‘Wonder Woman’ to Sinead O’Connor during an ABC concert special ‘Endless Summer Vacation: Continued (Backyard Sessions), ending a decade long dispute with the late Irish singer. In 2013, the two songstresses engaged in a public clash when Miley’s ‘Wrecking Ball’ video came out. O’Connor wrote an open letter to Miley advising her not to “obscure your talent by allowing yourself to be pimped” by the industry. “None of the men ogling you give a s*** about you either, do not be fooled,” she wrote. In response, Miley shared a list of tweets by the late singer, and compared her to the actress Amanda Bynes, who was publicly struggling with her mental health at the same time. O’Connor had been open about mental health struggles, especially the time she spent in psychiatric hospitals. The late singer slammed Cyrus for the response, writing: “You have posted today tweets of mine which are two years old, which were posted by me when I was unwell and

With ‘Midsummer Chaos’ Season Two returning, here are some meme-worthy moments from Season One

After a hilarious season one, Ahmed Sarym has announced that his web series ‘Midsummer Chaos’ is set to return once more on September 9 for the second season. This time, the show will feature a whole new cast. The short series revolves around the lives of teenagers in high school dealing with mental health, depression, parental relationships and social media influence. The trailer for the second season released online yesterday and already has 1.9k likes on YouTube. But since some of y’all might need to recall all of the hilarious moments from the previous season before sitting down to binge a new one, you must remember how the internet broke when the series was released in 2021 . We’ll take charge and share some of our favorite moments from the previous season, which featured actors like Khushhal Khan, Meher Bano and Mamia Shahjaffer. Episode One will remain iconic in Pakistani pop culture history because of the hilarious phadda between Harris and Sameer. 2. Gossip girl but s

Shah Rukh Khan endorses a gaming app and protests erupt outside his home, security increased

Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan’s recent endorsements were met with severe backlash from the public, including an NGO which felt the actor was encouraging younger minds to play online games. The actor recently endorsed a gaming app A23, an online platform, for which a commercial was released in which the ‘Pathaan’ actor said “Chalo saath khelein’. Protests followed and were led by the NGO Untouch Youth Foundation, which called for celebrities to be held accountable for promoting online gaming apps which could ‘corrupt their minds of the youth of India’. Demonstrations were held outside Mannat house, SRK’s residence, and police officials were deployed in case of security threats. In an official statement, the organisation said they were calling for a protest against gaming apps like Zuppee, Jungly Rummy, and called out actors who endorsed these products. “Famous actors and actresses work in these advertisements and they are working towards misguiding society. The protest will be held o

‘No one was available’: Ali Rehman on why transgender actors weren’t hired for Guru

Actor Ali Rehman Khan is currently playing the role of a transgender woman in the Express Entertainment drama ‘Guru’. The drama is facing intense backlash from social media users, especially transgender activists like Shahzadi Rai, who condemned the limited spaces allowed to members of the transgender community within the entertainment industry to be able to tell their own stories. Speaking to The Current, the activist expressed her dismay at how cis men were constantly taking up roles about people belonging to the third gender, and used the incorrect term used to describe the community like ‘intersex’. “People who do not want to declare themselves as intersex, why are you pushing the label on them? And roles that are about the third gender, you should give them to people who identify under it. A man’s role would be played by a man, while a woman’s role would be played by a woman.” READ MORE: Transgender activist Shehzadi Rai, Twitter users criticise ‘Guru’ for hiring cis man to pla

‘I am not dead yet’, journalist slams drama Hadsa for no consent from motorway rape survivor

TRIGGER WARNING: discussion of rape, sexual abuse Actress Hadiqa Kiani is starring in a new drama series ‘Hadsa’ which depicts the life of a headstrong woman, who is raped while travelling with her son on an empty highway. Many users since the drama began airing, pointed out how the drama’s storyline was similar to the horrifying motorway rape case of 2021, when a woman travelling on motorway with her two children was assaulted and raped by two men infront of her two children. The drama is written by Zanjabeel Asim Shah, and directed by Wajahat Rauf, and stars Aly Khan, Romaisa Khan, Khaqan Shahnawaz. Journalist Fereeha Idress, who reported the account of the anonymous survivor, has now taken to X, formerly Twitter, to slam the makers behind ‘Hadsa’ for violating the privacy of the lone survivor, who revealed that the makers, nor the star-studded cast and crew, had approached her for consent on making a drama about a horrifying ordeal she had undergone. In a lengthy statement, Feree

Jubh hum sub ko pyaar hua tha: the KKKG scene we’ll never forget

If we ask y’all when did your love affair with the superstar Shah Rukh Khan begin, we’d get a lot of different responses but mostly it is the cult classic ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Ghum’ that struck the hearts of fans. It is remembered as one of Karan Johar’s most iconic rom-com’s of all time, and the pairing of SRK with Kajol to be one that can outshine all the Hollywood romcoms ever created. But looking back at the song from the film ‘Shava Shava’ a scene continues to find its way back on Twitter once again, when Rahul dreams up Anjali dancing at his father’s party and then re-calls how he fell in love with her at first sight. You know which scene we’re talking about, and yes it completely set the bar for how superior the SRK-Kajol chemistry is. this part from shava shava is what i imagine falling in love feels like ღ pic.twitter.com/EtmDPMG8ne — 𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞 (@booksb4looks) August 24, 2023 No matter how many rom-coms Bollywood will keep churning out, the beauty and simplicity

‘Ya Allah Reham’: Mohib Mirza, celebrities react to recent electricity bill hike

Social media users and public figures expressed outrage over the weekend at the hike in electricity bills. The exorbitant sums led to protests across the country with citizens burning their bills. Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakaar has responded to the outrage by tweeting that an emergency meeting would be called at the Prime Minister’s residence on Sunday to address the sudden hike. READ MORE: PM calls emergency meeting as public outcry grows over high electricity bills Celebrities have also decried inflation and how it impacts an ordinary citizen’s life. Actor Sami Khan shared a tweet by a journalist who shared a video of a man protesting against the price hike, and in the caption he wrote: ‘Ya Allah Reham farma.” Ya ALLAH reham farma , ameen. https://t.co/qUtAxbqzUi — sami khan (@samikhan421) August 24, 2023 Mohib Mirza addressed the situation with his own hilarious but rather dark twist: “Thank god we have not gone on the moon, otherwise the fuel adjustments

Vicky Kaushal calls a very special person whenever he has good news

Truly the internet’s boyfriend Vicky Kaushal worships the ground his wife, Katrina Kaif walks on. Truly a fresh breath of air compared to actors who demand their wives not wear lipstick while outside. In a recent interview with Grazia, the ‘Sardar Udham’ star is making us feel even more single. He revealed that Katrina was the first person he calls when he has good news, adding that previously he would call his mom. “When I cracked my first audition and I told my mom about it and she started dancing. That was the first time I saw her dancing. Many such moments, like even on film sets there have been moments when you feel like something special just happened. You felt it. Those moments are very special.” Vicky also spoke about the most important days of his life. “My wedding, the happiest three days of my life,” he firmly stated. In July, the duo moved social media with their heartfelt comments about each other, when Kaif revealed that Kaushal pampers her and calls her his “panic

Moammar Rana’s wife says Nadir Ali responsible for comments made by her husband

Lollywood A-lister Moammar Rana made headlines two days ago when a clip from his interview with controversial host Nadir Ali went viral. In the clip, Rana criticised Indian actress Priyanka Chopra’s looks, stating that crush on her ended after seeing her in real life. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Current (@thecurrentpk) The comment was slammed by social media users for being degrading and sexist. The duo also called the actress a ‘maid’. Actress and television host Mathira slammed Nadir Ali in a post on her Instagram stories A user on X, formerly known as Twitter wrote: “Nadir Ali & his equally vile guest Moammar Rana made deeply offensive rac1st & elitist comments on @priyankachopra comparing her to a ‘maid’ owing to her complexion. Domestic workers are beautiful, Ms. Chopra is an achiever but the minds of these 2 failed men are HORRIBLY UGLY.” Nadir Ali & his equally vile guest Moammar Rana made

Who run the world? Taylor Swift and Beyoncé are fueling the US economy

This is definitely an un-cruel Summer The US economy can thank Taylor Swift and Beyonce for the extra leg up. According to CNBC, Swift’s critically acclaimed Era’s tour is set to make more than $1 billion, making it the highest grossing tour of all time. While Beyonce’s ‘Renaissance’ tour, according to CBS, could rack up more than $2 billion from concert shows. The anticipation of the tours, as well as the two pop icons, has also reportedly boosted local tourism within America, with brands and small business stores churning out creative ways to captivate fans, greatly boosting their income. According to the New York Times , a survey by the Federal Reserve shows hotel revenues have risen in the Philadelphia region, where Swift has booked stadiums for her tour, and Sweden has already said Beyonce’s tour is to thank for to help recover from inflation. Moreover, AirBnB reported that the most popular tourist destinations during the Fourth of July weekend was not Greece or Italy, but Ohio

Imran Khan reveals why he stepped away from making films after ‘Break Kay Baad’

If you were a teenager on during the 2000’s, chances are you were swept up in the wave of adoration for Imran Khan. Nope, not THAT one, but the one who made us swoon with his charm and wit with films like ‘Jaane Tu Jaane Na’ and ‘I Hate Luv Stories’. But then he suddenly announced his retirement and completely stepped away from films, leaving love struck girlies heartbroken and without a fictional character to moon about. Now, Imran is dropping hints that he was definitely sure that this wasn’t the last the world had seen of him. When a fan commented under Zeenat Amin’s film, begging the actor to make a comeback, Imran shocked everyone by commenting that he was absolutely ready. Now, Imran has shared pictures from his old films on his Instagram account, like he shared a couple of pictures of his 2012 film ‘Break Kay Baad’ where he starred along side Deepika Padukone. He wrote in the caption that despite the negative reviews, the film held a special place in his heart because of how m

Lizzo counter-sues backup dancers for ‘malicious prosecution’

Pop singer Lizzo has been sued by former backup dancers of her troupe for sexual harassment, unprofessionalism and body shaming. In the suit filed earlier this month, Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez detailed instances of being shamed for weight gain, being coerced into touching nude dancers. On Wednesday, Lizzo’s lawyer said in a statement sent to The Independent, that the singer was now counter suing the dancers for ‘malicious content’, describing the lawsuit as a sham. The statement included photos of the three plaintiffs Davis, Williams and Rodriguez with “the performers after the topless cabaret show at the Crazy Horse cabaret in Paris” on 5 March, 2023. In their lawsuit, the dancers had claimed they were not informed by Lizzo that the dancers performing would be naked, “robbing them of the choice not to participate”. The plaintiff’s also described Lizzo pressurising cast members to take turns touching the nude performers “catching dildos launched from the p

Farhan Saeed compares India and Pakistan as Chandrayaan lands on moon

India marked its footprint on history yesterday when their third attempt at landing on the moon turned successful. The space shuttle Chadrayaan-3 landed on the south pole of the moon, making India the first country to do so, and the fourth country after China, USA and Russia to make it to the moon. Pakistanis celebrated their arch-rivals achievement too, congratulating India for the fearless achievement. Farhan Saeed took to X (formerly Twitter) to compare the two countries, observing that while India was progressing, Pakistan keeps deteriorating because of its refusal to talk about the issues that plague it. “On #76thIndependance #India lands on Moon and most of us are worried about where #Pakistan stands & it’s future. The basic reason is we are not even allowed to talk about our shortcomings as a nation. That film/drama is banned that shows the true picture of our society… labelling it as some kind of propaganda against our country. There is hardly , in fact no prime tim