A Hollywood Offer And ‘Oscar Is Bachon Wala Kaam’: Feroze Khan’s Startling Revelations

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March 11, 2020

With his tweet announcing that he was “quitting the showbiz industry,” Feroze Khan managed to capture the attention of his fans and the media fraternity at large.

As we had stated in our piece reporting the development, and what became all the more evident in his subsequent media talks, is that Feroze is not actually quite ‘quitting,’ in the strict sense of the word. In a recent interview with media portal Something Haute, he clarified: “If there is any (television show or film) that educates people, which conveys a good message and can help correct a wrong in the society….I will take that up.”

Among projects he considers belonging to such a category are Alif, his own hit serial Khaani, and the upcoming Khuda Aur Mohabbat which he is currently shooting. What changes is that now onwards Feroze would be choosing his projects more carefully and limit his work to material that meets his strict moral criteria. Besides that, the Tich Button actor also revealed that acting would no longer remain his “bread and butter”, plus he will be unveiling his own clothing line, soon.

Phew. Did that pull you back from the cliffhanger? Wait, there’s more.

The Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hai star made a few more startling revelations, leaving our mouths almost agape. Responding to a query regarding his earlier claim that he will win an Oscar one day, he revealed: “I was recently offered a lead role in a Hollywood movie, however, I am not prepared to go down the path of life that taking up such a project would entail.”

But that was not all. Elaborating further about his philosophy of leading the right kind of life, he said: “Mujhe yeh Oscar bohat bachon wala kaam lagta hai. Matlab it’s not difficult at all,” only to follow that up with a tangential rant about all the wrong things people are doing, in his words, to get “10 seconds of fame.”

When it comes to matters of the divine, quick fame or winning the ultimate acting accolade, it seems Feroze has it all figured out in his head. Perhaps a lesson or two for all the industry stalwarts continuing to slog in front of the cameras and glaring studio lights?

Here’s The Complete Truth Behind Amanullah Khan’s Burial Controversy

By

Uzair Anwer

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March 10, 2020

Friday, March 6, witnessed the unfortunate demise of veteran Pakistani comedian, late Amanullah Khan, 70, due to lung cancer at a local hospital in Lahore. Last seen in the film Na Maloom Afraad (2014) and on television in the political satire show Khabaryar (2018), the artist enjoyed huge popularity across the borders and was a pioneering member of the country’s theater comedy scene.

The Mazaaq Raat funnyman, recipient of the Pride of Performance civil award, holds the world record of 860-day and night theater plays. He enjoyed legendary status among his peers and comedians from across the border such as Kapil Sharma and Johnny Lever shared their condolences upon his demise.

The controversy

There has been quite a bit of speculation doing the rounds regarding what exactly transpired at the late comedian’s funeral at a private housing society in Lahore. A few video clips have also gone viral on social media from the funeral’s location. They expound the popular narrative of that local residents and community members kept Amanullah sahib’s body waiting for 4 hours as they didn’t want a marasi to get burial rights near other graves.

In one of these video clips that went viral, Member of Punjab Assembly (MPA) Fayyaz ul Hassan Chohan can be seen engaged in a heated argument with the administration of the graveyard. The assembly member clarified that it wasn’t a matter of religion or profession but an issue regarding the spot allotted by the society administration for his graveyard.

What actually happened

Reliable sources in the know have now revealed that the family and well-wishers of the late comedian wanted a more elaborate tomb dedicated to him at a certain spot which the society’s administration refused to, causing the delay. The burial ceremony was therefore never delayed for the reasons doing rounds in the social media, or any other reason, but for the simple reason that the graveyard administration declined to allow the construction of a mausoleum-esque tomb.

The funeral ceremony, when it eventually did take place, was attended by notable members of the media fraternity such as actor and writer Vasay Chaudhary, who even took to his twitter handle to express his disappointment with the smartphone use at the gathering. Notable stars such as Humayun Saeed and Hamza Ali Abbasi took to twitter to express their condolences on Amanullah sahib’s demise.

‘My Dance Number With Mahira Khan Is Going To Be The Best Till Date’ – Fahad Mustafa

By

Maisooma Batool

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March 10, 2020

The hype for the next installment of The Munshi Show is real! It is not a secret that the next guest to feature on The Munshi Show will is none other than the masses’ favorite Fahad Mustafa. As per the tradition of the show the conversation with this somewhat elusive superstar, who does not give many interviews, to begin with, was both candid and insightful.

Fahad’s filmi magic

There is much to look forward to as Fahad got candid about his relationship with social media and why he thinks he’ll never work in television dramas again.

While his relationship with television might continue to evolve in the future, there is no denying that Fahad is thriving as a film actor. With massive critical and commercial hits to his name, Fahad has already established himself as a bankable actor that the audience willingly wants to see on the big screen.

Surprises in his next film!

Which brings us to his hyped upcoming film Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad, the positive buzz for which is already building. Adding to the hype is the fact that it would be the first time Fahad Mustafa would pair up with Mahira Khan.

Fahad spoke at length about his working equation with Mahira and said that it was an absolute delight to work with her. While he did not reveal many details about the film, he did talk about a sensational dance number from the project that he has performed alongside Mahira.

“My connection with Mahira was instant. Working with her has been a fun experience. We have danced amazingly together. Personally, I believe that our dance number together has been the best till date.”

Yes, we are just as curious to learn more about that. While this is a rather bold statement to make but Fahad seemed positive about it.

But there’s more, still

Apart from this he also shared an anecdote about him, Mahira, and a certain pair of Gucci glasses. But all of that, and much more, will be revealed this Thursday when The Munshi Show ‘s latest episode featuring Fahad Mustafa comes out on Galaxy Lollywood’s Youtube channel!

Dear Pakistani Drama Writers, Stop Confusing Obsession With Love

By

Kahkshaan Ismail

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March 9, 2020

Every time a Pakistani drama is about to go on air, we are more or less sure that it will revolve around the three usual time-tested themes. It could either be a love story, a saas-bahu saga or a revenge story. And when it comes to love stories, more often than not, the romantic saga is initiated with one-sided infatuation or just a simple, plain obsession.

Background

Talking about obsession and romance, its roots lie far deeper in the pop-culture of the region. So often in desi cinema has the stalker syndrome been confused with love. Even if romantic feelings are rebuffed initially, the stalker keeps pursuing his interest until they magically transpire. Such behavior should be considered harassment in the current environment we live in, however, it seems this new reality is yet to dawn upon our contemporary drama writers.

Taking a look at the material which has gone on air in recent years, it would not be a stretch to say that genuine, heartfelt romance is difficult to come by. More worryingly, we can safely say that what any sane person would classify as obsession, bordering on harassment, is often wrapped in the deceptive packaging of romance. Such dramas where obsession has masqueraded as romance include Malaal-e-Yaar, Bashar Momin, Muqadar, etc. No prizes for guessing that all three revolved around an aggressive male from a feudal background who falls in love (read: gets obsessed) with a girl and vows to get married to her.

When drama writers do choose to venture beyond the ‘romantic’ genre, they turn to the trusty storyline of a richie-rich hero and a bechari middle-class heroine. The hero is typically shown as an affluent politician or a businessman, while the heroine may be a working woman who tries to make ends meet in her house doing odd jobs or either bound to her household not doing any work outside. Men in these plotlines so often fulfill the materialistic wishes of women in the garb of a romantic connection. Prince charming has to come with deep pockets.

Recent dramas

Since we are dealing with the topic of obsession, recently, drama serial Ishqiya went on air which shows its main characters Hamza and Hamna in a four-year-long relationship. Hamna is shown to be timid and reluctant to open up about her significant other to her parents; while Hamza is quite open about his fascination and obsession for Hamna. Hamna, although in love with Hamza, is also shown to be scared of him as she mentions to her friend “jo baat baat pe choti si baat per maar peet par utar ae wo itni badi baat pe chup nae bethega” when disclosing her nikkah to another man.

As many would agree, being in a relationship with someone who is borderline obsessed with you would indeed make life much more difficult for the object of infatuation. Therefore romanticizing not so romantic characters is a huge flaw in itself. While some viewers might feel sympathetic towards Feroze’s character in Ishqiya, I believe his aggression towards Hamna depicts signs of obsession. So often does Hamna feel uncomfortable that one wonders why writers do not enlighten the audience that such behavior on part of men is quite plainly wrong.

Another drama currently on air is Deewangi which shows Danish Taimoor as Sultan; a rich political figure, completely smitten by Nageen, again a middle-class working woman (played by Hiba Bukhari). Nageen eventually does not reciprocate his love, rather she tries to stop his advances and slaps him in public too. Fast forward to a few episodes, it is shown that Sultan succeeds in winning her over. On the day of their wedding, Nageen gets kidnapped while it comes to light that this was planned by Sultan all along to avenge the public humiliation he received from her.

From obsession to winning her over and eventually getting her kidnapped for the sake of his izzat, the whole narrative blurs the line between obsession, revenge, and genuine romance.

Final Word

As much as obsession-centric storylines might intrigue viewers, it would be pleasant to see actual love stories where both parties are shown as sane individuals who would actually wish to be together. One such example that comes to my mind is the track of Saad and Dua from Ehd-e-Wafa. It’s about time our writers started working on stories showing obsessive behavior for what it really is.

Geo Threatens to Cancel Khalil-ur-Rehman Unless He Apologizes, Khalil Quits Anyway

By

Galaxy Lollywood

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March 6, 2020

The drama surrounding Khalil-ur-Rehman’s on-screen verbal brawl in a live talk-show never seems to end. After the Meray Paas Tum Ho writer abused a female co-panelist a few days back, Geo Entertainment and 7th Sky Entertainment on Thursday announced that they would be suspending their contract with the writer unless he apologizes to the woman he launched his headline-grabbing tirade on.

In the strongly critical statement posted on Geo TV’s Instagram account, the channel stated that “Khalil-ur-Rehman not only used abusive language against a woman but also refused to accept his mistake and apologize for it.” The writer had reportedly signed a three drama and one film per year deal with the company which was non-exclusive in nature. Geo’s statement also mentioned that the contract would stand suspended until he apologized to the woman in question.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9W63T3BrSf/

Khalil-ur-Rehman is no stranger to outlandish on-air shenanigans, having trashed many senior actors and even put forth bizarre revenge-rape theories in previous instances.

However, what was somewhat surprising in this particular instance was the turn events took following Geo’s statement publicly shaming the writer. Rather than working towards salvaging his lucrative contract or reaching some kind of understanding through negotiation, the writer instead chose to respond by doubling down and completely canceling his relationship with the media house.

In a message posted on his Twitter account, he said: “I am so fortunate to have this opportunity to sacrifice for my noble cause and submit myself to the will of Allah. I therefore immediately announce the cancellation of my contract with Geo….I’ll not work with this institution for my life to come.”

Sounds more unexpected than the many twists the writer has thrown into his popular television and film productions? Surreal as it sounds, it looks like Khalil-ur-Rehman is now penning his own screenplay and relishing every second of the attention that has come his way.

Note down people And @HarPalGeoTv pic.twitter.com/oiHYJ0ci6h

— Khalil Ur Rehman Qamar (@KrqOfficial) March 5, 2020

With the writer’s mercurial temperament, it is anyone’s guess where his outbursts and at times questionable statements would lead him and the Pakistani entertainment industry next. If anything, the entire episode and the manner in which has been received on social media sets a terrible precedent where lesser-known showbusiness personalities can acquire overnight cult status and mass fan-following by populist, ethically dubious antics.

Stay tuned to Galaxy Lollywood for the latest on this story and Pakistani showbiz!

Another Actor Quits: Feroze Khan Bids Farewell To The Industry

By

Faisal Ali H

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March 6, 2020

Pakistan’s entertainment industry lost another actor to a religious calling earlier today when film and television sensation Feroze Khan announced that he is quitting show-business. In a message posted on his twitter account, the Khaani star said: “My fans have been waiting for a statement from me. I announce that I quit the showbiz industry and will only act and provide my services for the teaching of Islam through this platform if needed else anything but this InshAllah. Request you all to pray for me and my loved ones.”

An expected development?

Speculations had been rife for a couple of months that the talented Quetta-born actor has been weighing leaving show-business altogether, to follow his path towards religion. Feroze deleted his Instagram account in February and his wife posted a message at that time on her Instastory, saying: “May this spiritual journey brings more faith in your life and serve the purpose.”

Feroze reportedly had been doing some soul searching for a while and has had discussions and meetings with influential preacher Maulana Tariq Jameel in that regard. In choosing his calling towards faith, he would be charting the same course as Hamza Ali Abbasi, although Hamza has recently stated that he is open to returning to acting.

Feroze too seemed to leave the door partially open as he quit the world of shining lights and glamor stating in his message that, like Hamza, he too will act and provide his services “for the teaching of Islam.”

Top of the league

Slated to appear in Eid-ul-Fitr release Tich Button alongside Sonya Hussyn, Farhan Saeed, and Iman Ali, Feroze Khan’s career had been shaping up exceedingly well in recent years with many in the industry considering him among the top tier of the current twenty-something performers. His television show Ishqiya is currently on air and has been well received, whereas another one titled Khuda Aur Mohabbat opposite Iqra Aziz is expected to run in the coming few months. That he will be leaving before even fully exploring his talent and potential to the fullest will be seen as unfortunate by many.

Among other messages he posted along with his departure tweet, Feroze quoted a hadeeth about the immense respect religion accords to women, and a verse of the Quran calling for men to practice modesty.

With the announcement, the journey of about half a decade in the television and film industry will come to end for the actor who is considered a heart-throb by many of his fans.

Stay tuned to Galaxy Lollywood for the latest on this developing story.

Iffat Omar Disassociates Herself From ‘London Nahi Jaunga’ After The Khalil-ur-Rehman Controversy

By

Faisal Ali H

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March 5, 2020

With Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar’s profanity-laden diatribe on live television going viral, the reaction on social media, especially from the media fraternity has been swift. Many major stars, such as Bilal Ashraf and Mahira Khan have been quite vocal on twitter and other social media platforms about the incident, however, things have been disconcertingly quiet at Team London Nahi Jaunga’s end.

The project is star Humayun Saeed’s follow up to the super-successful Punjab Nahi Jaunga. Like the original film, it has been penned by Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar.

Previous spats

It seems that now, at least some cast members are ready to break the silence. Several weeks ago, it was reported that former model and actress Iffat Omar had signed the Nadeem Baig directed venture in what was expected to be a supporting role. This was especially surprising as the actress had earlier taken a strong exception to Khalil-ur-Rehman’s views on senior actors Saba Hameed and Mehmood Aslam. At that time, she had said: “Yes, he (Khalil) should be banned. I mean, why in the world are you talking rubbish about your seniors? You don’t know how to respect them? And in case you don’t, then kindly keep your mouth shut. It would be good for you.” It seemed the two had made finally made peace, as Khalil-ur-Rehman, according to himself, takes an active role in finalizing the cast members for films he writes. At a later instance, Iffat had also expressed her dismay about the wrong gender politics in popular play Meray Paas Tum Ho, which was said to promote misogyny.

London Nahi Jaunga

Now, in a strongly worded post on Instagram yesterday, Iffat stated that working on the film is the “biggest regret of my life,” adding “I apologize and am ashamed of myself for not taking this decision earlier. But from today I boycott him (Khalil-ur-Rehman) and anybody working with him.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9UbvhRAfew/

With Iffat distancing herself from the much talked about venture, pressure will mount on the remaining cast members to respond in some manner about the ugly episode that has taken social media by storm.

Especially under the spotlight will be the leads Mehwish Hayat and Humayun Saeed. Mehwish specifically is known to be quite vocal on Twitter and routinely comments on domestic and international happenings, therefore the silence from her side is very noticeable.

We at Galaxy Lollywood sincerely hope that the showbiz fraternity takes a unified stance on the abhorrent incident, and take strict action that will serve as a reminder to all in the future to not abuse their celebrity privilege by using it for hate-mongering.

It’s Official: Fawad Khan, Sanam Saeed, And Zara Noor Abbas To Star In Haseeb Hassan’s ‘Aan’

By

Maisooma Batool

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March 4, 2020

You heard it here first, and now it’s official.

The cast and title of director Haseeb Hassan’s next feature film have been announced. Titled Aan, the film will mark the fourth Haseeb Hassan-Umera Ahmed collaboration. The duo has worked previously for a telefilm Laal, the drama Alif, and upcoming series titled Dhoop Ki Deewar.

Galaxy Lollywood had already broken the news about Fawad Khan and Zara Noor Abbas being signed on for the film with Sanam Saeed being strongly rumored to be a part of it. And now the film’s official cast has been announced with these three names headlining the project.

This will be the first time Sanam Saeed and Fawad Khan reunite for a project after their blockbuster drama Zindagi Gulzar Hai, which was also written by Umera Ahmed. The trio reuniting for a film is already sending waves of excitement within the fans of the drama and this pairing. The other names in the cast include Javed Shaikh, Navid Shehzad, Nayyar Ejaz, Naeem Tahir and Aly Khan among others.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9TnFWbBgng/

In a message posted on her Instagram account, the film’s female lead Zara Noor Abbas sounded all stoked about the upcoming venture, and said: “Taking a moment here to thank God for this one. Extremely honored to be sharing the screen with Fawad Khan and the beautiful Sanam Saeed. Falling short of words here. So this is it for now. Keeping it authentic. The wait is finally over, and I’m all geared up to shoot for Haseeb Hassan‘s next venture – Aan.”

Aan will be set against the backdrop of Pakistan Navy and have “combat (sequences) and (a) touch of humor that makes it a complete package for the best cinematic experience.”. Haseeb’s first film had shown the life at Pakistan Air Force and his first collaboration with Umera Ahmed Laal also had the involvement of the Pakistan Navy. Thus this seems to be a familiar ground for the director and the writer to set their first film in.

The film is set to go on floors in April with a release date slated for later in the year.

Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar Is A Train Wreck: Yells Profanities, Calls Woman B**** On Live TV

By

Galaxy Lollywood

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March 4, 2020

A few days back, we wrote a piece on how Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar, the writer behind quite a few blockbuster television and film productions, could end up being a massive liability for the makers of upcoming film London Nahi Jaunga. It seems our ominous words could not have been more timely and unfortunately ended up being prophetic.

The ugly spat

On live television last night, the Meray Paas Tum Ho writer got into an ugly spat with a participant in a talk show on Neo TV. To be sure, Khalil-ur-Rehman was carrying on with his bit of conversation before he was interrupted by Marvi Sirmed, a former journalist, triggering the extremely short-fused writer with a slogan of the upcoming Aurat march he had, for reasons best known to him, taken issue with: mera jism meri marzi. This harmless little phrase got Khalil-ur-Rehman all riled up as he launched into a foul profanity-laced spat with Marvi, using choice expletives like ‘b****’ and ‘ulloo ** *****’ for the woman. During the raucous altercation, he also body-shamed his female co-panelist with words like ‘Tere jism mein hai kya’ and some more inflammatory ones. The anchorwoman, rather than cutting Khalil-ur-Rehman’s rants short and taking control of her newsroom or going for a break, chose instead to tell Marvi to keep quiet.

The writer, who also directed Kaaf Kangana last year, is known for his fringe views, and has even called on for women to “revenge rape” men since its “impossible” for men, according to him, to control their libido. Marvi Sirmed has a record of getting into abusive rants on television and social media, too.

Deliberately adding fuel to the fire?

Also important to mention is that lower-ranked cable TV channels often set their talk shows up for verbal duels by bringing in participants with extreme, opposing views on an issue and letting them get into a verbal showdown. Here, it was a woman journalist/activist against a rabid Khalil-ur-Rehman and an ultra-conservative clergyman/politician. Their discussion, which revolved around the Aurat march, was bound to lead to heated duels which simply amounts to adding unnecessary controversy to a public event that even the government’s human rights minister, Shireen Mazari, has voiced her support for.

Celebrities react

Celebrities were rightly shocked and dismayed at the turn of events. Star Mahira Khan tweeted:

I am shocked at what I have just heard and seen!! Sick to the core. This same man who abused a woman on tv is revered and given project after project because of what? We are as much to blame if not more for perpetuating this thinking! #khalilurrehmanqamar

— Mahira Khan (@TheMahiraKhan) March 4, 2020

Meanwhile, Khaas’s Haroon Shahid said:

Just saw the obnoxious incident between Khalil Saab and Marvi Sirmad. I see people writing "You can't talk to a lady like that" and that's where the problem lies. It's not a matter of gender. You can't talk to ANYONE like that! Not even an animal. Khalil Saab is a disgrace 🤦🏻‍♂️🤮

— Haroon Shahid (@Haroon_5hahid) March 3, 2020

Since the story broke this morning, quite a few celebrities and major showbiz players have been voicing their disgust at Khalil-ur-Rehman’s ugly verbal brawl.

I hv not seen such a JAAHIL insan like #khalilurrehmanqamar who the hell he think he is ? News channel invite him, so that he ends up uttering some nonsense and they can fetch some TRPs ! shame on tv channels & Khalil ! Disgraceful

— Nabeel Qureshi (@nabeelqureshi) March 3, 2020

This man shud be banned from all media platforms for life. #khalilurrehmanqamar

— Bilal Ashraf (@IamBilalAshraf) March 4, 2020

#khalilurrehmanqamar how DARE you disrespect a woman like that. You need to sit down and have a think about the gutters in which your mind lives. Shame on you.

— Ushna Shah (@ushnashah) March 4, 2020

Disgusted.
He should be banned from all kinds of platforms. He’s not only a shame to our industry but to human race. Such abusive & disrespectful behaviour shall not be tolerated. Anyone who works with him is equally responsible for his behaviour. #khalilurrehmanqamar

— MAWRA HOCANE (Hussain) (@MawraHocane) March 4, 2020

Final word

It is indeed heartening to note that many in the industry have raised the important point of boycotting such writers with extreme misogynist views. It is high time media honchos and big-ticket stars also add their voice to the growing calls from within the media fraternity for Khalil-ur-Rehman to be held accountable.

For more on this story and the latest in Pakistani showbiz, stay tuned to Galaxy Lollywood.

‘Sajal Aly Is The Best Actress Of Our Generation,’ Says Kubra Khan

By

Maisooma Batool

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March 3, 2020

The Munshi Show is back after its short hiatus! And there could not have been a better guest for the show’s “comeback” episode of sorts other than Kubra Khan who is getting all the deserved praise and appreciation for her drama Alif. The chemistry between the host, Momin Ali Munshi, and the guest, Kubra Khan, was infectious as the two sat down to talk about both personal and professional aspects of Kubra’s life. Staying true to the spirit of the show, the breezy, peppy conversation spanned everything from Kubra’s upcoming projects, her equation with her best friend Gohar Rasheed to how she feels like when she is the target of other celebrities’ PR game.

Kubra unabashedly showed her sorted and mature persona as she answered about all the current things going on in her life from her career to personal things. Between talking about how Alif has affected her in real life and dropping hints about whether or not Kubra’s stay in the industry will be for the long term, the episode of The Munshi Show definitely tapped into the side of Kubra Khan that is not represented often.

An example of that was when in an answer to a rapid-fire question about who she considered being the best actress of the generation, Kubra was quick to call the name of her Alif co-star Sajal Aly.

“Sajal Aly is a phenomenal actor!”

In an industry where it is quite the norm for actors putting down co-stars based on their personal equations with them, this reaction was certainly refreshing to witness. Specially considering how earlier in the episode Kubra had talked about the fact that she does not have a very close relationship with Sajal but they still are on good, professional terms. This is the spirit that is definitely needed more in the industry!

Apart from this Kubra also talked about the reactions she got to her song Dhadak Bhadak, her interactions with Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar, and how true was the news of her quitting the industry.

You can watch it all for yourself in the latest episode of The Munshi Show!

https://youtu.be/MXiIjIKcJ3g