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Exclusive: “Durj not releasing in Pakistan is a challenge to film distributors here,” says Shamoon Abbasi

By
Momina Mindeel
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Shamoon Abbasi’s Durj has been in news for quite some time now, on account of its unusual choice of genre.

The teaser for this Shamoon Abbasi’s directorial debut came out, back in May 2018. It showed a bald Sherry Shah who is said to have put on 40 pounds for this role and a hardy recognizable Shamoon, interspersed with intense feels of a psychological thriller. We were intrigued, to say the least. The film’s first trailer then finally came out on in November 2018 and it, beyond any doubt, had us all captivated. It definitely looked intriguing and dark; something that has not really been tried or played in our cinemas before. The trailer had us on our toes throughout the entirety of its duration.

Durj to release on October 11 but wait, not in Pakistan?

Earlier today, Shamoon Abbasi revealed that the film is all set to release worldwide in a number of countries including the US, the UK, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, etc., on the 11th of October this year. However, we couldn’t help but notice that Pakistan was not mentioned anywhere. We were intrigued once again, to say the least.

In order to unravel this mystery, we reached out to Shamoon Abbasi himself and here is what he had to say:

“The reason we are not releasing Durj in Pakistan is because I want to challenge our film distributors. Here, all they care about is the commercial content that will bring them money. Nobody appreciates if something isn’t according to the [stereotypical] norm. I want to break this pattern, [manifested by our film distributors], by releasing it everywhere in the world, except Pakistan,” revealed Shamoon.

Shamoon then went on to talk about how he loves the Pakistani audience. He has absolutely nothing against them and this step that he is taking, is just to challenge the film distributors. He wants to make things easier for the upcoming film-makers and film students who want to deviate from the norm, and who want to create content that’s different than the stereotypical films and dramas that we usually see on our screens.

“I have worked so hard on this film, Sherry had to put on 40 pounds for the role, she had to go bald, but all our distributors care about is whether or not it is something that will sell. Once it’s released and appreciated in the world, I will screen it for free for our students in universities and for my fellow countrymen even if I have to do it on roads,” continued Shamoon.

In all honesty, we agree with Shamoon and admire the stand that he is taking for what he believes in.

Here’s to wishing Shamoon Abbasi and the entire team of Durj the best of luck! We cannot for the movie to come out. Fingers crossed!

Celebrities are standing in support of Hania Amir after she opened up about her struggle with acne

By
Momina Mindeel
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A few days back, Hania Amir, the acclaimed Pakistani opened up about her struggle against acne, through an Instagram post. The dimpled-actress posted a makeup-free picture with a realistic and thought-provoking post in which she talked about the inhumane beauty standards that celebrities are required to follow and that it’s okay to not being able to mould into a perfect, flawless image.

“So I have always struggled with mild acne. Always had these bumps on my forehead that JUST WOULD NOT BUDGE! I had gotten used to them. But the journey I have been on for a couple of months has been quite a painful one”, stated Hania. This post was appreciated by so a lot of people who appreciated Hania for talking about body positivity in a brave manner.

Some background on the following controversy

Yesterday, Yasir Hussain, the 32-year-old actor, screenwriter, and a host who was also targeted a few days back for his controversial comments on the transgender community, made a joke about Hania’s post. In his Q/A session on Instagram, someone asked “One word about Hania” to which he casually replied “Danedaar”, which was obviously a pun directed at Hania’s post about acne.

Yasir’s attempt at humor didn’t quite go well with Hania, who in her Insta addressed this. She asked people not to take Yasir seriously as he had become habitual of cracking “inappropriate jokes”.

We got in touch with Yasir Hussain himself and asked for his comments. Here’s what he had to say: “I did not mean to hurt her in any way. We are really good friends and I just joked with her as we do with our friends. I am dark, I make fun of my complexion all the time, I didn’t mean to target any of her insecurities.”

Celebrities come out in support of Hania Amir

Amidst all of this, a number of celebrities have come out in Hania’s support. Here is what they have to say:

Beginning with Asim Azhar, the singer is Hania’s cheerleader, like no other.

Mahira Khan also thanks Hania showing courage and grace.

Usman Mukhtar isn’t behind anyone, either.

Zara Noor Abbas who happens to be both Hania and Yasir’s friend is all in Hania’s favor this time.

Last but not least, a number of big names from the industry such as Saba Qamar, Meesha Shafi, and Saira Shahroz, etc. also commented with their supporting words under Hania’s post, when she opened up about her acne.

It is heartwarming to see how celebrities are standing in unison for a fellow artist and we all here for this show of unity. Let’s hope the situation gets resolved real soon.

What do you think of the whole situation? Let us know in the comments.

Hania Amir calls Yasir Hussain out on his ‘inappropriate joke’ on her struggle with acne

By
Zahra Ali
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Hania Amir, the acclaimed Pakistani actress who rose to fame from her movie Janaan, recently opened up about her struggle against acne. The dimpled-actress posted a makeup-free picture with a realistic and thought-provoking post in which she talked about the inhumane beauty standards that celebrities are required to follow and that it’s okay to not being able to mould into a perfect, flawless image.

Hania Amir opens up about her struggle with acne

“So I have always struggled with mild acne. Always had these bumps on my forehead that JUST WOULD NOT BUDGE! I had gotten used to them. But the journey I have been on for a couple of months has been quite a painful one”, stated Hania.

“I’d just come back to Chitral from a day trip to Kalash and after I had washed my face it started to burn and my skin went red. Didn’t take it seriously but the next day I had these tiny red bumps ALL OVER MY FACE. I freaked out but didn’t let it get the best of me because I was at work. They would show on camera, everybody started to ask me, started with the totkas and then came the anxiety” she said while further explaining how anxiety and insecurity can sometimes affect us deeply.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BxYWyRFDuw8/

This post was appreciated by so a lot of people who appreciated Hania for talking about body positivity in a brave manner. However, a few hours later Yasir Hussain, the 32-year-old actor, screenwriter, and a host who was also targeted a few days back for his controversial comments on the transgender community, made a joke about Hania’s post. In his Q/A session on Instagram, someone asked “One word about Hania” to which he casually replied “Danedaar”, which was obviously a pun directed at Hania’s post about acne.

Yasir takes a hit for his ‘acne’ joke on Hania

Yasir’s attempt at humor didn’t quite go well with Hania, who in her Insta addressed this. She asked people not to take Yasir seriously as he had become habitual of cracking “inappropriate jokes”.

She also wrote a long post in which she said that exploiting people’s insecurities for humor is downright degrading and disrespectful.

Yasir then posted again on his Insta in which he said that his previous post wasn’t a joke and that acne in Urdu is actually called “Dana”.

This isn’t the first time Hussain has been caught amidst a controversy. He also came under fire for a joke he made about the transgender community and then about child molestation at the Hum Awards in Lahore in 2017.

Yasir responds

We got in touch with Yasir Hussain himself and asked for his comments. Here’s what he had to say: “I did not mean to hurt her in any way. We are really good friends and I just joked with her as we do with our friends. I am dark, I make fun of my complexion all the time, I didn’t mean to target any of her insecurities.”

What do you think of the whole situation? Let us know in the comments.

Box Office: ‘Avengers: Endgame’ witnesses a huge fall due to Ramazan

By
Zaryan Khawar
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The Endgame, after having a splendid 10 days run at the local box office, seems to have reached a stopping point due to Ramzan. The film collected a total of 4 crores 75 lacs in the 2nd week, with the days post-Ramzan just adding a mere 50 lacs which otherwise could definitely have been huge.

We say this because the first-week gross went up to 23 crores and the cumulative total for the 2ndweekend was 4.25 crores. This number was huge considering the movie got a humungous number of shows (with as many as 50 shows in a single multiplex) in its first week and a majority of the people watched it in the first week as well but the movie held as strong as ever, on the second weekend too. 

The Ramazan effect

The film has excellent repeat value but due to Ramazan, the 2nd viewings have not really happened in our country. The 3rd-weekend collections only came out to be just 50 lacs, which shows how massive the fall has been. The total collections of the film until now are 28 crores and 25 lacs approximately which in itself is a huge number. Avengers could have been the first Hollywood release to cross 30 crores but that doesn’t seem very likely now.

Worldwide numbers

Internationally, Avengers: Endgame has reached a total of 2.485 billion approximately. The film, however, saw a little dip on its 3rd weekend, than its predecessors, which is not a great sign but the kind of numbers it managed in the first 17 days are still crazy, to say the least. In India, the film has crossed biggies like Tiger Zinda Hai and PK, becoming the third biggest film there with the total collections of 340 crores plus. The film has become the first Hollywood film ever to cross 600 million, beating the 2nd highest Fate of the Furious by a huge margin.

The run of Avengers seems to have died down in our local market but the race to become the highest grosser ever in the cinema history seems to be getting interesting in the coming days.

Let’s wait and see how the situation unfolds.

Is ‘Suno Chanda’ turning into the millennial version of ‘Kis Ki Ayegi Baraat’?

By
Atiqa Ali
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Suno Chanda is back and it is reigning over our screens. Be it waiting for it to air or catching glimpses on the actors’ Instagram accounts, the entire country is in a Suno Chanda fever.

Today, as I sat thinking about Iftar and post-Iftar shenanigans, something occurred to me. The Suno Chanda craze brought to mind another such series which had become the life of our televisions a while back; the hilarious Kis Ki Ayegi Baraat series, the crowning glory of Saima Chaudry and the show that gave us so many good memories. And now I can’t help but think, is Suno Chanda turning into a somewhat millennial version of Kis Ki Ayegi Baraat?

Saima Chaudry – Shahana Jamshed

Strong-willed proud Punjabans with an entirely entertaining grip on English, both set out to marry their jawan puttars. The first of the series was Azar Ki Ayegi Baraat in which Azar, Saima’s adopted son, married Sila, a girl with an entirely different upbringing. Sort of like Arsal and Jiya’s marriage as it happened against all odds.

Shadis galore

The Kis Ki Ayegi Baraat series gave us 4 seasons of chaotic and fun weddings. From Azar to Dolly to Taaka to Annie, each season brought a new shaadi with new issues, extended relatives and adorable couples.

In Suno Chanda, the shaadi saga started with Arsal and Jiya’s love-hate relationship but the new season brings many more festive tidings. The ‘IT’ couple’s walima is yet to happen and already, some old, some new couples are next in line. Sherry and Kinza are engaged, Joji and Bilo are to be nikkahfied and we’re all waiting to see Mithu’s Maina, though the new character is yet to fly in (Fly in, gettit?).

Oh and there’s the curious case of Bee Jaan and Agha Jee but that too seems jeopardized by the entry of Nagina Chachi (Saima Chaudry 2.0).

Family dynamics

Be it Azar’s patakha family from Faisalabad or Sila’s sophisticated family from Karachi, the love, openness, and chaos extended to both homes. Whenever the two families came together, it was a riot on-screen and yet, the audience was always left feeling like they were a part of the fold.

Arsal and Jiya’s is also one big, happy family with its own issues and differences but at the end of the day, the love shines bright. From the youngest DJ to the eldest Bee Jaan, the entire family clicks well together despite having similar patakha punjabi vs. suljhi hui Karachiite dynamic. Oh and let’s not forget, the Pakhtun Phuppa also molds well, a little too well, with all the single ladies.

Character Deja Vu

The family dynamics and shadis of Suno Chanda are not the only things that remind us of the KKAB series. Some of the characters also bring a strong sense of deja-vu.

In Taakay Ki Ayegi Baraat, we saw Ali Safeena take on the role of Mushtaq a.k.a Taaka, owner of ‘100 murabbay zameen‘, a Punjabi munda who comes to town to get married. Fast forward to Jawad a.k.a Joji, the murabbay have been replaced by tractors for Shahana’s cousin from Punjab, who is here to attend Arsal-Jiya’s wedding but staying on for his own shaadi. Ring any bells?

Also, let’s have a look at Samina Ahmed as the matriarch. In KKAB series, she played the fashion conscious and organized Nani. She was the head of the house, living with her daughter and nieces. In Suno Chanda, the veteran actress returned as the strict yet loving Bee Jaan. A widow, Jamshed and Nazakat’s mother, and Agha Jee’s old flame. The roles do seem a bit familiar.

All in all, both the dramas have become mass entertainers of their time and we can’t help but see a few creative similarities. Or maybe it’s our overactive imagination working through the roza.

Let us know what you guys think.

“Hum mazrat khuwa hain, dil se,” Saboor and Saheefa issue a public apology

By
Momina Mindeel
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As most of you know by now, earlier yesterday, actress Saboor Aly uploaded a video of a man cleaning the windows of the set she was shooting at, along with Saheefa Jabbar and Affan Waheed, on her Instagram. It looked like the actors were making fun of the cleaning guy which was just not in good taste. Affan seemed a little uncomfortable with the mockery too.

Some background on the controversy

As soon as social media picked on the video, it got abuzz with criticism for Saboor Aly and her co-stars. However later that day, Saboor Aly took to her Instagram to explain that the man in question was, in fact, their associate director and that it was an inside joke. We even reached out to Saboor and she had the following to say:

“I respect everyone and I can’t even think of disrespecting someone like that. He is our friend and it was an inside joke. People don’t even know the whole story and they are drawing conclusions.”

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

Some fellow actors such as Ahmed Ali Butt and Yasir Hussain rushed to the girls’ rescue and asked people to not take the whole thing out of context. Here are a few exhibits:

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

Sherry Rehman, however, condemned the incident, through and through.

Saboor and Saheefa issue a public apology

Amidst all the backlash and the utter bedlam, Saboor Aly and Saheefa Jabbar just took to Instagram to issue an unconditional public apology. The former just uploaded three videos on her Instagram where the two actresses are sitting alongside the man in the video, Ehsan Shaikh. Ehsan clarifies that he is the associate director and that they all work together as a family and joke around like that. He said that he forgives them and that the audience should too.

The second video is Saboor issuing an unconditional public apology. She says that she did not mean to demean any class or profession and that she would like to apologize if it hurt anyone’s sentiments. Saheefa then follows Saboor’s suit and requests the public to find it in their heart to forgive them. She also mentions that she understands that the words they uttered in the video should not have come out on social media.

The videos that Saboor Aly just posted can be viewed here.

What do you think of the whole situation? Let us know in the comments.

Exclusive: “You don’t know the whole story,” Saboor and Saheefa respond to the backlash

By
Momina Mindeel
-

Earlier today, actress Saboor Aly uploaded a video of a guy cleaning the windows of the set she was shooting at, along with Saheefa Jabbar and Affan Waheed, on her Instagram. It looked like the actors were making fun of the cleaning guy which was just not in good taste. Affan seemed a little uncomfortable with the mockery too. As soon as social media picked on the video, it got abuzz with criticism for Saboor Aly and her co-stars.

https://twitter.com/junaidakram83/status/1126938472441425921

Recently, however, this tweep took to Twitter to explain that the actress was, in fact, not making fun of the window cleaner and that the man in the video is actually their assistant director, Ehsan Shaikh.

However, she did then go on to mention that the joke can still be considered distasteful because of its underlying classism.

What Saboor and Saheefa have to say

We called up Saboor and Saheefa to ask what they had to say about the whole incident and they confirmed that the man in question is, in fact, their associate director and that it was an inside joke.

“I respect everyone and I can’t even think of disrespecting someone like that. He is our friend and it was an inside joke. People don’t even know the whole story and they are drawing conclusions,” told Saboor.

“Moreover, I came across some posts about this and people are posting vile comments, bringing my family into the equation and what not. You know we are people too, we also get affected by such comments. Also, if you want to write an article about it at least contact me first, hear what I have to say before coming to the wrong conclusion,” added Saboor.

We then contacted Saheefa to hear what she had to say:

“I have just come back home from the shoot and my phone is blowing up with all these comments. Ehsan bhai is our friend, we work together with him for 12 hours every day. Basically, he is the associate director and this was not part of his job. However, since we were short on time and the window had to be cleaned he did the job and we were joking around because that is what we do on sets, we joke around, we are like a family!”

Listening to the two actresses it does seem like that all was said and done in good fun. What do you think of the whole incident? Let us know in the comments.

Aamir Liaquat may just have been fired from his PTV Ramazan show and here’s the inside story

By
Iman Ali Munshi
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A few days back, Punjab Assembly passed a resolution seeking a ban on celebrities from hosting Ramazan transmissions. Nothing really has been done about it as we see a plethora of celebrities hosting Ramazan shows on almost every channel. While we are no one to make a judgment call on who should and should not be allowed to host these transmissions, we still think that there should be some set rules for these particular shows that do not include distributing babies or force-feeding mangoes to the audiences.

Anyway moving on, this Ramazan, Dr. Aamir Liaquat Hussain (who needs absolutely no introduction whatsoever) is hosting a Ramazan transmission on the state television aka PTV News.

Has Aamir Liaquat Hussain been (allegedly) fired from his PTV Ramazan show?

Almost two hours ago, a renowned journalist shared the following on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/Xadeejournalist/status/1126907960028954625

This naturally called for speculations and lots of questions from the other tweeps. The alleged reason stated by the same journalist is as follows:

Let’s take a step back and have a look at today’s transmission’s ending:

Towards the end of today’s show, Aamir Liaquat praises Imran Khan in abundance before saying that his journey ends here and that he would like to request his leave from this Ramazan transmission. His goodbye, rather clearly, alludes to his goodbye from the show permanently and as soon as he leaves the set, there is an awkwardness that pervades the studio and his guests which is something that egregiously stood out in today’s transmission. It looked like he left the show before time and that might have been the reason as to why he has been sacked, sources close to Galaxy Lollywood reveal.

Amidst all the bedlam, we decided to visit Aamir Liaquat’s twitter profile where he is seen retweeting some tweets that claim that Mubashir Zaidi’s tweet isn’t based on facts.

Twist in the tale

Aamir Liaquat Hussain has recently been in news for allegedly abandoning his first wife Bushra and his kids after he re-married to his second wife, Tuba. Amusingly, Bushra has also started her own Ramazan show, alongside Ahsan Khan, recently and she has been doing pretty good for herself. The show airs on PTV Home as well as HUM TV thereby, making it a humungous show with a huge viewership.

Sources close to Galaxy Lollywood have revealed that both her and Ahsan Khan are doing a remarkable job with the show and their ratings have been brilliant too. Aamir Liaquat’s show, on the other hand, may just be struggling with ratings and numbers. It has been revealed that Dr. Aamir asked the people in charge at PTV to shut down his first wife’s show through his influence but since didn’t happen, the resulting drama has taken place.

Having said that, there have been no official statements from any of the parties involved, so far and until we have them, we cannot say anything for sure.

UPDATE: Aamir Liaquat just took to his Twitter to clarify the air surrounding his sacking rumors. Here’s what he said:

Let’s wait and see how the situation unfolds.

Mental health is a pressing issue: Affan Waheed opens up about divorce and struggles with depression

By
Zahra Ali
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Affan Waheed, a Pakistani actor, model, and RJ is quite known for his versatile roles in various dramas like Khamoshi, Beydardi, etc. His current drama Do Bol has been soaring high in the air and has also helped the actor acquire newly acclaimed fame. The third of four siblings, Affan was born in Karachi where he stayed for a mere two years until his father, from the Air Force, got posted.

Affan Waheed gets candid in Rewind with Samina Peerzada

In his recent interview on Rewind with Samina Peerzada, Affan gave some insight into his personal life. He stated that because of the constant shifting apropos to his father’s postings, he used to miss the people he was acquainted with and would often write letters to them. He also revealed that he is very close to his family and some selective friends and is afraid of losing them. The uncertainty of the future always keeps him on the edge.

In the latter half of the interview, Affan reveals details about his relationship as he had never done before. Perhaps, he gave in to the cozy charisma of the interview. The actor stated that he is not married and had gotten divorced after which he thought his life had ended.

On divorce, dealing with depression and more

“I would lock myself in the room and howl. I was so depressed that I didn’t know what was wrong with me. I started losing hair. I didn’t work for 8-9 months,” told Affan.

Opening up about depression, he said that it was his friends and family who stood up with him in times of need and that his divorce has made him more humble and sensitive, a trait that has helped him to enhance as an actor.

When asked about falling in love again, Affan said that he is now afraid to tread the same path again and has his guards up, but if love knocks at his door, he will give in and embrace it. He also revealed that he is “running” from everything in life, perhaps in search of something or perhaps something is searching for him. He said he has no idea where he would end up but is keen on reaching his destination.

Amidst the interview, he stressed the importance of talking to people and visiting a doctor for help whilst in depression. He also said that mental health is a real and pressing issue and should be confronted irrespective of the taboo surrounding it.

The interview revealed more about the actor than the world knew. We wish the actor good luck in every aspect of his life.

You can watch the entire interview here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZToAZKHKcY

Here’s the complete story behind the curious case of ‘Bulbulay’ airing on BOL, instead of ARY!

By
Maisooma Batool
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The long-running sitcom Bulbulay has been Pakistani viewers’ favorite for years now. ARY Digital, the home for the show, has consistently aired show’s re-runs in the absence of its new episodes because the audience just can’t get enough of it. So, when the posts, of Bulbulay’s new episodes being shot, were released, this was obviously very exciting news for the fans of the show.

Twist in the tale

However, the twist in the tale came in the form of the channel, Bol Entertainment. The said channel has been airing new episodes of the show with the title Phir Bulbulay, as well as uploading them on their Youtube channel, and calling it the show’s second season; the very season which was supposed to start airing on ARY from Eid ul Fitr (I know, we are confused too!).

A little refresher for our readers who might be unaware of the situation. Around two years ago, there was news that Bulbulay will be shifting from ARY Digital and will make Bol Entertainment its new home. However, no solid development happened after that until recently, when the news of Bulbulay being revived on ARY came out. Since this news, there has been no mention of Bol Entertainment’s involvement with the show whatsoever. So, how are the new episodes being aired there and what exactly is happening?

Nabeel’s take on the whole confusion fest

We called up the producer of the show, Nabeel, to get to the bottom of this situation. He told us that the episodes that are being aired on Bol Entertainment are being done so illegally.

“When I was the CEO of Bol Entertainment for some time, there was a decision of airing my show Bulbulay there. So, some episodes for the show were produced. However, due to issues of mismanagement over at the channel, which includes my unpaid salary for almost 15 months, I left that position and all association with it.”

Nabeel further explained that there were some also some issues regarding Bulbulay’s ownership with ARY. “I am the producer of the show and ARY has been the channel that has always aired the show so there was a little issue of ownership there. But both the parties reached a compromise and now Bulbulay will continue to retain its home at ARY with new episodes being shot and ready to air on Eid and afterward. It is a win-win situation.”

So, why is Bol Entertainment airing the episodes?

So, why is Bol Entertainment airing the episodes? Nabeel replied that Bol does not have any ownership of the show or those episodes. He is the producer of the show and the episodes are his property but since the episodes were shot when he was working as the CEO of the channel, the episodes have remained with the channel and haven’t been given back to him yet.

“Considering how they have managed to avoid me on the subject of my unpaid salary, this feels like a personal attack aimed towards me,” Nabeel said. “But the case about this issue is in the court and the decision is expected to come by Monday.”

Lastly, he assured that the new episodes of Bulbulay would soon start airing on ARY exclusively. The show will come back on TV with special episodes on the first and second day of Eid and afterwards, would resume its regular telecast on its allocated weekend slot on the channel.

For a show that has spread happiness and laughter for the audience in abundance to be stuck in a court case surely feels like a downer. But with the producer himself being optimistic about the case and the new episodes for the show ready to go on-air on Eid, the gloom isn’t meant to last for long. This Eid ul Fitr is surely going to be a laugh riot for all the fans of the show and we couldn’t be more excited about it.

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