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Saram Jaffery’s short film ‘One Last Shot’ bags multiple international awards

By
Vanessa Alam
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With feature films still having a larger fan-base and audience in Pakistan, it’s refreshing to learn that the trend of short films is finally picking up in the Pakistani Film Industry. Short films are an excellent medium for new talent – actors, producers, writers, directors – to showcase their skills effectively. Slowly but surely, we see a growing appreciation for short films in the audiences as well. The demand for new and dynamic content in the entertainment industry continues to grow relentlessly, mainly caused by the easy access and rise of streaming platforms. This has consequently led to an increase in the amount of film/TV series productions on a global spectrum.

The Pakistani Entertainment Industry is growing throughout the world; be it our dramas, our music, or our films, audiences all over the world are huge fans of the immense talent our entertainment industry holds and the stories that are so close to realism. Film festivals have become a vital and indispensable platform for content acquisition for broadcast networks and streaming platforms and have become the flag bearer of giving rise and recognition to emerging talent, providing an opportunity for them to compete against up-and-coming and seasoned filmmakers worldwide.

One Last Shot

One Last Shot

The International Film Festival Circuit, a partnership of eight different Film Festival Events in the United States, is one such festival that consists of thousands of films from many different parts of the world, which screen films and recognise screenplays created by international independent filmmakers.

Saram Jaffery and his short-film ‘One Last Shot’ have put Pakistan on the map by winning multiple awards in the United States of America at New York Film Awards 2020, Los Angeles Film Awards 2020 for Best Acting, Best Drama, and Best Narrative. The film has also won the Best Canadian Short Film and Viewers Choice Award at the Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival and Best Romantic Drama in India at Calcutta International Cult Film Festival and in Italy at Oniros Film Awards. 

‘One Last Shot’ is based on a struggling musician’s life who comes from a South Asian background. It is inspired by real-life stories where Saram Jaffery plays the lead role of a struggling musician, trying to make ends meet and makes bad choices along the way which puts his relationship with his loved ones in jeopardy. 

The short film is a debut for Aniqa Zulfikar who plays the female lead in the film. The Canadian-based Pakistani model has done theatre work in the past. However, this is her first film. Zuhair Raza Jaffery plays the antagonist in the film. He is a renowned veteran Pakistani actor who has appeared in countless dramas during the ’80s and ’90s. His most popular work includes ‘Ainak Wala Jinn’ and ‘Zameen’.

Saram Jaffery – The man behind ‘One Last Shot’

Saram Jaffery

The fireball of talent, Saram Jaffery, is an actor and filmmaker who has always been immensely passionate about his two skills and embarked on his acting journey quite early. He was a child star and appeared in a few drama serials on PTV. From there, his passion grew and he ventured out to the theatre.

“My favourite thing to do in my free time, when I was a kid, was to watch movies and TV shows. I would often stand in front of a mirror and try to re-enact scenes from the movies. Then in my school days, I started getting involved in dramatics and performed in many school stage plays during my time. It just always felt like a buzz too good to describe. Every time I would perform on stage and get appreciation from the crowd, that feeling always felt priceless. I always felt like this is where I belong and performing arts is my calling”, Saram expressed while speaking to Galaxy Lollywood. 

When asked about his experience as an actor and a director and which of these two roles he enjoys more, he said, “I have definitely enjoyed directing, but acting is something I absolutely love. It’s been my childhood love.” He also added,  “I love the challenge and opportunity to be someone else on the screen. It’s like every time you’re meeting someone new within yourself and exploring your own emotional range and capacity to live that character’s life.”

One Last Shot Poster

He further added, “It can be a bit overwhelming to act and direct at the same time. I wore the director’s hat for ‘One Last Shot’ because as a writer of this film I had envisioned the film a certain way and was really keen on bringing it to life as close to my perception as possible. I was lucky enough to work with an amazing and super talented team of actors and people behind the camera that made the whole ride very smooth.”

The biggest challenge Saram had to face during ‘One Last Shot’ was to work within limited resources and budget. “I think emerging artists from South Asian backgrounds always struggle finding the support system within their community. I always say that young talent from a South Asian background has to be really passionate and brave to make a film, because we still lack acceptability of arts as a career choice.” 

He also added the ‘One Last Shot’ gave him an opportunity to spot a lot of hidden and untapped talent. Acknowledging his “amazing team of young and passionate artists and filmmakers” he said that with audiences moving more towards OTT platforms, there’s a higher demand for content. 

One Last Shot

“I think it is high time that our community and leaders, be it in Pakistan itself or anywhere else in the world, come forward to support the emerging talent and aspiring artists because now we have a much bigger opportunity to reach a global audience and share our stories with the world.”

We also asked Saram what motivated and inspired him to shoot ‘One Last Shot’ to which he told us that his main motivation was to show Pakistan in positive light to the international audience.

“Being an overseas Pakistani, I come across many people from different backgrounds that still have a negative image of Pakistan because of what’s mostly shown in the news. Things have gotten better in the past few years. With the rise of social media, the world is getting to see a different side of Pakistan. But I still see an opportunity of improvement in that direction. I believe art is a very strong medium in any country to reach the masses.”

Saram Jaffery is excited to continue his journey of being an actor and a filmmaker. With the demand for content being as high as it currently is, emerging talent has a huge opportunity to showcase their talent to a global audience.  The love and support ‘One Last Shot’ has received have motivated him more than ever to bring bigger and better content for the audiences. 

Saram Jaffery

Saram has many more projects in the pipeline. “I am working on a few projects right now. Some of them will be partially shot in Pakistan. There is a feature film about mental health issues, then there’s an immigrant drama web series and another psychological thriller web series. All of them are catered towards mainstream cinema and streaming platforms. I am more focused on acting and producing for now but will be directing here and there.”

‘One Last Shot’ marks Saram Jaffery’s first leading role and also his digital debut in the streaming platform market. The film is available to watch in the USA and UK on Amazon Prime Video. 

The short film has given the Pakistani film industry notable exposure globally, however, Saram wants to continue contributing towards introducing Pakistani cinema to the world and to build a positive image of the country through the medium of art. 

7 memorable scenes from Pakistani dramas

By
Hammad Akbar
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It wouldn’t be wrong to say that “scenes” are the building blocks of Pakistani dramas. If they aren’t directed, written, or acted as well as intended, the audience fails to connect with the drama. Just like when an emotional scene manages to make the audience cry with it, that’s proof that the creators of that drama have done a commendable job. Pakistani dramas, thankfully, consist of a plethora of memorable scenes that have made the audience cry and laugh with them and we compiled 7 of the most memorable scenes from our dramas.

Kashaf, writing in her diary once Zaroon fell asleep – Zindagi Gulzar Hai

Zindagi Gulzar Hai

Kashaf’s diary played a critical role in telling the audience how she felt about what she was going through in her life. But this one scene where she wrote about how much she was going to ‘miss’ Zaroon is definitely one of the strongest scenes of the drama. Throughout the drama, Kashaf was shown as this head-strong woman who never showed her vulnerable side to anyone. But in this scene, she stated Zaroon’s qualities that made her fall in love with him but she would never tell him because, again, she didn’t want to show this vulnerable side of her to anyone. And certainly not her husband, Zaroon. 

When Kiran slapped Sikandar – Kankar

Kankar

Whether against women or men, violence is always frowned upon when shown in our dramas. But when Kiran slapped Sikandar in the final episode of ‘Kankar’, somehow, it felt justified. ‘Kankar’ was about Kiran who got married to a rich but abusive person, Sikandar. After learning about his abusive nature, Kiran got a divorce and married her cousin while Sikandar also got married to his cousin. In the final episode, in an attempt to reconcile with Kiran, Sikandar told her that both of them should divorce their spouses and then get married to each other again. After hearing this, Kiran slapped Sikandar. That certainly came as a shock to Sikandar because for the first time in his life, instead of inflicting pain on others, he was on the receiving end.  

The confrontation between Maliha and Zara – Daam

‘Daam’ is probably one of the most realistic dramas of all time. It had a very simple premise but the way it was presented was extraordinary. It was about two best friends Maliha and Zara and how a misunderstanding created a massive rift between the two friends. Zara, and Maliha’s brother Junaid, fall in love with each other. Assuming Zara was just using her to move closer to Junaid, Maliha started harboring negative feelings towards Zara. Towards the end of the drama, Maliha realised the truth and asked Zara for an apology. Zara, however, did not accept her apology and told Maliha that she paid a huge price for Maliha’s friendship. 

Aiman breaking down in front of her mother – Maat

‘Maat’ was the drama that started the now-hated storyline of sister rivalry. But the reason why it worked so well was because there was nothing unbelievable about the drama. It was about two sisters Saman and Aiman. Saman was the greedy sister who always wanted more and better things in life while Aiman was the soft-natured sister. Aiman was set to get married to her cousin Faisal but after seeing how rich he was, Saman successfully manipulated him into marrying her. After Saman got married to Faisal, Aiman broke down in front of her mother telling her that she was hurt by Saman’s decision. But being the good sister, she had already forgiven Saman. 

When the audience learned about Ibad’s death- Mata e Jaan Hai Tu

Mata e Jaan

A lot of characters in Pakistani dramas have died but Ibad’s death scene in ‘Mata e Jaan’ was so powerful that people still get teary-eyed just by thinking about that scene. The drama revolved around two Pakistanis, Ibad and Haniya, studying in the US. After falling in love with each other, they decide to get married, despite Ibad’s father opposing the decision. In the middle of its run, the audience noted that something was afoot when the drama started focusing only on Haniya, with no Ibad in the picture. Haniya left for Pakistan and started living with Ibad’s parents, who were unaware that Haniya was their daughter-in-law. In an emotional scene, Haniya went to Ibad’s room and started crying after looking at his pictures. It was then revealed in a flashback that Ibad had died in a car accident.

The drive home – Yakeen Ka Safar

Yakeen Ka Safar

Although most of our dramas are love stories, very few of them make the audience go all mushy. ‘Yakeen Ka Safar’ was one of those dramas that managed to evoke the right emotions in the audience. The drama revolved around two characters Asfandyar and Zubiya whose paths intersected after tragedy hit both of them. But unlike other dramas, they didn’t fall in love at the first sight. Both of them start working at the same hospital and eventually fell in love with each other. In one scene where Asfandyar was dropping Zubiya at her hostel, Asfandyar said that he wished the journey never ended. This was a short yet impactful scene that showed how beautiful it is to be in love with another person.

The bangles scene- Aakhri Station

Aakhri Station

‘Aakhri Station’ was not the first drama that delved deeper into the issues faced by women in our society but was one of the very few ones that showed women shouldn’t have to settle for less than what they deserve. The drama was about seven women who cross paths on a train on a journey to seek a better future for themselves. They bond during the journey, telling each other stories of the injustice they had to face at the hands of their husbands, in-laws, and ultimately, society. On the train, they buy bangles from a seller. Once all of them reach their destination, the scene focuses on their bangles. But at that time, the bangles weren’t just some pieces of jewelry; they were the symbol of freedom from the dreadful past that they had left behind.     

Bilal Abbas and Sajal Aly to reunite for Nabeel Qureshi’s ‘Khel Khel Mein’

By
Vanessa Alam
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The O Rangreza pair, Sajal Aly and Bilal Abbas, is back after winning over the heart of the audience with outstanding performances in the hit play. Since then, they’ve both made it to the news for high achievements; they recently made it to the “30 under 30 Global Asian Stars” list. Now, they’re both back to pair up for an upcoming film by Nabeel Qureshi ‘Khel Khel Mein’.

Khel Khel Mein

Taking to social media, both Sajal and Bilal posted pictures of the script of the upcoming film ‘Khel Khel Mein’. “Working with the finest producer/director duo in the country for the first time. Iss baar milte hain theatre mei,” wrote Bilal Abbas Khan, while Sajal went for a simple yet powerful “Bismillah” with her post.

Khel Khel Mein

Sajal just got done shooting Jemima Goldsmith’s “What’s Love Got To Do With It?” in London, an international film starring Lily James, Shazad Latif, Emma Thompson, Rob Brydon, Asim Chaudhry, and Shabana Azmi. She has also done a film across the border titled “Mom” starring the late Sridevi. Also having won the International Icon award at DIAFA for her contribution to film and TV, Sajal has proven herself as a strong actress.

Bilal Abbas Khan also previously appeared in the film Thora Jee Le (2017). He recently starred in Mehreen Jabbar’s web series, Ek Jhoothi Love Story. The two actors have established themselves as strong and versatile actors.

Khel Khel Mein will be directed by Nabeel Qureshi and produced by his partner, Fizza Ali Meerza, under ‘Filmwala Pictures’. The duo is already waiting to release Fahad Mustafa and Mahira Khan starrer ‘Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad’. They have also been working on ‘Fatman‘ featuring Ahmed Ali Butt and another web series on Lyari gang war. 

The release date of the film is yet to be announced, however, the team has received many congratulations and love from fans ever since the news broke. Sajal, Bilal, and Nabeel haven’t said much about their upcoming project but we anticipate more news soon. 2021 seems to be an exciting year for our film industry with multiple productions coming our way. Stay tuned to Galaxy Lollywood for more updates.

PEMRA issued a notice to TV One for ‘Dil Na Umeed Toh Nahi’

By
Hammad Akbar
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Last year, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) was on a roll, issuing notices to various dramas and advertisements left and right. From banning Jalan, the reruns of Pyaar Kay Sadqay and Ishqiya to Gala’s biscuit advertisement starring Mehwish Hayat; it seemed like PEMRA had an objection on everything, regardless of the content that was being shown. Although PEMRA revoked its decision soon after banning the dramas, netizens still raised their opinions regarding PERMA’s haphazard decisions. Now, almost three months into 2021 and PEMRA has struck yet again. This time, the social-based TV One drama Dil Na Umeed Toh Nahi gets the ax. 

PEMRA’s objection

On 23rd February 2021, PEMRA issued a notice to channel TV One, asking it to review the content being shown in the drama serial Dil Na Umeed Toh Nahi. PEMRA has given a five days notice to the channel to review the drama’s content according to PEMRA’s code of conduct and has also been asked to submit a report. As soon as this decision was made public, PEMRA started receiving flak on social media. The audience raised their voices against the decision and said that such stories need to be told as the drama aims to raise awareness regarding child abuse and human trafficking. Some people even hoped that this decision will give Dil Na Umeed Toh Nahi a much-deserving larger audience, considering it is being aired on the channel TV One, which isn’t as popular as other big names like HUM TV, ARY Digital, and Geo Entertainment.

The plot of Dil Na Umeed Toh Nahi

Written by Amna Mufti and directed by Kashif Nisar, Dil Na Umeed Toh Nahi is set in three separate timelines; each dealing with a different kind of taboo. The 2008 one deals with a poor family trying to make ends meet and a young boy falling into the wrong hands; the 2012 one deals with a patriarchal society where the head of the society forbids young girls from going to school and the present timeline revolves around a bunch of women working in a modern brothel. Dil Na Umeed Toh Nahi is a dark and unsettling watch but that is precisely the point behind it. It aims to raise awareness about social stigmas that are often swept under the rug. The drama is made in collaboration with Kashf Foundation, the NGO behind making many social-based dramas like Rehaai, Udaari, and Aakhri Station. 

At a time when our TV channels are filled with monotonous and dreadful storylines, Dil Na Umeed Toh Nahi promises to be a breath of fresh air. If PEMRA keeps dampening the success of story-driven dramas like Dil Na Umeed Toh Nahi, it wouldn’t be long before our content creators stop breaking the mold by delving into different genres, which is what our drama industry desperately needs.  

Pak-Turk friendship hits a new mark with ‘Turki Lala’ to curb Islamophobia

By
Vanessa Alam
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Countering the narrative of Islamophobia and highlighting the teachings of Islam and the good-ness the religion propagates will be a key focus of the new alliance between Pakistan-based ‘Ansari Films’ and Turkish production house ‘Tekden Films’. This was discussed during one of the many meetings held during the recent Turkey visit by leading actors Adnan Siddiqui, Humayun Saeed, and producers Dr. Kashif Ansari and Dr. Junaid Ali Shah—the people at the helm of the Pakistani part of the collaboration. 

The delegation met senior ministers in the Turkish government to further brief them about the upcoming series ‘Turki Lala’ which will soon hit the floors under the collective banner of Ansari Films and Tekden Films.

“Plans are afoot to create content that breaks the myth surrounding Muslims which, unfortunately, has led to unnecessary hatred towards the community. We want people to know that Islam is all about purity of thought and deeds through our future productions. We had a detailed dialogue on the same with the communication director of Presidency Fahrettin Altun,” said Siddiqui.

pak-turk

Among the other highlights of the three-day delegation was the historic epic series on ‘Turki Lala’ who is considered to be one of the most glorious Muslim nationalists to have assisted Turkey during the Balkan War and World War I. “Turkey has very graciously extended its cooperation to us when we start shooting the series. ‘Turki Lala’ is a formidable figure in Pak-Turk relations that go back centuries. The program will be a tribute to his heroics as well the great friendship between the two nations,” shared Saeed.

During their three-day visit, the Pakistani delegation met several Turkish dignitaries including Governor of Istanbul Ali Yerlikaya, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Youth and Sports Minister M. Muharrem Kasapoglu.

The recently forged partnership is being seen as an impetus to strengthen the close diplomatic ties between the two countries, extending the relations to the entertainment industry as well. According to the Ansari-Tekden team, this will start a new chapter in the cross-border talent exchange including actors and writers and more programs on popular names in history.

“Yasir has major memory issues”, says Nausheen Shah

By
Hammad Akbar
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Yasir Hussain is one of those celebrities who always manages to stay in the limelight for all the wrong reasons. It seems like it is impossible for him to spend even a week without getting himself into hot waters. From calling the actors of the blockbuster Turkish show Diriliş: Ertuğrul “garbage” to squabbling with his co-stars, netizens are always calling Yasir out for his disrespectful behavior and words. This week, Yasir landed himself in another controversy when he appeared on Vasay Chaudhry’s talk show ‘Ghabrana Mana Hai’. Here’s what went down.

I didn’t invite Nausheen to my wedding – Yasir Hussain

‘Ghabrana Mana Hai’ is a new talk show that premieres every Sunday on ARY Digital, with Vasay Chaudhry as the host. He invites a new celebrity guest every week and in the latest episode, Yasir Hussain was the celebrity guest. While generally talking about Yasir and Iqra Aziz’s wedding, Vasay inquired whether the wedding had any “extra” guests. He was talking about the people from the industry who Yasir had not invited to his wedding but had still come forcefully. To this, Yasir replied that he had not invited Nausheen Shah, but she still came anyway. 

The two “gentlemen” then went on to make fun of Nausheen for a few minutes. Vasay even quipped that maybe Nausheen attended the wedding because she wanted to see what a wedding looks like, considering she isn’t married herself. Mocking Nausheen’s popularity, Yasir said that maybe after this incident, she will become popular. The audience was quick to notice the distasteful behavior displayed not just by Yasir, but Vasay as well. They called him out because instead of moving on from the topic, Vasay kept coming back to discuss Nausheen Shah. Yasir tried to control the damage by saying that he admires Nausheen’s style game but by then, it was too late.  

Nausheen Shah’s reply

After the clip from the show went viral on the internet, everyone was waiting for Nausheen to say something. Although she didn’t say much directly, Nausheen took to Instagram to post a story with the caption “When you are busy building an empire, you don’t pay attention to nonsense. I am too busy to get distracted.”

But soon after that, Galaxy Lollywood reached out to Nausheen for her comments on the matter, and she said,” Would anyone go someone’s house uninvited? I wouldn’t go to anyone’s house if I wasn’t invited, let alone going to someone’s wedding.” She also added, “A fool is known by his speech and a wise man by his silence. Yasir called me himself and invited me. I feel so sorry for Yasir because certainly has serious memory issues. I also feel really sorry for Iqra. She is taking one for the team”. Nausheen also said that she is disappointed in Yasir and expects him to apologise. 

It seems like our channel heads and content creators have forgotten the art of making delightful talk shows staying within the boundaries of decency. These days, forced humour and cringe-worthy content are the way to go. Vasay’s show is a “dissatisfying” example of how to host a talk show.  

PSL 6 has a trilogy of anthems and we’re here for them all!

By
Hassan Hassan
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There is no denying that the Pakistan Super League has become one of the most important events in our calendar and has morphed into a sort of cultural phenomenon for Pakistan in a short span of six years, an idea brought by Najam Sethi when he was the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board.

There is always this striking brouhaha surrounding almost every aspect of the biggest sports event of the country that affects almost every aspect of the life of the green flag nation. The concoction of PSL cricket and entertainment in Pakistan is something that makes way to our conversation whether we are having a chat over a cup of chaaye at a dhaaba or having a tete à tete at our serious workplaces in those limited breaks we have. PSL diffuses into virtually every frame of a Pakistani’s life when it’s happening.

Just a few days ago, before even the first ball had been delivered in the opening clash between the Karachi Kings and the Quetta Gladiators, on February 20, the social media and our chatrooms had been buzzing with the discourse regarding PSL’s official anthem titled ‘Groove Mera’. The song features Naseebo Lal, Aima Baig, and Young Stunners. With such a mix of talented, established, and young artists coming together for the song, magic was bound to happen obviously.

Anthem 1 – Groove Mera

PSL 6 Anthem Groove Mera

This song, like almost all official anthems of PSL, drew mixed reactions from different strata of social media. The reactions on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have been as diverse as the lineup of the artists for the song and the flavours it carried.

There were classist reactions, surprisingly from the very same people whom the artists were representing. Naseebo Lal, for example, an exceptionally talented artist with a strong set of vocal cords, was particularly targeted by such classist and somewhat racist reactions by social media users who could easily be called the remains of colonial hangover. Reactions by people like cricketer Shoaib Akhtar were particularly distasteful, who thankfully and rightfully was called out by various celebrities immediately and a large number of people. Targeting an artist such as Naseebo Lal, because of her socioeconomic background and inability to speak a western language, was very disturbing. Those criticising Naseebo forgot that she was actually a representation of our country, a large chunk lies on the middle or lower end of the socioeconomic spectrum.

PSL 6 Anthem Groove Mera

The PSL 2021 anthem is unique in the sense that it’s diverse, inclusive and versatile in its artist lineup as well it’s musical flavours. What should have been appreciated by people was unfortunately overlooked initially. But the song’s power to grow over the listeners and the unjust scrutiny on social media actually helped it reach more and more people and is now the most-watched PSL anthem of all time. The song is unique in a way that you don’t have to like the entire song, you may like parts of it. As it combines different genres of music it kind of represents how diverse we are as a nation. The Urdu rap with an underground youthful feel, the slick and chic looks of Aima Baig and the high octane vocals of Naseebo Laal adding regional diversity is actually how we are composed as a nation; diverse, part of a spectrum with beauties of our own.

Anthem 2 – Chal Jawana

Now Groove Mera is not the only song that people are talking about. Over the course of time, PSL has inspired many artists to create unofficial anthems that have received widespread to limited applause. Last year, Ali Zafar’s Mela Loot Lia garnered much appreciation than the official anthem, for example. This year, it’s two others. A Gujrat based underground band called ‘Puthi Topi Gang’ collaborated with internet star “Bhola” to create a very raw yet groovy bhangra rap song “Chal Jawana”. The video garners generally positive feedback from the viewers considering its independent nature and low expectations associated with such unofficial projects.

The video, however, had to be taken down by YouTube when PSL launched a strike against the video for containing shots of PSL matches without permission. The band had to reshoot and re-upload the video. While PSL can not be blamed for launching a legally genuine copyright violation claim, a lot of people showed resentment against PSL with some claiming that it should have let the song be in “sportsman spirit” considering the artists were independent and underground and were celebrating the love of cricket and PSL in particular.

PSL 6 Anthem Chal Jawana

Anthem 3 – Jeeta Pakistan

Around two days ago, another PSL Anthem popped up on our feed. A charity organisation, Omair Sana Foundation, launched another PSL anthem called “Jeeta Pakistan” with a music video as well. Featuring legends of cricket in the video like former Pakistan pace bowler, Umar Gul, West Indian legend Curtly Ambrose, the former ICC Elite panel Umpire Simon Taufel, commentator Barry Wilkinson, and cricket analyst, Dr. Kashif Ansari, the video is screaming cricket passion. An NGO that works on general welfare, OSF has released an anthem focused on street cricket and the general “awaams” love for the sport.

PSL 6 Anthem Jeeta Pakistan

The bottom line is we may have varied responses to PSL anthems due to our backgrounds, diverse tastes in music, and other forms of arts. The reactions to a work of art should never cross a line where the artist is disrespected and called all sorts of names. Art of any kind is a medium of expression, and it being liked or disliked is subjective to personal taste.

Whether it’s PSL or the artists associated with creating relevant art to it, the purpose of all, at the end of the day, is to bring entertainment to our screens and smiles to our faces. There is no competition between the three anthems as each caters to a different audience. There may be different teams in PSL, and there may be team Naseebo, or team Ali Zafar, or even team Bhola on the musical front, but ultimately we are all part of this big team that we so dearly call Pakistan.

Here are links to the Anthem 2 and Anthem 3:

Chal Jawana – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80S2RBxOjxc

Khalil Ur Rehman walks out of a live show on national television

By
Vanessa Alam
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Khalil ur Rehman Qamar is notorious for some of his “problematic” statements and his falling out with Pakistani feminists, be it about women’s rights or the dialogues he writes for his dramas. Just a few days ago, the playwright was invited to a panel discussion with the topic focusing on underage marriages and the idea of four marriages. Midway through the discussion, Khalil sahib lost his temper at a fellow female panelist and the host, took his microphone off, and stormed out.

The female fellow panelist, a journalist, Ailia Zehra, took her official Twitter account and shared a clip of the show “Bolta Lahore” on the channel “Lahore Rung” and described the incident and experience as “horrible”.

She tweeted, “Just had a horrible encounter with toxic masculinity. Khalilur Rehman Qamar lost his marbles during a talk show when I called him out over his hateful rhetoric. He left the show while yelling at the top of his lungs. Called me a RAW agent and spewed sexist slurs.”

Here’s what happened

The show started with the host Awais Iqbal describing an incident from when he was on a flight to Florida where he met an 80-year-old woman who was married four times. Once the introduction to all panelists was done, Awais began the discussion addressing Khalil sahib, asking him what the reasons are behind a high divorce rate in the “mashriki” world despite having such strong “morals” and “values”, to which Khalil sahib replied, “jo khatoon aapko mili thi unto koi sharmindagi nahi thi, unko meri taraf se our Pakistan ki taraf se aik laanat bhejiye.” He continued with an assumption, claiming that the fact that she was married four times means that she was wrong and cheated on her husband. So basically, according to him, a woman cannot be married more than once because that apparently reflects badly on the woman.

He added that the main reason behind the rise of the divorce rate in Pakistan is how poorly fathers play their role, who don’t ask their daughters if they like who they are getting married to. Khalil Ur Rehman also kept referring to Pakistani women as “my women”.

Khalil Ur Rehman Qamar

Awais then addressed Ailia and asked her about her views on what Khalil had to say and if it’s okay for a woman to seek a divorce from an abusive husband. Ailia says it’s unfortunate how women are demonised if they use their right to divorce even if the husband is abusive, assumptions are made on the woman’s character rather than understanding the situation. She also talks about the social stigma attached to divorce. She adds that literate women are more aware of their rights and don’t fall under the pressures of society and refuse to be silenced.

Fifteen minutes into the discussion, they go deeper into Pakistani society’s issues like early marriages. The host/moderator asked Khalil sahib about his views on why early marriages are prevalent in certain areas of our society to which he said it’s not prevalent and also asked Awais how dare he questions the notion of four marriages when the Holy Quran has given men the right to do so? The situation then escalated quite fast with Khalil sahib showing signs of aggression towards the host and then his co-panelist. We do see Ailia defending herself in a sentence while cutting the playwright off which seems to have triggered the situation even more.

Netizens respond

Since the dawn of this incident, we’ve heard of various opinions on the matter; some siding with the female journalist and co-panelist on how disrespectful the playwright was for losing his temper in a discussion and raising his voice and badmouthing a woman, some criticising the journalist for cutting Khalil Ur Rehman off mid-conversation which resulted in him losing his temper. However, netizens expressed their opinions loud and clear via tweets and some of these tweets were by renowned people like content creator Mooro, activist and founder of Soul Sisters Pakistan and Conversations with Kanwal, Kanwal Aftab, Activist and TEDx speaker Usama Khilji and various others.

Some sided with the man, saying its disrespectful to cut someone off while they’re talking and one shouldn’t play the “aurat card”

What are your views on the incident? We feel such drama can be ignored by refraining to invite people who do not have the temperament to hold a conversation, be it anyone.

Innovative Biscuits launches a new short-film platform “Digestive Showtime”

By
Vanessa Alam
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Feature films have been hovering over our local film industry ever since the dawn of Lollywood, but with time, we can see audiences appreciating other forms of storytelling like web-series and short films. Pakistan is fairly new to the idea of short films; some of them having won awards like Darling, The Misunderstood, Tumhari Pam Pam, and various others. These short films are an excellent vessel to showcase talent and Innovative Biscuits just provided a platform for all these talented artists to showcase their work.

Launch event

Digestive Showtime cast and crew

A platform to display the work of more artists, Innovative Biscuits launched a digital platform “Digestive Showtime” which will aid in bringing storytellers and the film community together. Talking about the star-studded launch event last night, it all started with a red carpet hosted by Munib Nawaz where guests interacted and share their thoughts on Innovative Biscuit’s new venture. The event was attended by industry veterans including; Noman Ijaz, Resham, Bilal Lashari, Ammara Hikmat, Seemi Raheel, Vasay Chaudhry, Omair Rana, and Javad Bashir and cast and directors from the short films featured on Digestive Showtime, including; Sanam Saeed, Mohib Mirza, Sultan Ghani, Ahsan Rahim, Mukhtar Zaidi, and others guests. Yes, all COVID SOP’s were properly followed.

Digestive Showtime red carpet

The event began with a humorous and engaging monologue by hosts, Ali Aftab Saeed and Marhoom Ahmed Bilal, who really set the mood for the remainder of the night. Following their bit was a keynote speech by Senior Brand Manager and Platform Producer, Syed Talha Imran who spoke about the essence of Innovative Digestive and creating content that was relatable for local audiences and closed the note with a showreel around the “Digestive Showtime” concept and the five short films.

The hosts then invited onto the stage a panel of the film community which included Mohib Mirza, Ahsan Rahim, Sana Saeed, Noman Ijaz, Sultan Ghani, and the Director Marketing and Executive Producer of Digestive Showtime Mr. Umair Mustafa where each of them were questioned on essential points regarding the short film platform.

Digestive showtime panel discussion

The panel established that the process of making a feature film and a short film is the same. The structure of storytelling may have changed and evolved but the effort and process of achieving the finished product are the same and the duration should not make the audience feel like less effort was put in.

What really caught our attention was Sanam Saeed’s statement when she was asked by the host about the importance of dance, songs, and glamour. She said that short films an excellent way to showcase talent. “Short films are a stepping stone for all artists to display their talent to a specific audience. Such films are usually made on topics that are more real in comparison to feature films. There is no need for dances or songs (except for OST’s) in films and the audience that is interested in those aspects of films have feature films to satisfy the need. However, each film on the platform has its own OST’s and original scores”. She also added that dramas with more realism are more appreciated than those with typical stories. Short films are for real storytelling without the need for glamour.

Noman Ijaz had similar views. Known for his controversial statements, Ijaz added that through short films, subjects that are usually rejected by TV channels can finally be talked about. Topics that international audiences acknowledge, real social issues prevalent in Pakistan that we are too scared to highlight, such stories can be communicated on no better medium than a digital short film, one that Innovative Biscuits has finally provided to the film community.

Noman Ijaz Digestive Showtime

When asked about the significance of the platform, Director Marketing, and Executive Producer, Umair Mustafa commented, “We look forward to celebrating the launch of “Digestive Showtime”, which aids Innovative Biscuits in bringing storytellers and the film community together. As we take our first steps towards launching this platform, we have centered our thoughts and plans on the filmmakers and filmgoers who have been starved of good content with great production values. Our focus has been good storytelling – we want to bring forward stories, which the audience resonates with and they find themselves very close and similar to. Brands have been supporting the music industry but storytelling has received less attention. We have realised a gap in the industry and we plan to successfully fill this with “Digestive Showtime!”

The event was closed with a viewing of the first trailer from the short film “Yorker”, which was highly appreciated by the audience in attendance, including us.

Digestive Showtime

“Digestive Showtime” will officially begin on 1st March with the release of the first short film “Yorker” on the platforms Youtube channel and website. This will be followed by other films, including, “Dou Se Panch”, “Full Circle”, “Daughter By Law”, and “Road Trip”. Watch the promo now and subscribe to the Youtube channel, “Digestive Showtime”:

The first episode of ‘Phaans’ laid the foundation of a harrowing journey

By
Hammad Akbar
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Gone are the days when Pakistani dramas only focused on the entertainment factor of a drama. These days, our drama makers are breaking the mold by creating content revolving around taboo topics. Currently, Dunk, Dil Na Umeed Toh Nahi, and Saraab are the dramas that revolve around unusual topics. And now, the audience can add another name to the list – Phaans. Phaans’ teasers were revealed a few months ago but for some reason, it didn’t go on air. The drama premiered last night and the first episode laid the foundation of an unlikely friendship and a distressing journey.

The two families

Phaans introduced the audience to two families; Zeba belongs to a middle-class family comprising of her sister, Farah, and mother, Shakeela. Zeba is shown as a practical individual who believes in hard work while her sister Farah seems to get infatuated by materialistic things. Zeba is engaged to her paternal cousin Hashim, who acts like a typical fiancé trying to control Zeba. Shakeela is a servant and has been working at a wealthy family’s house for years. The wealthy family consists of a married couple Nadia and Siraj, and their three children: Hafsa, Arsala, and Sahil, who has down syndrome.

The three siblings and the mother share a lovely bond where they look out for each other. The father, however, does not have a pleasant relationship with either his wife or his children, especially Sahil, always behaving rigidly towards Sahil. Another major character introduced in the episode was Samad, who is set to marry Hafsa. 

The wedding and the twist

Phaans episode 1

The first episode revolved around Hafsa and Samad’s pre-wedding events. Due to the wedding, Nadia had called Shakeela to live in the servants’ quarters so she could help with the house chores and since Shakeela could not leave her daughters alone in her house, she brought them with her to Nadia’s house. During their stay, Zeba and Sahil became friends. Zeba and Samad also engage in a conversation regarding Zeba’s education, much to Hafsa’s dismay, who is always suspicious of Samad. Samad is inspired by Zeba’s ambitions despite the fact she comes from a poor background. It isn’t exactly clear whether Hafsa is wrong to suspect Samad or Samad is, in fact, a flirt.

Another interesting point about the first episode was Nadia and Siraj’s relationship. Apparently, there’s trouble in paradise as Nadia doesn’t entirely trust Siraj and they have had a rocky marriage right from the start. The first episode ended with Zeba going to meet Hashim- who wanted to teach Zeba a ‘lesson’ for not attending his phone calls- at a construction site and someone pulling Zeba by her arm. 

First impressions

As far as first episodes go, Phaans did a great job in establishing the leading and the supporting characters. The episode was an hour long but the scenes were short and to the point and the drama doesn’t feel like a drag. The episode did not reveal who exactly is Zeba’s perpetrator since both Siraj and Samad noticed Zeba leaving the house, which was another highlight of the episode.

Shahzad Sheikh Phaans

Regarding the acting in the first episode, Shehzad Shaikh was the main attraction here as he played a man with down syndrome. Shehzad did quite well in some of the scenes while in others, it felt like he overplayed the character. But then again, playing such characters is always a challenge and there’s always room for improvement. Zara Noor Abbas as Zeba was believable and natural. Her real acting challenge, however, will start from the second episode after her character will go through severe trauma, as suggested by the preview of the next episode. Yashma Gill is an excellent performer and it is time she is given a lead role in a drama. Sami Khan, Arjumand Rahim, Zain Afzal, and Ali Tahir had few scenes but they performed well. 

Phaans will deal with not one, but two sensitive topics, as revealed by the makers. During the past few years, a lot of dramas have delved deeper into the social stigmas of our society. Unfortunately, most of them have failed while a few of them have managed to create awareness. The audience hopes that Phaans will fall in the latter category. 

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