The 10 most followed Pakistani celebrities

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February 5, 2021

Back in the day, the only measure of a celebrity’s popularity was how well they performed in their respective fields. But with the dawn of the digital era, things have changed. These days, it is all about the number of followers on various social media platforms- Instagram in particular. Celebrities don’t exactly have to do a lot of projects for them to be considered popular; they just need to have a high fan following on Instagram. This is exactly the case with Pakistani celebrities. Some of them have been absent from the screen for a long time but their Instagram following has only increased. Following are the names of Pakistani celebrities with the highest number of followers on Instagram.

Ayeza Khan – 8M followers

Ayeza Khan was recently in the news for becoming the first Pakistani celebrity to reach the 8 million mark on Instagram. She started her career in 2011 and starred in several blockbuster dramas like Pyarey Afzal, Tum Kon Piya and Toh Dil Ka Kya Hua. She received critical acclaim for her performance as the “gold-digger” Mehwish in Mere Paas Tum Ho. Her marriage to fellow actor Danish Taimoor also contributed to her star power as both of them had a massive fan following. Ayeza Khan is collaborating with Turkish actress Gulsim Ali for a fashion photoshoot.

Aiman Khan- 7.9M followers

Aiman Khan started her career by appearing in supporting roles in dramas like Behadd, Digest Writer and Mann Mayal. Her career took off when she appeared in a negative role alongside Saboor Ali and Sameena Peerzada in ARY’s Bay Qusoor. Since then, she has appeared in numerous dramas as the main lead, including Baandi, Ishq Tamasha, Ghar Titli Ka Par, and won the audience with her performances. She is married to fellow actor Muneeb Butt, who also enjoys a 3M fan following on Instagram. Her twin sister Minal Khan also started her career along the same lines and has a massive fan following of 6.5M followers on Instagram.

Mahira Khan- 7M followers

After starting her career as a VJ, Mahira Khan made her debut in films in a supporting role in Shoaib Mansoor’s Bol. In the same year, she also made her drama debut by starring in Mehreen Jabbar’s Neeyat. Although critics had started taking note of her performances, it wasn’t until she starred in Sarmad Khoosat’s drama Humsafar opposite Fawad Khan when she amassed a massive fan following. Their fans immediately started shipping the actors because of how realistic their performances in the drama were. Since then, she has been a part of several super hit dramas and films including a Bollywood film Raees opposite Shahrukh Khan.

Sajal Ali- 6.9M followers

The versatile Sajal Aly started her career by doing minor roles in dramas like Nadaaniyan, Mastana Mahi, and Mere Qatil Mere Dildar. Her first lead role was in ARY’s Mehmoodabad Ki Malakian. Sajal’s breakthrough role was when she starred as Nanhi in GEO TV’s drama Nanhi, for which she received critical acclaim. Her dramas Chup Raho, Yakeen Ka Safar, O Rangreza, Aangan, Alif, and Yeh Dil Mera cemented her as one of the most talented actresses of Pakistan. Her fans started shipping her with her Yakeen Ka Safar co-star Ahad Raza Mir because of their sizzling chemistry. She then went on to marry Ahad in 2020. Sajal is also set to star in a Hollywood project ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It?’ alongside notable names like Emma Thompson and Lily James.

Mawra Hocane- 6.2M followers

Mawra Hocane was a theater artist and a VJ before turning to act for the camera. She started her career with dramas like Aahista Aahista, Ik Tamanna Lahasil Si, and Nikhar Gaye Gulab Saare. After appearing in a few dramas in the lead roles, she landed a role in a Bollywood film titled Sanam Teri Kasam. She then made her Pakistani film debut in Jawani Phir Nahi Ani 2. Her performances in dramas like Sammi, Aangan, and Sabaat established her as one of the best actresses of Pakistan. She also owns a clothing line UxM with her sister, Urwa Hocane. Apart from her acting career, Mawra Hocane is a graduate of the University of London with a law degree.

Atif Aslam- 5.4M followers

Leading the men’s side of the highest number of followers on Instagram is Atif Aslam with more than 5 million followers. The singer-actor is a hit not just among the Pakistani audience, but worldwide too, especially in India. His song ‘Aadat’ remains one of the most iconic songs of Pakistan and to this date and fans cannot stop listening to it. Apart from working in the band ‘Jal’ and releasing solo albums, Atif also lent his voice for several Bollywood films including Zeher, Kalyug, and Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani. He is also a part of several seasons of Coke Studio. Although he has been a part of many reality shows, the only time he acted was in Shoaib Mansoor’s Bol.

Ali Zafar- 4.5M followers

Unlike Atif Aslam, Ali Zafar first started his career as an actor and then went on to become a singer. He worked in dramas like Kollege Jeans, Kanch Ke Par, and Landa Bazar. His first song was for the Pakistani film Shararat in 2003. During the same year, he released his first solo album called ‘Huqa Pani’. The album was a super hit, selling over 5,000,000 copies. After that, the actor has enjoyed success in both his acting and singing career. He started his career in Bollywood with the film Tere Bin Laden and then starred in many Bollywood films like Chasme Baddoor, Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, Total Siyapp, and Kill Dil. He made his debut in Lollywood films with Teefa In Trouble, opposite Maya Ali.

Imran Abbas- 4.3M followers

Often considered as one of the most handsome faces of Pakistan, Imran Abbas started his career as a model. He made his acting debut with Umrao Jaan Ada. Channels and directors immediately started taking note of his acting and good looks. It wasn’t long until he starred in several dramas in the lead role. Today, he is considered one of the best actors of Pakistan having worked in excellent dramas like Mera Naseeb, Khuda Aur Muhabbat, Akbari Asghari, and Tum Kon Piya. Although he is yet to make an appearance on the big screen in Lollywood, he has worked in various Bollywood films like Creature 3D, Jaanisaar, and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.

Danish Taimoor- 3.9M followers

Danish Taimoor is one of those actors who didn’t reach heights of success overnight. He worked very hard to reach where he is today and it shows. He started his acting debut in the drama ‘Mystery Series’. After that, he appeared in multiple dramas like Noor Pur Ki Rani, Perfume Chowk, Raju Rocket, and Rehaai. His acting was especially appreciated in Ramadan’s special drama- Chaudvin Ka Chand. Since then, he has been a part of several successful dramas like Sannata, Ab Dekh Khuda Kya Karta Hai, and Deewangi. In 2014, he married fellow actress Ayeza Khan, which only enhanced their popularity. The actor has also been a part of a handful of films including Jalaibee, Wrong No., Mehrunisa V Lub U.

Humayun Saeed- 2.4M followers

With a career spanning over two decades, Humayun Saeed is truly what they call a superstar. From acting to producing, there isn’t a field Humayun hasn’t shown his mettle in. He started his career as a television producer. Unfortunately, it did not produce favorable results. He then decided to enter the world of showbiz as an actor and debuted with Farz Ek Qarz. Apart from debuting as an actor in the drama industry, he also entered the Lollywood industry with Intehar. He played the antagonist of the film and was appreciated for his acting. Since then, Humayun has appeared in many dramas and films- most of which proved to be blockbusters.

Here’s all you need to know about Bilal Saeed’s viral video

By

Vanessa Alam

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February 4, 2021

A recent video of celebrity singer Bilal Saeed circulated on social media a few days ago in which we see the singer punch and slap a man and a woman while being surrounded by the Dolphin Force in Lahore. The video is taken by Bilal’s neighbours outside his house and the view is quite clear.

According to our sources, this brawl between the three subjects took place earlier this year on the 10th of January. It is said that the man we see Bilal hitting is his own younger brother and the woman is his sister-in-law. The fight took place in the day after a disagreement between the brothers which led to a physical fight and Bilal’s neighbours then called the Dolphin Force who are seen trying to settle the matter.

We have also been told that the younger brother filed an application for the incident against his elder brother, singer Bilal Saeed, with the local police station. The team there summoned the singer and both brothers were asked to make peace as the police generally do not get involved in a personal family matter such as this one. The two brothers then made peace and the entire matter was resolved.

The video of this incident resurfacing after almost a month from when it took place is quite peculiar. Rumours say this may be a publicity stunt. Others say that Bilal’s neighbours house-help made the video in the neighbours themselves were out of town and once they returned, the video was then uploaded by them on their own social media. The bottom line here is that this physical altercation did in fact happen between the singer, his brother and his wife and Bilal indeed did kick his sister-in-law and it seems pretty violent. However, if what our sources say is true, a personal family issue that has already been resolved should not be made into a fiasco now. We still need more clarity about what exactly brought about this fight and who made this video come to light.

We were blown away by the power-packed episode of ‘Dunk’ last night

By

Kahkshaan Ismail

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February 4, 2021

Dunk had been all the rage even before it went on air. The highly anticipated drama serial had been in the news for various reasons. One, it was talking about false allegations of sexual harassment leading to the accused person’s life being ruined. Secondly, it roped in big names like Noman Ijaz, Yasra Rizvi, Bilal Abbas, and Sana Javed. Also, the drama was produced under the powerhouse Fahad Mustafa’s production house.

Story

The story started off with Amal, played by Sana Javed, accusing Professor Humayun (Noman Ijaz) of harassment and Haider (Bilal Abbas) being in full support of Amal who was also his fiance. A few episodes down, we came to know that Haider had accidentally sent some inappropriate photographs to a teacher at his university, Ma’am Anjum (Tara Mehmood) instead of his friend Anjum (Sardar Osman). This was the main reason why Amal went to Professor Humayun to explain to him why Haider was not in the wrong, to clarify a genuine mistake. When the professor does not back down, Amal decides to falsely accuse him of harassment. As an ongoing trial happens on campus, Ma’am Anjum decides to forgive Haider. Professor Humayun and his wife Saira, played by Yasra Rizvi, are left all alone in the fight for justice. Not being able to handle all of this, the professor commits suicide, which was shown in yesterday’s episode.

Last night’s episode

Last night’s episode was extremely emotional as it set the pace for what was to come after Professor Humayun’s death. The way Saira (Yasra Rizvi) showed her shock when she found her husband dead left us in jitters. There was no over the top rona dhona or screaming, just pure emotions coming from a seasoned actor.

Bilal Abbas as Haider does an exceptional job portraying his confused guilty mindset. At this point, we do not know why he feels the way he does. When Minaal (Azekah Daniel) comes to tell Haider of the professor’s death, Haider locks himself in his room contemplating the past few days where he fought with the deceased. There were no dialogues in these scenes but the way Bilal portrayed his emotions leaves the audience feeling for him. He seems to be torn between his love for Amal, guilt, and regret accusing Professor Humayun and most importantly doing the right thing. He turns up for the professor’s funeral with Minaal only to find out no other person has taken part in the processions.

Another highlight from yesterday’s episode was the scene where Saira gives a shoulder to her husband’s janaza as no one turns up for his funeral. We see a masked up Haider take the body from Saira and another tear falls from the audience’s eyes as we can feel the same anguish in Saira and Haider’s eyes. An extremely emotional and heart-wrenching scene that was.

Amal on the other hand feels no remorse and seems to be worried about herself and her mistakes.

The entire episode was a powerpack and that definitely includes the last scene. Finally, what the audience had been guessing comes to light as Haider remembers a flashback of himself eavesdropping on a conversation between Amal and Professor Humayun where Amal mocks the professor’s misery of being penalised for a crime he had not even committed! This leaves Haider in shock, guilt, and betrayal of trusting his lady love.

Hopefully, in the coming episodes, we will see Haider and Saira collectively fight for justice for Professor Humayun and Amal penalised for her crimes.

Amar Khan stole the show in ‘Qayamat’ last night

By

Uzair Anwer

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February 3, 2021

Geo TV’s Qayamat starring Ahsan Khan, Neelam Munir, Amar Khan, and Haroon Shahid is amongst the most sought after television shows of the (new) year and has naturally received a polarising response for its content and characterisation by its audience and critics. Directed by Ali Faizan and penned by Sarwat Nazeer of Main Abdul Qadir Hoon fame, one certain element of the play has received unanimous appreciation and that is Amar Khan’s stellar performance as Samra.

Limited variety of female characters

Pakistani dramas are frequently criticised for offering limited variety and controlled dimensions to female characters. The set prototypes of a girl next door or a damsel in distress, make it hard for fresh talent to get noticed in the barrage of monotonous characters and narrowed storylines. The concept of ensemble casting also makes it rather difficult for a supporting role to be the scene-stealer. It takes a great performer to be noticed and liked by the audience despite the presence of more popular and experienced artists.

Qayamat’s latest episode was crafted with intense scenes ranging from themes such as domestic abuse, toxic masculinity, oppression, infidelity and misogyny all being essayed through Ahsan Khan’s character, Rashid, and Amar Khan who plays Samra. Despite being cousins, the two belong to contrasting socioeconomic classes in the society which leads to Samra being oppressed by Rashid after their marriage.

Amar’s scene-stealing performance

Despite playing a stereotypical role which also has elements of repressiveness, Amar makes her character likable by not dramatising her vocal tones and also keeps her nuances subtle. The Dum Mastam actress has gotten into the skin of her character and makes it authentic with appropriate utilisation of wardrobe, jewelry, and make-up. Her performance is as natural as it can get. The bonafide performer makes sure she never goes overboard with her expressions and lets her eyes do the talking where words can’t.

She stands tall in front of senior actors such as Ahsan Khan and Saba Faisal and holds her own in the scene where she is asked by Ahsan’s character to swear upon the holy book to prove her innocence and righteousness as he doubts on her for being in an illicit affair with her friend’s brother, Saad, before marrying him. Her artistic transition of expressions from angst to helplessness to being emotionally firm is top-notch. The sequence where she stuffs her mouth with a piece of her shawl while crying to control the sound of her screaming pain gave us goosebumps and also made the eyes water.

Samra also bags some of the most impactful dialogues in the screenplay, when Rashid imposes his gender superiority on her by saying that “Main tumhara shohar hoon, admi hoon, jo dil me ayega karunga”. Samra reverts back sarcastically “Admi hain, shohar hain, kuch bhi karne ki ijazat to nahi hai, magar ap kuch bhi kar saktay hain”. She also builds the strength to expose her husband when he suspects her of stealing jewelry that was gifted by her in-laws, making her character different from the prototypes of a conventional damsel in distress of our television dramas.

She completely wins us over and leaves a mark on us with her tear jerker performance and leaves her fans asking for more of her in the forthcoming episodes which promises even more intense scenes going by the promos.

Here’s why composers and writers deserve more credit for their work

By

Hammad Akbar

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February 3, 2021

The Pakistani drama industry may have seen its ups and downs but one thing that has remained consistent is the melodious original soundtracks (OSTs). The audience is often seen discussing how the quality of the content they see on television has gone downhill over the past few years but they have unanimously enjoyed the OSTs. What the audience doesn’t know is that there is a composer behind their favorite soundtrack. For years, the composer, writer, and technical crew who work hard on a song are left in the background.

Naveed Nashad – the man behind your favorite OSTs

Most people know Naveed Nashad as the brilliant singer who sang the OST of HUM TV’s Ishq Zahe Naseeb and Tera Ghum Aur Hum among many more. But Naveed is not just a singer; he is a composer as well. He has composed several super hit OSTs like Ishq Tamasha, Mushk, Do Bol, Mere Paas Tum Ho, Yaariyan, etc. Talking to Galaxy Lollywood, Naveed said that a song belongs to a composer and a lyricist as much as it belongs to the singer. Usually, after a song has been declared super hit by listeners, singers remain in the limelight while there is no mention of who composed or wrote the song. That shouldn’t be the case. He also said that when people talk about a particular song on social media, they should also mention the name of the composer and the writer so they get credit for the song’s success as well.

Giving credit where it’s due

A few days ago, Ali Zafar released the OST of ARY’s on-going drama Pehli Si Mohabbat starring Shehreyar Munawar and Maya Ali in lead roles. As expected, the OST was appreciated by listeners and netizens could not stop admiring Ali Zafar’s phenomenal vocals. Ali then took to social media and expressed his gratitude for the love he was receiving for the song and added that Gohar Mumtaz, the composer of the song, Asad Shah, the writer of the song, and the technical crew working in the background deserve credit for the song’s success. He believes that they should be celebrated as much as the singers and the actors. This kind gesture was appreciated by his fans who said that Ali Zafar knows how to give credit where it’s due.

Ali Zafar giving credit to composer of Pehli Si Mohabbat

It is high time that people start acknowledging that an OST of a drama is a result of a collaborative effort by a singer, composer, writer, and every person working in the technical department. They work day and night to entertain the audience and the least the audience can do is show their appreciation for everyone who has worked on a song. The practice of mentioning just the singer’s name without the back-bone of the song needs to change.

That time when Meera had about 17 outfits in one song

By

Hassan Hassan

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February 2, 2021

The cinema of the ’90s, despite its shortcomings, had its few peculiar yet attractive features that are hardly reproduced in the current new age Pakistani cinema. The fact that films from the ’90s in Pakistani cinema managed to maintain a larger than life image despite being low on the budget as compared to today, is something that a lot of die-hard Lollywood fans still cherish.

From cinematography to two sets and costume designing, the body language of actors and their on and off-screen personas in the Lollywood of nineties, the characteristics could still act as templates for the current cinema creators to achieve the aura that a local film buff would expect from a silver screen product in order to have a fulfilling cinematic experience.

Recently, a song from a Lollywood hit of the yesteryears, ‘Salakhein’, featuring the rockstar entertainers of local cinema, Meera Jee and Ahmed Butt resurfaced on our Youtube feed. The song is picturised on an expensive palette that was probably never seen before in a Pakistani film; from the lush green fields in Punjab to the desert of Cholistan and the barren mountains of Skardu, the song features every possible topography we as geography students have studied in our textbooks.

But that is not all. The heroine “Miss Meera Jee” is found to have a myriad of outfits in the song as we can see in the song ‘Sunehri Shaam‘ where it seems like she’s wearing a new outfit on each beat. Her wardrobe encompasses a mix of western as well as eastern outfits and anything that comes in between the spectrum. It’s safe to say that these outfits were quite different and “bold” for their time.

We were quite surprised to see the countless number of outfits in this song pictured on the glamorous Meera. According to our count, Meera changed into seventeen outfits. Yes, seventeen! It was normal to see a vast wardrobe for one song in a movie back in those days. But the maximum for a star as big as Meera was about twelve to fourteen. Such songs in the ’90s used to be a special feature of films with bigger budgets and the more the number of costumes and shifts in which a song would be picturised, the more value it would add to the film. Songs from a Punjabi film ‘Mohabbatan Sachian‘ by the same director feature Lollywood actress Veena Malik change her outfit with every possible beat. However, Veena’s outfits aren’t as diverse as Meera’s. Seeing seventeen for Meera came as a surprise to us, though we did thoroughly enjoy each of them.

Our favourites

Yes, some of the outfits may be considered “bold” but oh did Meera do them justice! From glamorous cultural outfits to minimalistic western ones, Meera has rocked almost every look from this song. What’s brilliant is how her hair and makeup for each outfit was different and perfectly matched. Lets take into account one of our top listers; a brown dress with a halter neck paired with sleek straight hair. This look shows minimalism at its best!

Another séduisant is that bright pink three-piece outfit. A short crop top paired with a slim-fitting pencil skirt to perfectly showcase her silhouette, with a sheer long cover which has the same coloured feathers on its borders. One can’t seem to take their eyes off of Meera when she’s walking towards the camera in this one particular shot.

In contrast, we see Meera flaunting her desi side with an elegant lehnga-choli and a slim dupatta carried in her neck. Her hairstyle in particular is matched perfectly with this outfit; a long braid which seems is derived by the help of what we call a parandah (an artificial braid used to elongate the natural hair braid).

A similar song by Sangeeta was picturised on the Lollywoody diva “Resham Jee” in nine different shifts, although the entire song was shot indoors and the song itself was not as catchy as ‘Sunehri Shaam’ from the movie ‘Salakhein’ in audiovisual terms.

Meera’s co-star Ahmad Butt, a former Lux Style Award winner for the best model, launched to the cinema world with his debut film ‘Salakhein‘, is no exception to wardrobe galore. He, however, also gets to show off his shredded body every now and then in the song.

Attention to detail

The song comes at a tense point in the film’s narrative and serves not only as a visual treat but also lessens the tension in the narrative by exploring the explosive romance in the two leads in a steamy way. From the director Shehzad Rafique and producer Rashid Khawaja to costume designer, choreographer, and the actors, everyone deserves a special mention for going the extra mile in producing a video that still manages to get us glued to our screens and holds us in peculiar awe.

While talking to us regarding the picturisation of ‘Sunehri Shaam’, the producer of the song Rashid Khawaja said that the song was a tough task to shoot at that time, the production crew consisted of more than fifty people and would travel to different cities of Pakistan across its length to especially shoot a few sequences of the song.

Rashid Khawaja, in his earlier productions like ‘Very Good Duniya Very Bad Log’ and ‘Jo Dar Gya Wo Mar Gya’ had a knack for picturising songs at exotic locations with large crews and would sometimes hire Indian choreographers. That obviously would skyrocket the production costs of the films where the budget of one song would reach the cost of the entire film.

According to Rashid Khawaja, one of the reasons the current producers and investors are reluctant to invest in their films and their songs is the unhealthy monetary practices rampant in the local cinema industry. The producers would have to wait for an enormous amount of time and make extra efforts in order to ensure they get their profits/investment back irrespective of their films being a box office success.

‘Sunehri Shaam’ from Salakhein is not only a visual treat but it also serves as a source of introspection for Pakistani cinema stakeholders where it demands them to rectify monetary as well creative practices to ensure the healthy flow of cinema; a cinema that’s not just entertaining but and larger than life to be cherished later.

Mahira Khan debuts as a producer with upcoming web series ‘Baarwan Khiladi’

By

Vanessa Alam

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February 1, 2021

With the rise of Netflix and the lack of films in the year 2020, trends show entertainment buffs leaning towards online episodic series that one can either take their time and savour each episode for what is or binge-watch the entire series because, why not?

Pakistan is no stranger to locally produced web-series anymore. With Churails and Ek Jhoothi Love Story having made their way to Indian portal Zee5, and a few branded local web series, we are back with another homegrown web-series produced by the superstar Mahira Khan. Yes, you read that right! Mahira Khan is all set to reinvent her career as a producer and has announced her very first project:a web-series ‘Baarwan Khiladi‘.

Ever since Mahira Khan’s appearance on HUM Televisions 16-year celebration show and all the hints she had been dropping of coming back to television, her fans have been eager to know what all the superstar has up her sleeve for the year 2021. And finally, everyone gets clarity today on what the actress has in store for us. Mahira took to her Instagram account and posted about her new production house ‘Soulfry Films’.

Following her announcement of growing her career and venturing out into production, she finally disclosed the name, idea, and poster of her first project ‘Baarwan Khiladi’.

Mahira’s debut production

Baarwan Khiladi is centered around Pakistan’s most celebrated sports, Cricket. Mahira announces that her upcoming web-series production is “A coming of age story set against the backdrop of the OG of all games – Cricket. A story about friendships, relationships, unity, failure, success, love, and courage. A small peak into a labour of love and hard work.. from all of us to all of you”.

After learning about the background of this series, it’s no surprise the cast might just include megastar cricketer Shoaib Malik. Who better to compliment the story than an acclaimed cricketer himself? Rumour has it that celebrated actor Fawad Khan will also have a cameo role in this new production. We still need more confirmation on this front. But if this is true, Baarwan Khiladi is surely one series to look forward to.

The cast

Once we clicked on Mahira Khan’s Instagram announcement, we went stalking all the tags and discovered the possible cast of the series. First up is the Canadian-Pakistani Youtuber Shahveer Jafry who is largely known for his comical vlogs and unique expression of “brown people” traits and traditions. Baarwan Khiladi will mark Shahveer’s debut as an actor and his fans are already going gaga over the news.

Another recent addition to the acting fraternity, Kinza Hashmi, will be seen in this highly anticipated new web-series. Kinza began her acting career six years ago and received a nomination for Best Negative Actor at the Hum Awards. However, her role in the new web-series is still unknown to us but gauging by her past performances, we look forward to what she brings to this project.

Ali Zafar’s younger brother is also part of the fresh cast of ‘Baarwan Khiladi‘. Danyal Zafar will be seen in his second acting project for the year 2021, his debut being a Ramzan special play on HUM TV. However, it’s soon to say which project we’ll be seeing him in first. In either case, this young talent is surely making a strong foundation in his promising acting career.

Joining the emerging actors are Khaqan Shahnawaz, Meer Yousuf, Zarar Khan, and Hina Ashfaq along with Pakistan’s celebrated actors Sarmad Khoosat and Mira Sethi.

What to expect

It’s established that Mahira Khan is a phenomenal actress and has won over so many hearts with her talent not just in Pakistan but across the border as well. With such a force in the driver’s seat, Baarwan Khiladi has really built up everyone’s expectations of the said web-series. The series is a Tapmad original; Tapmad is a local video streaming platform. We are still unsure of when the series will premiere. Stay tuned to Galaxy Lollywood for further updates.

Exclusive: Danyal Zafar and Alizeh Shah to star in HUM TV’s new Ramzan Play!

By

Vanessa Alam

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February 1, 2021

Ever since the mega success of HUM TV’s Ramzan special ‘Suno Chanda’ in 2018 and its successor ‘Suno Chanda 2’ in 2019, Ramzan plays seem to have gained more interest from the audiences. Banking on its success, HUM TV last year was coming back with another Ramzan special ‘Chupke Chupke’ starring Ayeza Khan and Osman Khalid Butt. However, due to the corona situation, the shooting got delayed and the project couldn’t make it to the screens on time and will now go on air in Ramzan 2021.

Interestingly, this will not be the only Ramzan play to go on air this year as there is another promising project in the pipeline starring Danyal Zafar and Alizeh Shah. Yes, you read that right. Ali Zafar’s younger brother Danyal Zafar is all set to make his acting debut where he will share the screen with talented actress Alizeh Shah.

It is worth mentioning here that Danyal was initially supposed to be launched by Yash Raj Films in India but due to the political tension between the two countries this couldn’t materialise. Danyal has been active on the music front where he has released quite a few hit singles. But with this project, he is set to step into the acting world, following the footsteps of his elder brother.

The yet to be titled Ramzan show is a Momina Duraid production, directed by Saifee Hassan and produced by Umer Mukhtar. The play is pegged as a lighthearted drama, just like Hum TV’s usual Ramazan special affairs, and also stars Javeria Abbasi, Aamir Qureshi, and Komal Rizvi. Shooting for the show has already begun and will go on air in April with the beginning of Ramzan. Stay tuned to Galaxy Lollywood for more updates.

Remembering the Lollywood legend Neelo Begum

By

Hassan Hassan

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February 1, 2021

Lollywood and its fans are mourning the sad demise of Pakistani cinema’s yesteryear star and Lollywood superstar Shaan Shahid’s mother, Miss Neelo begum. The news was revealed by Shaan Shahid himself through a tweet on his official Twitter handle mentioning the tragedy. Neelo Begum was 80 years of age.

It is with the saddest of heart I share the departure of my mother as she has gone to her creator .may ALLAH bless her ❤️🙏🏼
— Shaan Shahid (@mshaanshahid) January 30, 2021

Born on 30 June 1940, Neelo started her career in her mid-teens with a small stint in Hollywood’s magnum opus, Bhowani Junction in 1956 which was the first Hollywood production to be shot in Lahore. After that, she kept doing small roles till she rose to fame after her memorable performance in the song ‘Aaye Mausam Rangilay Suhanay’ in the film Saat Lakh in 1957.

The most frequent mentioning of Neelo begum comes with regard to her performance in the Palestine freedom struggle based blockbuster Zarqa in 1969. She received one of her four Nigar Awards for best actress in the film. The song ‘Raqs Zanjeer Pehen Kar Bhi Kia Jata Hai’, penned by legendary poet Habib Jalib, was inspired by an incident that took place in Neelo’s personal life; Neelo refused to perform on the orders of the Nawab of Kalabagh in front of the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, when he visited Pakistan. The Nawab sent over the police to seize Neelo who then took to the floor to perform but collapsed. Some say she fainted, others say she may have attempted to commit suicide. The song was about Neelo Begum’s bravery and that very incident persuaded the legendary filmmaker, Riaz Shahid, to marry Neelo and then make a film that would defy dictatorship and glorify the human struggle for freedom.

Neelo, however, did not just perform in that song but also helped her husband produce the film. Besides becoming the best-known film of her career, Zarqa is regarded as the first film in the history of Pakistani cinema to earn Diamond Jubilee status, running for over 100 weeks. She performed in more than a hundred films in her career of four decades. Neelo Begum will always remain alive through her Marvelous work.

Lets not forget Neelo’s saucy comeback to cinema in the mid seventies via Khatarnaak; she radiated with life on the big screen, her oomph and presence commanded an instant bond with the viewers.

Neelo Begum knew how to steal the show even when she was not playing the heroine. In Dhee Rani, released in the mid-eighties, it was she who outshone starlets like Anjuman, Mumtaz, Nazli, and Shahida Minni as she grooved her way through the dance number ‘Disco Dildar Mera’ sung by Madam Noor Jahan.

Personal life

Born Cynthia Alexander Fernandes on 30 June 1940, Neelo remained a notable name of the Lahore-based film industry that thrived in the ’60s and the ’70s which ranked as the fourth-largest film producing hub of the world. Neelo married the then revolutionary filmmaker Riaz Shahid who had joined the industry following a detour from his career as a journalist after working in a magazine owned by Faiz Ahmad Faiz called Lail-o-Nihar. Her son, Shan Shahid, Pakistan’s superstar of the 90s and 2000s was merely an infant when her celebrated husband passed away.

The internet, specifically Twitter, has been deeply saddened by the demise of the legend. Condolences have been pouring in from the entertainment fraternity bigwigs like Samina Peerzada and Adnan Siddiqui, fans, and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Neelo Begum will always pulsate with life in her fans’ hearts and minds. Galaxy Lollywood offers its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.

May her soul rest in peace.

Exclusive: Pakistani films to go to China

By

Hassan Hassan

-

January 29, 2021

Ever since the advent of the new wave of Pakistani cinema, content creators in this blooming industry have been looking to establish their footings in markets other than the local box office. The struggle comes only naturally as cinemas across the world ensure their sustainability via multiple sources of income and markets.

Big industries like Bollywood and Hollywood have innumerable examples of films whose business from international markets have outdone their home-based income. There are many Pakistani films that have exhibited a similar business pattern in markets like the UK and North America including films like Bin Roye and Janaan. Various Pakistani experts have stressed the importance of China as a potential film market and there have been continual efforts to tap into the biggest film market of the world albeit with limited success. The Covid-19 pandemic may have tarnished these prospects but it seems the local film fraternity is determined to keep taking baby steps towards achieving this stepping stone.

Galaxy Lollywood exclusive

One such development which Galaxy Lollywood exclusively came to know includes a tentative Pakistani film festival to be held in China in the coming months. We spoke to the secretary of the Pakistan Film Producers Association (PFPA) Mr. Kamran Ijaz, who revealed that the PFPA had intimated all of its members across Pakistan to send their entries of films which they deem appropriate to be shown at this festival. Entries from all the members who responded to the call have been included in this provisional list.

Kamran Aijaz also added that the officials at the Pakistani government have asked the PFPA to send a provisional list of Pakistani films locally released over the course of the past few years, though there haven’t been any guidelines or requirements regarding the subject matter/content of the films by the government for the initial list. He went on to say that the officials at the interior ministry, censor board, and the Pakistani embassy would further shortlist the films to be shown at the said festival. There are further meetings being held regarding the matter and things are still being sorted out.

The festival’s venue and date are yet to be decided, however, it is expected the films are going to screen at the festival over a course of a week.

Tentative inclusions

The provisional list compiled by the Pakistan Film Producers Association is available with Galaxy Lollywood and is understandably very diverse; it includes films like Bin Roye, Chhalawa, Cake, Punjab Nahi Jaun Gi, Motorcycle Girl, and many other audience favourites along with some questionable entries like Blind Love and Bhai Log. Looking at the inclusion of substandard movies in this list, one can’t help but question why someone would want to watch a film in China that has barely attracted a handful of audiences at its home ground. Apart from that, there are also multiple clerical errors for example Parey Hut Love being included twice. However, the secretary maintained that the list is just a suggestion as per the entries sent by the members of the PFPA and the final list will be decided by the officials in both countries’ capitals, Islamabad and Beijing.

Regardless of the questionable entries included in the provisional list by the PFPA, the news of the festival in itself is a boon for the struggling Pakistani cinema industry where its products would be given a chance to be shown at a film festival exclusively arranged and designed for that very purpose. This could indeed help carve a niche of Pakistani films in the biggest market of the world that is China. Let’s hope that the floor plans materialise and the festival turns out to be a regular feature of the Chinese market.