Weekly News Round-Up (16th – 22nd October)
This week in the news, Superman stirs up controversy across the border, the Pakistan cricket team is all set to face off India on Sunday in the T20 World Cup and three new shows that we’re excited for! Read more to find out all the news you’ve missed this week.
Celebrities Have Fun On The Dance Floor At Usman Mukhtar’s Mehndi
Usman Mukhtar’s wedding celebrations are finally underway! After tying the knot with Zunaira Inam Khan in their nikkah ceremony in April 2021, they finally had fun at their mehndi in Islamabad on Thursday, October 21st. Their guest list included many A-list celebrities including Osman Khalid Butt, Uzair Jaswal, Hareem Farooq and many more (!) – who were also seen tearing up the dance floor with their choreographed routines. Usman Mukhtar looked dapper in a black sherwani designed by SFK Bridals (owned by Fawad Khan’s wife, Sadaf Fawad Khan). We can’t wait to see what future festivities hold, but our guess is that they’ll be even more fun than the mehndi!
Ali Azmat Under Fire For Calling Madam Noor Jehan A “Kofta”
In a recent interview, Ali Azmat stated, “Living in Lahore and playing street cricket in our shorts, we grew up where 11 kids would collect the money to buy a ball, it was obvious for us to completely embrace the cultural invasion by MTV…Our own society and culture weren’t really offering anything similar. You put on a show, you would see Noor Jehan draped in a saree, with heavy jewellery and over-the-top makeup. We would get irritated by mai (elderly woman). We would think why would they make us watch this kofta (meatball).” Naturally, many Pakistanis were upset and took to Twitter to call him out on his rude remarks and are expecting him to make an official apology. However, it was only a few months ago when veteran actor Firdous Jamal age-shamed Mahira Khan in an interview. Routine events such as these make us question ‘when will Pakistani men in the entertainment industry stop commenting about women’s bodies and why do they feel so entitled to publicly shame them?’
Mina Hasan, Noor Jehan’s Daughter Calls Out Ali Azmat On Instagram
Designer Mina Hasan, Madam Noor Jehan’s daughter took to Instagram to address the comments made by Ali Azmat in regards to her mother. She expressed how it was improper and impolite to humiliate people publicly under the guise of freedom of speech. She stated that “with every privilege exercised, there is a greater need to observe propriety. [With] every privilege claimed, [there is] an overwhelming need to observe caution.” Lastly, she asked Pakistanis to “disagree with disgraceful utterances from an interview conducted with a now-faded representative of Pakistan’s music industry.”
Superman In The News For Doing His Part In Demilitarizing Kashmir
Much to the chagrin of the Indian far-right audience, the latest Superman film ‘Injustice’ depicted Superman destroying military infrastructure and calling the region “disputed Kashmir”. The film was released earlier this month on the 19th of October but the clip went viral and made news when the Indian audience noticed a clip where Superman destroys a plane to demilitarise Kashmir and soon after, it was noticed by BJP politicians and supporters and the hashtags #antiIndiaSuperman and #BoycottSuperman began to trend on Indian Twitter. Many Indians have demanded that Indian PM Narendra Modi take action right away, while Pakistanis are poking fun and claiming that Superman works for the ISI.
‘Dobara’ Delivers A Riveting First Episode
‘Dobara‘ is a project of Momina Duraid Productions, directed by Danish Nawaz and written by Sarwat Nazir. The story circles around Hadiqa Kiani’s character Mehru, and Bilal Abbas’ character Mahir. Mehru, married young, was not allowed to have a mind of her own, is a widow now and perhaps freer than she ever was? Mahir, a young boy left by his mother at the age of 5, now lives with his father and stepmother and has a quirky yet equally sad side to him. The first episode aired this week and fans could not stop raving about it! The story has fans hooked already and the hilarious “1 hazaar tumhari tip” scene has a separate fan base! The story has been well laid out with a smooth blend of flashbacks and current events. We wait to see how our very untraditional hero & heroine will cross paths in the upcoming episodes.
‘Ishq E Laa’ All Set To Become A Hit
Ishq e laa is directed by Amin Iqbal who has previously directed Dushman e Jaan and Deedan and is penned by Qaisra Hayat who has previously written Alif Allah Aur Insaan. After the first episode aired this week the drama already seems to be a tough contender for all the other dramas on the block. With a strong female duo played by Sajal Ali and Yumna Zaida and (surprisingly) a healthy mother-daughter relationship, the drama has already gotten positive feedback from audiences. The story was fast-paced and it was refreshing to see all the characters getting the room to develop in the first episode. Moreover, from the next episode’s promo, we can expect to see Azlaan and Shanaya together on screen for which we are very excited!
‘Aik Hai Nigar’ Will Grace Our Screens This Week!
Aik Hai Nigar is the upcoming ARY telefilm starring Mahira Khan and Bilal Ashraf as the lead couple will be aired on Saturday 23rd October. Moreover, this telefilm is an ISPR project written by Umera Ahmed (Hum Kahan Kay Sachay Thay), produced by Nina Kashif of Humsafar, Baaghi & HKKST and directed by Adnan Sarwar of Motorcycle Girl. The storyline of the telefilm revolves around women empowerment, their journey to follow their dreams & become independent. More closely, it is the biopic of Lieutenant General Nigar Johar, the first 3-star female general of The Pakistan Army, whose life story and achievements serve as inspiration for many young women in our society
Pakistan Set To Compete Against India In T20 World Cup
The two teams will go head-to-head on Sunday the 24th of October, at 7 pm at the Dubai International Stadium. After New Zealand cut their Pakistan tour short last month, the Pakistan cricket team is set to prove their mettle. “We’ve been playing cricket in UAE for the past three-four years and we know the conditions really well,” Babar had said in his pre-departure press conference. “We know how the wicket will behave and the adjustments batters will have to make.” Pakistan is yet to beat India in any WorldCup but we are optimistic that this time around it’ll be different. After 5 long years, die-hard cricket fans will finally get a dose of what they have been longing for, a T20 cricket match between Pakistan and India!
