Hamza Ali Abbasi is no stranger to courting controversy, creating headlines and also delivering box-office smashes. Over the years, the star turned religious activist seems to have perfected the art of staying in the news. Sometimes it has been due to his comments and opinions on current political affairs while other times, it has been due to developments in his personal life. 2019 was no different for him, especially the latter part of the year when the news cycle pertaining to him seemed to go in the overdrive!

Darling of the news cycle

This past August, the Parwaaz Hai Junoon star announced marriage to fellow actress Naimal Khawar of Verna and Anaa fame. This development caught his fandom completely by surprise as it was totally out of the blue. And then later, during October, he posted a cryptic tweet saying that he had an important announcement to make at the end of the month. Interestingly, his long-awaited drama serial Alif also went on air on Geo TV around the same time.

The bombshell tweet

After a sabbatical of almost a month from social media, he reappeared in mid-November to drop the big bombshell in a rambling 23-minute long video that he would be quitting acting and using the digital medium to spread the word of God. He further revealed that one of the reasons why he chose to do Alif was because of the spiritual nature of its script.

Hamza did not say that he would be leaving showbiz completely, as he still would be making films and dramas to spread the message of Islam and God. Interestingly, his co-star Humayun Saeed revealed in an interview that Hamza also plans to direct a patriotic film that he will be producing. It should be noted here that Hamza has already starred in two patriotic-themed movies, Waar and Parwaaz Hai Junoon.

The big change

November 14th marked the day Hamza formally started his YouTube channel. To date, its subscribers stand at 51.9K. While amassing more than 50K subscribers in over a month is a great achievement for an average YouTuber launching his or her channel, Hamza already has followership in the several millions on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, therefore this kind of response can at best be described as lukewarm. Underscoring the need to amass more subscribers, Hamza has been periodically reposting links to his YouTube channel and asking his fans to subscribe to it, however, in the last few weeks the subscribers have stagnated at below 52K. The only video he has posted so far has received about 197,000 views which frankly doesn’t do justice to a celebrity of his stature.

Time to put YouTube to some good use! Here is the link to my channel… https://t.co/UY2JDvsWXt… Will be uploading videos frequently.

— Hamza Ali Abbasi (@iamhamzaabbasi) November 15, 2019

The initial response given his popularity not just as a showbiz personality but also a social media phenomenon was expected to be stronger and then Hamza hasn’t uploaded anything new either since the initial attention-grabbing announcement. His digital channel is lying dormant, for now.

Now given the lackadaisical response to his new stint, Hamza seems to have returned to Twitter with a vengeance. The Jawani Phir Nahi Ani actor has recently been pretty active on the platform, commenting on the Musharraf verdict, the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act in India and the Junaid Hafeez blasphemy case. It seems there was ample material for a YouTube video here, however, Hamza still chose to address his fans via his Twitter account rather than going the video monologue route.

Speaking of which, his followership on Twitter seems to have plateaued at around the 2.4 million mark too, and he has not really attracted more audience to his account since his announcement about quitting acting. Statistics on Instagram and Facebook don’t paint a much different picture either.

Next, let’s talk about Alif. Given its mega-cast, a religious theme and the fact that it is, according to Hamza, his last appearance on the small screen, the serial was expected to score massive numbers. While the Haseeb Hassan directed venture has been scoring decent ratings and online views, the numbers aren’t exactly the kind that suggest that the play is the rage it was expected to be. Rather, it is playing third or fourth fiddle to Meray Paas Tum Ho and Ehd-e-Wafa, scoring about 3 million YouTube views for each of its recent episodes.

Final word

All of this brings us to the question on everyone’s lips – has Hamza’s fandom and the wider audience given a thumbs down to his new YouTube televangelist gig? While it’s still early days, and it very well could be that the star has more content in the pipeline, it seems to some observers that the audience has not reciprocated in the manner Hamza had been expecting. A clearer picture is likely to emerge in the coming few months, and we will be there to tell you like it is, and as it happens.

Tell us about your views about Hamza’s brand new avatar in the comments below, and stay tuned to Galaxy Lollywood!

The post Has Hamza’s Fandom Given A Thumbs Down To His New Religious Gig? appeared first on Galaxy Lollywood.

Making her presence felt through the quality of work she has delivered over the years, Resham is one star from the Lahore film industry who has managed to stay very much with the times. The actress was recently in the spotlight for hosting the team of Meray Paas Tum Ho, including star Humayun Saeed and director Nadeem Baig over for dinner, and now she is very much in the news again, this time courtesy certain news about her supposed marriage that has been making rounds in the blogosphere.

Speaking to Galaxy Lollywood, the Man-o-Salwa star did not sound happy at all with the incorrect rumors at all and refuted the story categorically. “There is absolutely no way I am getting married, and I have no clue why such stories are being concocted,” she said emphatically, adding that the articles in question also put her age incorrectly to be 51 years. It is worth mentioning that the actress, who debuted in filmdom in 1995 during her later teens, is actually far younger and has always been known to be candid about the details of her personal life. “I have never attempted to conceal anything from my fans — whether it is my age or my marital status, and there is no way I would do so now!” she exclaimed.

Well, that should put the vicious rumors regarding the Ghungat star’s marriage and age to rest. While interviewing last year with Galaxy Lollywood’s Momin Ali Munshi for OneTake, many viewers appreciated Resham for her candor and lack of pretentiousness. We are certain that whenever she does decide on her life partner, she will be sharing the good news with us and her fans. Here’s wishing her all the best!

Stay tuned to Galaxy Lollywood for the latest on Pakistani showbiz.

The post Resham Upset With Fake News About Her Age And Alleged Marriage appeared first on Galaxy Lollywood.

2018 was the year when Neelam Muneer made waves as a television actress, performing in plays such as Dil Moam Ka Diya, and it seems this year the starlet has conquered filmdom too with the box-office smash Wrong No. 2, where she was noted for her comic timing and was also able to make her presence felt in an ensemble cast that featured many big guns of the industry. All of this was not quite handed over on a silver platter to the actress, however, and appearing in an interview, she spoke at length about her struggles, travails and finally breaking into the big league.

Starting young

“I have been working since my late teenage years, and I have never given importance to anyone or anything else in my life,” disclosed the Kahin Deep Jalay star, in response to a query pertaining to her life experiences during her formative years. “Even when I encountered different choices in life, I always gave priority to my work above all else.” So what exactly was it that kept Neelam occupied throughout her younger years? “I was in class nine when I did my first commercial,” she revealed. And there were tragic circumstances behind her stepping into the world of arclights. Neelam’s father passed away when she was three, and it was left to her and her mother to take care of the youngfamily. Eventually, she stepped into the drama serial industry with a play by renowned director Kazim Pasha for PTV titled Thora Sa Aasmaan, and there has been no looking back.

Finally making it

Now that the actress has finally made it into the showbusiness’s big league, she is enjoying the fruits of stardom and success. “I have done a lot for myself, and now I am blessed with all the comforts that I have always wished for.” The actress owns her own house and has made it by any barometer of success. “Looking back, I have come a long way and achieved far greater than what I had ever expected, something which I am very grateful to God for.”

With films such as Chuppan Chuppai and Wrong No. 2 to her credit, the actress also has appeared in quite a few successful plays and has indeed achieved everything on the sheer dint of her hard work and ambition. Neelam also mentioned that she would prefer to continue working after marriage, but is open to the possibility of leaving showbiz after marriage as well.

Final word

Born in Mardan to a family that includes three other sisters, Neelam has proved to the world that a woman too can achieve her dreams with the right work ethic and intentions. While we look forward to seeing her in more productions, we are sure she will not disappoint her numerous fans given the painstaking effort she puts into each of her performances and selecting the right scripts. Here’s wishing her all the best!

The post Neelam Muneer Reveals All About Struggling In Showbiz Since 9th Grade appeared first on Galaxy Lollywood.

The last few years have seen Pakistani cinema mature after its resurgence nearly half a decade back. The process of trial and error for relatively new filmmakers resulted in a healthy variety of experimental and mainstream cinema, being similarly met with a range of reactions, from enthusiastic acceptance to downright rejection. Following the weeding out stage, this new crop of filmmakers must now face another daunting challenge: That of being able to provide content that continues to engage an audience that in the past was willing to give them a free pass, but which now demands high-quality content at par with global norms.

Pakistani cinema in the spotlight

This new reality was abundantly clear this year, especially in the face of restriction of content from across the border. Late February saw an unofficial ban imposed from the Indian side to block Bollywood content from being screened in Pakistani theaters, which resulted in a tit for tat response from the Pakistan Film Producers’ Association. This amounted to a windfall opportunity for local cinema which now had less competition to contend with, other than from Hollywood and the Far East. So, to what extent was Pakistani cinema able to capitalize on this scenario? The year provides an interesting snapshot of the nascent film industry’s endeavors to evolve and develop, with mixed results.

Mixed offerings in spring

Starting the year on a dull note was Gumm, an experimental film starring Sami Khan and Shamoon Abbasi as the leads that released on January 11. The Ammar Lasani and Kanza Zia helmed project was actually a half-decent thriller with the requisite elements of romance and music, derivative as it might have been. However, it failed to strike a chord with the local audience and after an anemic opening didn’t survive past a two-week run. Per unofficial estimates, the film ended its run at under 10 lacs, a disappointment given the accolades it had supposedly been honored with at the international festival circuit.

February saw no local offering make it to the theater screens, with the situation being further complicated by regional tensions that unfolded in the latter part of the month. Finally in March, two long-awaited films, Laal Kabootar and Sherdil released on the Pakistan day weekend. ARY Films’ Sherdil benefitted greatly from a sharp upsurge in patriotism and interest for PAF following the aerial conflict with India. The Mikaal Zulfiqar and Armeena Khan starrer opened to a terrific response, especially in Islamabad-Rawalpindi, earning an unexpectedly strong 4.15 crores over its opening weekend. The film ended its box office run with a healthy figure of about 13 crores, emerging the first success for star Mikaal Zulfiqar.

Laal Kabootar, which released alongside Sherdil, was a Karachi set crime-thriller targeted more towards a niche audience. Featuring Ahmed Ali Akbar and Mansha Pasha, the film received an unprecedented near-unanimous critical appreciation and carried excellent trade reports. However, it was unable to translate that to a strong initial, earning a lukewarm figure of around 80 lacs over its opening weekend. The positive word of mouth resulted in the film sustaining at low numbers in subsequent weeks, and Laal Kabootar managed a final box office tally of around 3 crores.

The long-delayed Project Ghazi finally made its way to the theaters on March 29, however, much was not expected from the film, its cast of A-listers Humayun Saeed, Shehryar Munawar and Syra Shehroze notwithstanding. The film received harsh critical mauling, despite bringing forth sci-fi content that was unique and novel for local cinema. Project Ghazi earned a less than spectacular 75 lacs over its opening weekend and ended its run with a paltry 1.5 crores.

Activity picks up in summer

April saw no release barring the non-descript Junoon-e-Ishq which opened to predictably disastrous figures. Following the Ramadan lull, activity returned in a big way to the movie circuit over Eid-ul-Fitr, with Hum Films’ Chhalawa and IMGC’s Wrong No. 2 sending the cash registers buzzing across the country. Both the films were commercial crowd-pleasers that delivered mass-oriented entertainment with some success. In their first two weeks, Chhalawa and Wrong No. 2 earned 14.8 crores and 15.6 crores respectively, although the bulk of these numbers were hauled over the holiday period. The films were in the running till Eid-ul-Azha, with Chhalawa managing to earn 16.1 crores and Wrong No. 2 grossing 21.1 crores over its lifetime.

Next up was horror fare Kataksha on June 21 which expectedly didn’t find much audience favor. Saqib Malik’s long-awaited Baaji followed on June 28, opening to decent numbers of around 3 crores over the weekend. The Meera, Amna Ilyas, and Osman Khalid Butt thriller was re-released on December 6 and ended its run at an estimated 12.5 crores, a solid result given its niche genre and a non-mainstream cast.

July saw long in development projects Ready Steady No, Tevar and Sirf Tum Hi Tou Ho hit the screens to low numbers, although Hum films’ comedy Ready Steady No did see some audience interest and ended up being the highest-earning of the three, with a final tally of about 1.5 crores.

The summer release season ended with Parey Hut Love, Superstar and Heer Maan Ja vying for box-office gold over the lucrative Eid-ul-Azha period. They were backed by three of the most prestigious studios in the country, with M&D Productions’ Superstar and ARY Films’ Parey Hut Love having the edge owing to strong pre-release hype given their popular music and star value. Superstar and Parey Hut Love went almost neck to neck, not just locally but also in the overseas market, with the latter having a slight lead. By the end of its run, the Shehryar Munawar and Maya Ali starrer earned a very good 24 crores, whereas Bilal Ashraf and Mahira Khan’s Superstar hauled an estimated 23.4 crores. Playing at third place was IRK films’ Heer Maan Ja with lifetime numbers of 10.5 crores. Overall, these were strong numbers, albeit not as spectacular as 2018’s Eid-ul-Azha when Parwaaz Hai Junoon, Jawani Phir Nahi Ani and Load Wedding set the box office on fire.

The fall lull

October brought three local ventures Daal Chawal, Durj and Kaaf Kangana to the screens, however, none of these films was able to make a mark critically or commercially, to put things politely. The Shamoon Abbasi helmed Durj was an indie-flavored niche film that grossed about 60 lacs, whereas much was expected from Kaaf Kangana, especially given its theme of cross border romance, however, the Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar helmed project could not deliver. Starring Sami Khan-Eshal Fayyaz as leads, Kaaf Kangana bombed with estimated lifetime numbers of less than 1.5 crores.

Indie fare Talash followed on November 15 with little trade expectations or any kind of buzz, however, it surprised at the ticket counters, generating numbers similar to Kaaf Kangana over its lifetime. The year ended on a tepid note with Hum Films’ Sacch, released on December 20. The Scotland shot film has not delivered any respite to the box office, unsurprising given lack of any pre-release hype or a positive word of mouth.

Trends: Eid successes continue

Overall, the year saw two notable non-Eid successes in Sherdil and Baaji, while Laal Kabootar didn’t fare too badly either. The remaining five major earners opened over the two Eid periods, which presents a worrying picture. The stakeholders from the exhibition, production, and distribution sectors need to urgently work in tandem to devise a strategy for sustaining audience interest beyond the major festive periods. Given the current scenario, every major filmmaker is vying for an Eid release in the coming year, and with about 40 or so productions in the pipeline, this presents a troubling scenario.

Women at the forefront

2019 also saw women return with vengeance to the center stage of Pakistani cinema. Chhalawa mainly worked on Tamgha-e-Imtiaz winner Mehwish Hayat’s star power, and the star was also prominently featured in a performance number from Baaji that was extensively promoted before the film’s release. The Gangster Guria proved that she had the mojo to deliver at the box office, irrespective of the male lead. Meanwhile, Mahira Khan too built much positive buzz for Superstar and shined as bright as her male co-star Bilal Ashraf in the film. Parey Hut Love and Laal Kabootar too featured strong female leads in Maya Ali and Mansha Pasha, respectively, whereas Baaji almost entirely relied on the performances of Meera and Amna Ilyas to deliver a box office success.

Strong debuts and comebacks

Among the debutantes, directors Kamal Khan (Laal Kabootar) and Saqib Malik (Baaji) made a strong impact with their first cinematic offerings. Laal Kabootar was possibly the strongest indie-flavored film from the new wave of Pakistani cinema and was also selected as Pakistan’s nomination for the Best Foreign Picture category for the Academy Awards. On the other hand, with Baaji, Saqib Malik managed to set the theater screens on fire with a crowd-pleasing mixture of glamor, drama and innumerable references to Pakistan’s golden film era of yore. When it comes to performances, first-timer Zara Noor Abbas lit up the screens in both Chhalawa and Parey Hut Love and ended up being the discovery of the year. Meera too impressed with her turn as an aging screen siren in Baaji, a strong comeback performance for the star after a gap of nearly two decades.

Popular music

On the music front, the year was dominated by three films: Superstar, Parey Hut Love and Baaji. Azan Sami Khan scored the compositions for the first two, whereas an assortment of composers handled Baaji. Two songs, Haye Dil from Parey Hut Love and Bekaraan Ishq Mein from Superstar became hot audience favorites and earned the highest number of views online, while Baaji’s Yeh Aaj Mujh Ko and Khilti Kali resurrected vintage era hits with a modern twist, gelling well with the film’s narrative. Indeed, the year saw popular film music back in the spotlight after a long time.

Final word

All in all, 2019 will be seen as another successful step forward in the evolution of mainstream Pakistani cinema. The need of the hour is for the major players from the film industry, the government and the electronic media to work out a coordinated strategy for effective, across-the-platform film promotions to cultivate audience interest in all local offerings, including the indie-flavored ones. 2020 will see a bevy of big-budget productions such as Zarrar, The Legend of Maula Jatt, Money Back Guarantee and London Nahi Jaunga, however, it is important for the long term survival of the industry that such big-ticket ventures not crowd out the smaller independent fares. Here’s hoping the coming year will bring in good tidings for the film industry!

Note: All box office figures are estimates, courtesy EntertainmentPk

The post 2019 In Cinema: Recapping The Year That Went By appeared first on Galaxy Lollywood.

2019 was quite an exciting year for the Pakistani drama industry. Not only dramas made new records of popularity but they also broke from the conventional stories to explore new topics. This gave the directors, script-writers, and actors the opportunities to try out new things and pushed the boundaries of what it means to be a Pakistani TV actor in today’s time. While some shows turned out to be unexpected hits, others that were deemed to be major successes failed to impress the audience. Needless to say, 2019 in dramas was full of surprises and proved to be a generally pathbreaking year for the country’s biggest entertainment industry.

In this article, we will be looking at the year 2019 in dramas and summarize what topics were the favorite ones with viewers, talk about some of the breakout performances by the actors, as well as take a look at which dramas made the most impact on the viewers.

Note: We will only be considering dramas that were either completely aired in 2019 or have had a considerable amount of episodes aired by the time the new year starts. Dramas that have just started airing or only had few of their last episodes aired in 2019 will not be considered in this article.

The trending topics

Television serials based on social issues were a favorite amongst the drama makers and the audience this year with many social causes highlighted. There is a wide array of social evils the writers picked and based their stories on. Be it the prevalent issue of acid-throwing (Surkh Chandni), the struggle of a rape survivor (Ruswai), or the importance of consent (Inkaar) – Pakistani dramas went all out in highlighting these issues and were generally favored by the audience. Aside from these obvious social issues the dramas also turned towards the less spoken about but equally important evil of domestic abuse, both physical (Kaisa Hai Naseeban) and mental (Khaas).

A welcome change in the topics that trended this year was the inclusion of mental health. Dramas like Ranjha Ranjha Kardi, Ishq Zahe Naseeb, and Ye Dil Mera have characters with some form of mental illness and their scripts have treated the respective illnesses with the attention and complexity that they deserve. Mental health is such an undiscussed topic in Pakistani society so it was definitely a refreshing change to see our dramas stepping up and addressing the topic head-on. A special mention goes to Ranjha Ranjha Kardi which served as a conversation starter for many “taboo” topics like the importance of acknowledging a person’s mental health and providing them the right medical treatment as well as the horrific reality of marital rape which is almost always brushed under the rug in our society.

Of course, the usual family melodramas were made their presence known throughout the year. High ratings that such dramas garnered are proof enough of the Pakistani drama viewing audience’s sensibilities who still favor the mazloom bechari trope. Yaariyan, Dil e Gumshuda, Anaa, Bharosa Pyaar Tera, Thoda Sa Haq gained high ratings but played it safe as far as their stories go.

Ye Dil Mera, Cheekh, Ishq Zahenaseeb with their suspense/thriller elements showed that the audience is ready to accept stories that challenge them mentally instead of spoon-feeding them all the information. On the other hand, Do Bol and Anaa with their romance elements proved that romance, when done right, will always be a fan favorite.

A sad trend for the year, however, was that of killing off positive male leads. The deaths of actually supportive, respectful and loving spouses in Cheekh and Khaas for nothing more than shock value just gave off the message that the female protagonists in Pakistani dramas just do not deserve to have spouses who would actually love them unconditionally and without putting them through some kind of trauma first.

Most discussed dramas

2019 definitely redefined what it means for a TV serial to be successful. Dramas Do Bol and Mere Paas Tum Ho were the show stealers of 2019. Do Bol gave the audience a new pairing to root for and made its leads Affan Waheed and Hira Mani into overnight stars. Mere Paas Tum Ho has achieved a must-see status in the country with the drama trending every week and all of its developments becoming a topic of drawing room conversations.

Cheekh started with the promise of being a murder mystery and when the drama stayed true to that promise, it had the audience completely hooked. Although ultimately it ended up taking a different route altogether, the audience was much invested in the story’s conclusion thanks to the powerful performances by the actors. Inkaar was yet another social-drama that tackled the issue of consent and what it means for a single woman when she decides to turn to the country’s law to get justice for her plight. The show’s realistic portrayal of the trials and tribulations a woman faces when fighting for her rights were worth discussing at length.

Alif with its question of the material world versus the spiritual is not a drama that is easy to digest for all viewers. However, the drama does pose important questions about morality and its place in the entertainment industry as well as the idea of whether a person can pursue spirituality while being deeply immersed in a career that focuses so much on the material. Khaas brought forth the reality of mismatched marriages by showing a self-centered, narcissist husband who leaves no chance of putting down his wife. The reality of such marriages where the wife has to suffer mental abuse and attacks on her self worth is not an uncommon sight in our society and Khaas gave many people the chance to talk about their own personal experiences. Of course, the interest in seeing the downfall of the said narcissist husband was very much real and was celebrated widely once it happened.

ISPR production Ehd-e-Wafa started with a bang with the audience excited about the prospect of getting this generation’s Alpha Bravo Charlie, however, unfortunately, the drama has lost most of its spunk with a storyline that is still a big question mark. The sequel to last year’s blockbuster drama Suno Chanda aired all through Ramzan and while it stayed true to almost all the elements that made the first season a hit, there was considerably lesser excitement about the season on social media as the episodes progressed. The reason being the focus being taken away from the show’s central leads towards new characters. The loyal audience of the show’s first season was left disappointed in the turns the sequel took as they cried that this was not what they had wanted when they had demanded a sequel.

Another drama discussed for not-so-positive reasons was Aangan, a period drama that was anticipated by the audience for almost a year. But the drama’s delay in airing, as well as its unavailability on any digital platform, did not work in its favor. After the initial excitement, Aangan fizzled out and failed to deliver upon the expectations that were built for it. The only thing the show did end up proving was the importance of releasing the dramas digitally because the shift in the audience’s viewing choices means that diligently watching a drama on television is now a thing of the past.

The stars of the year

2019 made stars out of some actors and cemented the stardom of some veterans. On one hand, veterans like Humayun Saeed and Adnan Siddiqui trended this year due to their impeccable performances and proved that despite their seniority, they still have what it takes to rule the hearts of the audience. Then, on the other hand, actors like Imran Ashraf and Iqra Aziz proved their worth with their spellbinding performances in complex roles and showed that they really are the future of this industry.

Imran Ashraf definitely deserves a special mention. His performance as Bhola in Ranjha Ranjha Kardi made him the superstar of 2019. The courage and conviction with which he played a risky character like Bhola made him an inspiration for many actors to take on more challenging roles. Not only his peers but the audience also saw Imran in a new light and crowned him their hero. With the play, Imran’s career shot to new heights of success where every project of his is now anticipated keenly.

Another star of the year was Ayeza Khan. Ayeza is not new to the industry but 2019 was the year where she definitely ruled the most. Not only did all her dramas garner huge ratings and trended at top spots on Youtube week after week, but she also took on diverse roles in all her performances. Be it the insecure, scheming Zobia in Yaariyan, the materialistic Mehwish in Mere Paas Tum Ho, or the innocent and naive Seher in Thoda Sa Haq; Ayeza proved her versatility as well as her star power by making all the projects she featured in as certified hits.

Saba Qamar continuously shone in Cheekh and definitely rose above the script by delivering an A-list performance throughout the show. Sajal Aly with her versatile performance in Aangan, Alif, and Ye Dil Mera once again proved why she is one of the top-rated actresses of the industry and a favorite of both the audience and her industry peers. Yumna Zaidi has always been a great actor and it is great to see her finally be acknowledged as such on a wider scale. Her performance in Inkaar, Dil Kya Karay, and especially in Ishq Zahe Naseeb has made everyone take notice of this powerhouse of talent and respect her for her craft and versatility.

Affan Waheed emerged as the audience’s new romantic hero with Do Bol. On the other hand, Cheekh gave Bilal Abbas an image makeover and he went from chocolate hero to an evil antagonist. Zahid Ahmed broke the boundaries of being a conventional hero with his role as Sameer/Sameera in Ishq Zahenaseeb and has set new standards of being a TV actor in Pakistan. Ahad Raza Mir makes sure to never get stuck in a rut by continuing to take on diverse characters and excelling at them with ease. Be it a character from the pre-partition era, a young PMA cadet, or a charismatic man with deep, dark secrets; Ahad’s consistency in performing well has yet to experience a hiccup.

Final word

And there you have it. This was our summary of the year 2019 in dramas. With all the hits and some misses, the year gave the audience some new kind of shows to enjoy and the drama makers some valuable lessons of what it means to make a serial in this digital age. As evident from the trending topics and the breakout performances, the audience is ready to watch dramas that do not follow a formulaic method of storytelling. There is more to Pakistani dramas than the bechari aurat and it is high time the drama makers realize that. Dramas need compelling narratives to draw the audience in and the tendency of selling sadistic melodrama for the sake of high ratings would only ultimately result in an alienated viewership.

However, we are hopeful that the current year has laid the foundation for that much-needed change in drama topics. The new year in dramas would, hopefully, have more diversity in content and would have more dramas in the sadly neglected genre of family-friendly light-hearted entertainment. Oh, and we hope more focus would be on the positive characters instead of glorifying the negative ones.

Here’s to wishing 2020 would be an even better year for dramas!

The post 2019 In Drama: Recapping The Year That Went By appeared first on Galaxy Lollywood.

Acclaimed filmmaker Jamshed Mahmood Raza, popularly known as Jami, has finally come out with the name of his alleged rapist. Previously in October, the award-winning filmmaker had created a stir over social media when he took to Twitter to share a harrowing account of being allegedly raped by a “media tycoon.” Jami had mentioned that the incident took place 13 years back in Karachi, at the home of the accused perpetrator.

Now, in a tweet posted late Saturday night, Jami stated “Yes HAMEED HAROON Raped me. I’m ready now. Are you ready to print this @dawn_com.”  

Yes HAMEED HAROON Raped me. Im ready now. R u ready to print this @dawn_com ?

— Jami raza (@azadjami1) December 28, 2019

Jami posted the incriminating tweet from the @azadjami1 account. From the same account, he also posted tweets saying his original Twitter account, @jamiazaad had been hacked.

For verification purposes, Galaxy Lollywood reached out to Jami, and the Moor director confirmed via text that @azadjami1 was indeed his account and shared a screenshot of the tweet which alleges Dawn’s CEO Hameed Haroon to be the rapist.

A painful ordeal

Earlier in November, Jami mentioned that he had shared the details among his friends about the alleged incident and the perpetrator he held responsible, however, no one stood by his side. “On my buddies from the TV commercial industry — not a single one privately or overtly came out in support. The Gang, the guy gang all vanished. Make-up artists, the directors, the producers, wardrobe icons no one. Only a few who believe in truth came out like Maheen Khan and Mehreen Jabbar,” he lamented.

On my buddies from TV commercial Industry- not a single one privately or overtly came out in support. The Gang the guy Gang all vanished. Makeup artists The Directors the Producers wardrobe icons no one. Only few who believe in truth came out like @Maheenkhanpk @mehreenjabbar &

— jami (@jamiazaad) November 22, 2019

He further added he only chose to make his ordeal public after the #MeToo movement in the country started to be discredited following the suicide of a university professor facing a rape allegation. After going public, the Operation 021 filmmaker mentioned in several tweets that the journalist community was protecting “its own,” but that he was not going to give up the fight to bring the alleged culprit to the book.

I wont give up. U few powerful protecting rapists by not touching the story no matter what are accomplice. U all r part of the circle which is protecting him by not speaking out and now even mocking victims i heard by saying there is no name. #metoo https://t.co/Glc7XWmZ8g

— jami (@jamiazaad) November 21, 2019

Describing his painful ordeal and how it affected him professionally in an interview, he said “(After the rape) my life was finished. I had been married for just two years. My work was affected. I’d get into fights. I’d start to scream…My brain doesn’t seem to function. It takes so much energy to focus on a film. I can’t focus. It takes me years to finish a film. People make a film in four months. Moor took five years. O21 took three years. Jugnu, a Sindhi film, has already taken two and a half years.”

Urges others to speak out

The filmmaker, being a staunch supporter of the #MeToo movement, also urged others like him to come out and share their stories.”Got (to) know that THERE ARE MORE SURVIVORS OUT THERE! Whoever is silent is part of the assault,” he said in a tweet, insinuating that the alleged rapist had targetted many more victims, who he was now imploring to come out publicly and talk about their horrific experiences.

Got know that THERE ARE MORE SURVIVORS OUT THERE! Who ever is silent is part of the assault.

— jami (@jamiazaad) November 11, 2019

Final word

Whether Jami’s public disclosure about the alleged perpetrator will bring forward stories of more rape survivors is something we are likely to find out in the coming few days. However, for now, the country needs to do some serious soul searching how to deal with horrific incidents of rape in a way that holds the culprits accountable and protects the victims.

The post Breaking: Jami Finally Names His Alleged Rapist appeared first on Galaxy Lollywood.

The year 2019 has been celebrated as the year of celebrity unions. The much-loved pairing of Ahad Raza Mir and Sajal Aly went official with their engagement news, Yasir Hussain and Iqra Aziz tied the knot, and Hamza Ali Abbasi and Naimal Khawar Khan broke the internet with their wedding. Additionally, several other unconfirmed news of celebrity link ups made up some of the top trending news of the year.

However, this year also brought the news of some sad breakups. One of the industry’s loved and touted as one of the most stable couple Mohib Mirza and Aamina Sheikh ended up parting ways. The news of Sheheryar Munawar getting engaged and the engagement getting called off all within the span of barely six months had gone viral. Then there was this whole debacle of Mohsin Abbas Haider and his wife Fatima Sohail parting ways in the worst kind of ways. And now, with the year ending in just a couple of days, there’s another news of a celebrity couple splitting ways.

The SyRoz breakup

One of the industry’s most adorable pairing of Shahroz Sabzwari and Syra Shahroz have reportedly split ways. There had been hush-hush rumors floating in the industry for a while now that the couple had parted ways or that they were divorced. Well, we have been told by Shahroz himself that him and Syra are officially “separated”.

“We have been separated for six months now. We had some personal irreconcilable differences that led to this,” Shahroz said as his official quote about the separation. This clarification shoots down all the rumors floating around that the reason behind the split was because of the involvement of any third person.

The couple had an on again-off again relationship for years starting in 2006. While shooting for their drama Tanhaiyaan – Naye Silsilay the young couple got together for good and in 2012 tied the knot, much to the delight of their fans. Although the two of them did not do many projects together after getting married, their social media has been full of pictures of their little family that consists of their daughter Nooreh Shahroz.

The two are slated to appear as the leading pair in an upcoming film whose extensive portion has been shot in Bahrain.

The post ‘Syra and I Have Been Separated For Six Months,’ Shahroz Sabzwari Talks About The Ordeal appeared first on Galaxy Lollywood.

The director of a movie is like a captain of the ship — the fate of a movie largely lies in the hands of this person. With his vision, he can craft a masterpiece out of a good script. When it comes to commercial cinema, making a profitable film is a dream for any debut director. The most recent to join the list is Sohail Javed. He enjoys a diversified portfolio of creating numerous music videos and TV commercials. Javed spoke to Galaxy Lollywood about his debut film Sorry, why it took him so long to make his cinematic debut, his partnership with Faysal Qureshi, Sonya Hussain’s sudden exit from the production and much more.

Cinema is always the ultimate medium for a director. What took you so long in making your cinematic debut?

I’ve been waiting to tell the kind of story I had envisioned. Keeping in view the present business scenario of cinema; making a film in Pakistan is quite difficult. Especially when you are not signed up with a brand or it’s your debut film or you want to make something on your own terms; it’s a very long, painful and lonely road.

Faysal Qureshi is returning to films after 18 years with your first film. It couldn’t get better than that, could it?

I had written three scripts based on different genres i.e. action, comedy, and romance. I met Faysal and he was instantly hooked with this one. I had already spent two years writing it, so it was natural that Sorry had to be done first. I and Faysal go back a long way and have worked on some interesting projects. I really enjoy working with him; he doesn’t stress out the director in fact becomes a partner and that is an interesting trait.

Correct me if I am wrong. Is Sorry a remake or inspired by any other film?

Sorry is not a remake nor inspired by any other film. It’s inspired by real-life and real events.

Is Sorry a commercial potboiler with complete ‘baara masalay’? Tell us about the plot?

Yes! It’s a commercial film, a love story with seven songs. The movie belongs to the family-oriented love story genre we had back in the day. It’s about four people in love with each other; going through their own journeys, facing their painful problems and finding a resolved closure to the issue.

A good film is soulless without a good script. How important is it to tell a good story?

The story and script are everything; having said that, a great story can be badly written or executed. I believe it’s a collaborative effort; you need a good story backed up by a great cast followed by a great DOP. Usually, people don’t focus on having a good DOP on board. I believe DOP is the director’s wife who makes it easier to paint a particular emotion or the story. They aren’t two individuals; the director and DOP are one unit.

Were Amnah Sheikh and Zahid Ahmed the first choices?

Amnah and Zahid were not the first choices. As far as the cast is concerned, you may expect a few more surprises in the months to come.

Was Tich Button the actual reason behind Sonya Hussain’s exit?

Sonya is a good person and a good friend too. She was busy with Tich Button and I was demanding a certain type of procedure since it’s my first film. In the time she had, and the time I required, it was becoming a bit difficult to carry on. Therefore we shook hands, hugged each other and wished best of luck. I have high hopes for Tich Button. With no offense to press and media, this issue was blown out of proportion. I read four different statements of Sonya within a span of just two days.  I want to give my final statement through Galaxy Lollywood’s platform ‘Sonya and I decided that we will not be able to do Sorry the way I wanted. She respected that, I respected her timeline and that’s about it’.

How did Faryal Mehmood come on board?

I had worked with Faryal earlier on a project and we didn’t get along. In fact, we had a fight on social media, but later she apologized. However, during the first spell of Sorry, I fell in love with her professionally. She was so organized, prepared and available for a particular sequence. Everything she did on screen was value addition. I am really looking forward to working with her in the final spell. She’s a sweet and dedicated person. Her energy is infectious, it’s all positive and she just wants to work.

Tell us about the music album?

I am working with seven music producers; we’ve got seven songs; out of which I have written five. Abbas Ali Khan, Ahmed Jahanzeb and Shani Arshad are part of the project. The music palette is designed commercially that offers a shaadi number, a bhangra track, emotional, romantic and tragic songs.

What’s the shooting update?

We will begin filming for the second spell early next year; it’s the biggest chunk of the film and will be shot outside Pakistan. By then the film will be ninety percent complete.

How important are box office numbers for you?

In today’s scenario when cinema is surviving on whatever we produce; box office numbers are everything. Faysal and I approached it with a business point of view yet creatively, making sure that the audience would get to see a good story, dialogues, and music. Box office numbers are important, but you must tell a story as well.

When do you plan to release it? What’s your take on films simultaneously releasing on Eid?

We are aiming for a release next year. We aren’t sure about the Eid release, it will be Faysal’s (the lead producer) and the distributor’s call.  Being the director I want to stay away from the festive release period.

Tell us about your endeavors for 2020.

You can’t really get on with other things if you are in the middle of a film; it becomes very difficult as the focus may shift and affect the process of storytelling. However, I am writing two projects and working on some other stuff in the pipeline. I am also making something interesting for the digital platform.

The post ‘Making A Film On Your Own Terms Is Difficult In Pakistan,’ Says Sohail Javed appeared first on Galaxy Lollywood.

Social media has been ablaze with speculation and analysis ever since the news of Shahroz Sabzwari being separated from wife Syra Shahroz has gone viral. On one hand, a section of the social media is busy lamenting the split of a seemingly perfect couple, yet there is another section that has given a completely different spin altogether and made the couple’s private business into a messy triangle.

There are rumors going around that the reason behind the Shahroz-Syra split was Shahroz allegedly cheating on his wife with supermodel and actress Sadaf Kanwal. After a day’s of silence on the matter, Sadaf Kanwal has stepped up and made an official statement regarding the issue, too. And now, just a while ago, Shahroz took to his Instagram and posted a video to once and for all put all the rumor-mongering to rest.

The clarifications

“Shahroz and I are just friends! We met a month ago!,” stated Sadaf Kanwal clearing the air about her and Shahroz’s relationship. She said she met Shahroz at an event about a month ago where they performed together. By that time Shehroz and Syra had already been split for almost five months.

Her statement corroborated with the one Shahroz had given Galaxy Lollywood earlier. Shahroz had said that his relationship with Sadaf is just friendly and he has only known her for about a month.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Shahroz Sabzwari (@shahrozsabzwari) on Dec 30, 2019 at 2:51am PST

“It’s sad to see the shade that social media has been throwing Sadaf when she has had no involvement in the matter. We met only a month ago. Syra and I have been split for six months; the two matters have no relationship whatsoever,” he stated emphatically.

In the Instagram video that Shahroz posted, he refuted the rumors that he and Syra have been divorced and explained that they have only been separated because of their personal differences. He also mentioned that it was sad to see news floating around claiming that his and Syra’s divorce has been confirmed whereas he or Syra or their families have not given said anything like that.

“We decided to be separated when we realized our personal differences were affecting the atmosphere of the household. So instead of letting the issues create more negativity, we have opted for separation. Whether or not it will turn into anything final, we do not know yet.”

Rumors have provoked a backlash

He also demanded an apology from all media publications giving rise to rumors that Sadaf Kanwal is the reason behind the split and insisted that he had met Sadaf only a month ago that too due to professional commitments. He was displeased at the way his personal issue with his wife has been turned into tabloid gossip which is causing Sadaf to receive a harsh backlash and criticism that she does not deserve.

On the matter of his daughter, Shahroz said that he along with his wife Syra love their daughter and that she is happy living with both of them. He closed the video on the request to not spread rumors further and make a mockery out of this issue by turning it into tabloid gossip as the ethical repercussions of such an act are very high.

The post Shahroz Sabzwari and Sadaf Kanwal Address Rumors Regarding Shahroz-Syra Separation appeared first on Galaxy Lollywood.

Sarmad Khoosat’s upcoming flick Zindagi Tamasha made waves internationally in October when it premiered at the prestigious Busan International Film Festival, where it was awarded the Kim Ji-Seok Award. The avant-garde arthouse production has high expectations riding given it’s Sarmad’s first cinematic offering since 2015’s Manto and is supposed to offer a soul-stirring narrative that holds up a mirror to our society, per the feedback that has poured in since its world premiere.

Interestingly, the trailer for the film which was released a few months back is now nowhere to be found over the internet. Originally uploaded in late September on popular streaming platforms such as YouTube, it received a largely positive response, showcasing content that was both offbeat, current and relevant. That it has been taken down is perplexing especially given that the film has been cleared by the censors for a nationwide release on January 24. The question that immediately comes to mind is that have the film censors raised objection over the clip’s provocative content, which alludes to taboo themes in the society that are usually brushed under the rug? While the federal film oversight body routinely screens content for theaters, pulling the trailer from the internet would require some coordination with PEMRA.

Galaxy Lollywood reached out to Sarmad Khoosat about the development. The Humsafar director was concerned and stated: “I will be holding a press conference tomorrow about Zindagi Tamasha’s trailer being taken down where I will discuss all the pertinent details.”

The roughly minute and a half long clip narrates the story of a naat-khwan named Rahat Khawaja (played by Arif Hassan) and his family who find themselves ostracised when a certain video of Khawaja becomes public. After the video goes viral, even his own daughter, Sadaf (Eman Suleman) is ashamed of him.

With only a few weeks to go before the film hits theater screens, it is crucially important for all its publicity material to be in the public eye. One can only hope that the censors are not having second thoughts about giving the picture a clean chit.

Zindagi Tamasha will one of Sarmad’s two films to release in 2020, the other being Saba Qamar starrer Kamli. It has been co-produced by Khoosat and his sister Kanwal Khoosat and written by Nirmal Bano. The film is bilingual, mostly shot in Punjabi. Along with Arif Hassan and Iman Suleman, the cast includes Ali Qureshi, Samiya Mumtaz, and Imran Khoosat.

We will be watching this story closely for any new development. Stay tuned to Galaxy Lollywood for the latest on Zindagi Tamasha!

The post Why Has The Trailer Of ‘Zindagi Tamasha’ Been Removed From The Internet? appeared first on Galaxy Lollywood.

The previous decade saw Pakistani cinema rise from the ashes, and many actors set the silver screen on fire with their scintillating performances, setting a new standard of excellence for the performing arts in the country. Galaxy Lollywood’s editorial panel and writers discussed and voted on the performances from the decade past that stole the limelight, and here we present you with the Best 25 Performances Of The Decade, listed in chronological order.

1.Humaima Malick – Bol (2011)

Humaima Malick was handed over a character that was possibly the strongest ever for a woman in Pakistani cinema’s history, and she truly made it her own, giving the performance of a lifetime. Playing Zainab in the Shoaib Mansoor helmed project, Humaima delivered an intense, power-packed performance that truly brought out the inner conflicts and challenges, and also gave the story its edgy, emotional core. 

2.Manzar Sehbai – Bol (2011)

Manzar Sehbai in Bol is truly an act to remember. Playing Hakeem Shafatullah in Shoaib Mansoor’s gritty take on many social ills, Manzar embodied his character’s innate aggression, misogyny and lack of empathy in a manner that made the audience gasp and grimace in revulsion. This one was a performance of a lifetime that will go down as one of the iconic ones in Pakistani cinema.

3.Sarmad Khoosat – Manto (2015)

Essaying the titular character in the tortured writer’s biopic, Sarmad Khoosat was able to transcend the barrier of make-believe to carve out a performance that was effectively haunting, gut-wrenching and real. This one was truly a spectacular debut from the actor, all the more brilliant as he was also directing the movie.

4.Yasir Hussain – Karachi Se Lahore (2015)

Playing Moti/Mutazalzal in Karachi Se Lahore, Yasir Hussain proved he had the perfect comic timing and screen presence to ensure that his performance would be noticed in a star-studded ensemble cast that starred many established actors. The movie’s laugh-a-minute one-liners were delivered with perfection by Yasir, and by the time the end credits rolled, the audience knew that Pakistani cinema’s next big comic act had arrived.

5.Sohai Ali Abro – Jawani Phir Nahi Ani (2015)

Playing Zoya, Sohai Ali Abro managed to turbo-charge the second half of a film in a way no other actor has possibly managed in recent Pakistani cinema. Without overdoing her act, she brought the right amount of verve, eccentricity, and fierceness to the hilarious role that completely won over the audiences.

6.Fahad Mustafa – Actor In Law (2016)

Fahad Mustafa essayed the character of a struggling actor who ends up posing as a lawyer who fights for the people. He excelled showcasing the film’s quick-witted and socially aware brand of humor in his performance, which will go down as one of the best from the decade. The icing on the cake was his superb chemistry with fellow actor Mehwish Hayat.

7.Nayyer Ejaz – Mehrunnisa V Lub U (2017)

While Nayyer Ejaz has quite a few outstanding performances to his credit over the past decade, his turn as the transgendered villain Marzi in Mehrunnisa V Lub U was particularly memorable for the sheer scale of tongue-in-cheek malevolence it brought to the screen. His performance will rank along with the finest in a negative role in Pakistan’s film history.

8.Mehwish Hayat – Punjab Nahi Jaungi (2017)

Mehwish Hayat essayed the career-defining character of Amal in this 2017 box office extravaganza and captured the hero’s – as well as the audience’s heart – with the natural poise and grace with which she played the role that stands up to a feudal, patriarchal mindset. She convincingly portrayed Amal’s turbulent emotional arc, excelling in the romantic scenes as well as the dramatic and emotional ones.

9.Humayun Saeed – Punjab Nahi Jaungi (2017)

Fawad Khagga will go down in history as one of Pakistani cinema’s most iconic characters, and Humayun Saeed brought just the right Punjabi accent and small-town mannerisms to make his performance a truly memorable one. Whether it was serenading the heroine, shaking a leg to a mehndi number or displaying some traditional Punjabi machismo, Humayun did it all with panache.

10.Shaan Shahid – Arth The Destination (2017)

Shaan Shahid’s turn as a struggling, forgotten musician in Arth The Destination was a class act – the star excelled in channeling the right amount of pathos and hope through a character that was different from anything he had done before. Shaan demonstrated his acting prowess and left us all impressed, once again.

11.Uzma Hassan – Arth The Destination (2017)

Uzma Hassan in Arth The Destination essayed the complex character of a woman on the edge after discovering her husband is having an extra-marital affair. In her debut film role, she displayed solid histrionics and mesmerized the audience by emoting the angst, trauma, and conflict of her character brilliantly.

12.Aamina Sheikh – Cake (2018)

Aamina Sheikh played Zareen in Cake, a 30-something who is veritably her family’s sole caretaker in the absence of her foreign-settled siblings. Aamina quite effortlessly managed to translate the grey character’s inner frustrations, struggles, and conflicts on-screen, managing to give a performance that will stay with us for years.

13.Sanam Saeed – Cake (2018)

In a film with the most realistic portrayal of a dysfunctional family in Pakistani cinema ever, Sanam Saeed did exceedingly well as Zara, a pivotal character in the film who has left Pakistan for mysterious reasons. That she managed to build effortless chemistry on screen with the rest of the cast only added to her performance. 

14.Mohammed Ahmed – Cake (2018)

As the aging Sindhi feudal, Mohammad Ahmad’s performance in Cake was the glue that gelled the talented ensemble cast together. Whether it was drama, irony or humor, the seasoned thespian aced practically all the sequences in the film and made his role one of the most memorable from the decade.

15.Ali Zafar – Teefa In Trouble (2018)

Ali Zafar in Teefa In Trouble’s titular character brought the first truly masala action hero on screen, who can stick-fight with as equal ease as he can serenade his lady love. Teefa will easily go down as one of the more memorable action-comedy figures in Pakistani cinema’s history, and credit has to be given to Ali for doing a brilliant job.

16.Maya Ali – Teefa In Trouble (2018)

Maya Ali sprung up a pleasant surprise debuting as Anya in Teefa In Trouble, impressing the audience and the critics with the devil-may-care rebellious streak she brought to her role. While occasionally the damsel in distress, Anya proves by the end of the film that she can hold her own fort quite well, and credit has to be given to Maya’s performance that is equal parts spunky as it is charming and endearing.

17.Ahmad Ali Butt – JPNA 2 (2018)

Ahmad Ali Butt truly shined as PP in the second installment of the Jawani Phir Nahi Ani franchise, showing the world that none of his contemporaries could quite match his comic prowess. With his gender-bending act in the latter portions of the film, he literally brought the house down with a performance that was equal parts slapstick as it was surreal.

18.Faiza Hassan – Load Wedding (2018)

Faiza Hassan’s performance as Baby Baaji in Load Wedding kept the audiences hooked as they saw her character develop from one on the sidelines to one that eventually takes the center stage by the time the film’s climax rolls. She was in equal parts funny, manipulative, angry and desperate – in short truly brilliant. 

19.Hajra Yamin – Pinky Memsaab (2018)

In the titular character of Pinky, Hajra brought to life the timid, small-town girl who is hired as the domestic help in UAE, who comes of age through the many tricky twists life throws her way. Hajra fleshed out Pinky’s quiet inner strength and resilience superbly and ended up winning the audience’s heart by the time the end credits roll.

20.Rashid Farooqui – Laal Kabootar (2019)

Playing a bad-cop with his heart in the right place, policing the chaotic streets of Karachi was never going to be an easy job but all credit has to go to Rashid Farooqui for making it all look effortlessly realistic. His earthy, gritty performance managed to hold the audience rapt in attention right till the surreal concluding moments of the film. 

21.Ahmed Ali Akbar – Laal Kabootar (2019)

Ahmed Ali Akbar impressed as the quick-witted, street smart cab-driver who gets tangles himself into a plot that is far more sinister than it initially seems. This was Ahmed’s first lead role in a film and he seems to have made the best of the opportunity, as the usually hard-to-impress critics, as well as the audience, were all singing tall praises.

22.Meera – Baaji (2019)

Let’s just put it this way – no other actor could have pulled off Shameera, the aging, insecure and scandal-ridden screen siren, as well as Meera did. She not only excelled in Baaji’s many dramatic and emotional sequences but also looked glamorous in the movie’s many tastefully shot song and dance sequences. This one was truly a grand return to glory for the actor.

23.Amna Ilyas – Baaji (2019)

In Baaji, Amna Ilyas played the salon masseuse Neha, a somewhat ambitious ingénue who eventually wins over the trust of a former star. The star hit all the right notes in bringing to life the tempestuous journey of her character, imbuing her very controlled performance with the right amount of emotion, poise, and enigma.

24.Mahira Khan – Superstar (2019)

In Superstar’s Noori Mahira Khan got to play a character that showcased the whole wide range of emotions, be it, love, betrayal, anger or grief. With her fine performance, the star proved that she is truly the queen of romantic drama. Add to this the fact that she looked like a million bucks and danced like a dream. It was a performance par excellence, indeed.

25.Sheheryar Munawar – Parey Hut Love (2019)

Sheheryar Munawar essayed his namesake character in Parey Hut Love, a role that required him to showcase the struggles of an up and coming actor who experiences much tumult in his love life. Sheheryar hit all the right notes in bringing out the emotional highs and lows of his character perfectly in his on-screen performance, which will go down as one of the best in the decade.

The post The 25 Best Performances Of The Decade appeared first on Galaxy Lollywood.

2019 witnessed a spree of weddings and engagements in the tinsel town. From Yasir Hussain and Iqra Aziz’s winter wedding to Hamza Ali Abbasi and Naimal Khawar’s surprise nuptial ceremony and Sajal Ali and Ahad Raza Mir’s private engagement, our favorite celebrity couples kept grapevine buzzing with activity.

Now, it seems like 2020 is all set to surprise us even more with new romantic relationships and more star weddings. Hear this: The word around town is that Umair Jaswal and Sana Javed are all ready to join the shaadi bandwagon!

Both Umair and Sana are currently experiencing a career-high. Sana has performed in one successful drama serial after another, excelling in challenging roles for which the Ruswai actress has been lauded by the critics and audience alike. Umair, on the other hand, is also basking in the glory of his latest Coke Studio outing Chal Raha Hoon.

To give some background, Sana has been friends with the Jaswal brothers for quite a few years now but her equation with Umair became a topic for gossipmongers ever since Sana dropped by a customized sports-themed cake on Umair’s Birthday which the Na Rahoon singer posted on his social media and shared with his fans. The two have also been spotted together at various events lately.

View this post on Instagram

Thankyou for all the lovely Birthday Wishes. Still cutting cakes . Abb thordi diet ker lain .

A post shared by Umair Jaswal (@umairjaswalofficial) on Dec 24, 2019 at 3:08am PST

Sana and Umair have stayed mum about their relationship but now those in the know say that the two are all set to tie the knot in a formal ceremony very soon. Sana has not signed a project following Ruswai which makes us wonder if the stunning actress is occupied with her wedding to-do list. Umair, who was last seen judging a reality show, too has been selective on the work front currently.

The two together make for an interesting duo and a beautiful pair. We wish them all the best for their future and also are rooting for their on-screen collaboration!

The post Wedding Bells: Sana Javed And Umair Jaswal All Set To Tie The Knot appeared first on Galaxy Lollywood.

There is no denying the fact that the music scene in Pakistan has always been distinct and diverse. And with the resurrection of Pakistani cinema happening in the decade that has passed, Pakistan music industry gets to once again boast of its distinguishable film music. Many of the films that released in this decade had a soundtrack that was not only catchy but also proved crucial in marketing the film to the audience. The film music not only topped many musical charts in the decade but also helped new, independent musicians in getting a platform to showcase their talent on a large scale.

Here are the ten of the best film music albums that came out in the past decade, listed chronologically. We are looking at the quality of the film album as a whole and not just counting individual songs.

Bin Roye (2015)

Music: Shiraz Uppal, Sahir Ali Bagga, Shani Arshad and Waqar Ali

The 2015 release film Bin Roye has one of the most wholesome soundtracks for any Pakistani films released this decade. With music composed by Shiraz Upal, Sahir Ali Bagga, Shani Arshad, and Waqar Ali, the soundtrack consists of ballads, upbeat pop music, and a shaadi anthem. One of the most commendable things of the film’s soundtrack is how each song fits in the narrative of the film seamlessly however, they each hold their own as stand-alone songs as well. Ballay Ballay remains a popular song for mehendi ceremonies while O Yara‘s haunting melody and stirring lyrics convey the emotion of deep love like no other.

Dekh Magar Pyaar Se (2015)

Music: Soch the Band, Mooroo, Asrar and Saira Haider

While this 2015 release might not have gained many favorable reviews from the critics, the one unanimously praised feature of this film is its brilliant soundtrack. The soundtrack consists of modern remakes of beloved classics and famous folk songs. Apart from these the original songs and the inclusion of tracks produced by indie artists give the album a wholesome feel which is an instant favorite for any music lover. The upbeat version of Kaala Doriyaan gave the new generation a fun way of enjoying this folk song.

Ho Mann Jahaan (2016)

Music: Zebunissa Bangash, Atif Aslam, Faakhir Mehmood, Jimmy Khan, Mai Dhaai Band and Ehtasham Mallick

This coming-of-age film released in 2016 was based on a group of three friends who all had musical aspirations. Naturally that meant that the soundtrack of the film had to be strong which it was. In addition to that it featured much diversity in the genres of the music and had everything for something. Featuring famous qawaals, folk singer, pop singers, as well as indie singers, the music of Ho Mann Jahaan is like a kaleidoscope of diversity all brought together with much care. Because seven out of the ten songs featured in the soundtrack were remakes of already made songs, the soundtrack showcases the kind of musical talent and diversity the country has to offer. Shakar Wandaan Re will forever remain a bop and its ability to bring everyone on the dance floor to do the song’s signature dance step cannot be matched by any other song.

Punjab Nahin Jaungi (2017)

Music: Shiraz Uppal, Shani Arshad, Sahir Ali Bagga, Farhan Saeed and Ahmed Ali Butt

One of the biggest hits of the decade could not have happened without the help of its soundtrack. The music of Punjab Nahin Jaungi is composed by various artists to produce an album full of originally composed and completely filmy songs. While the romantic tracks Aye Dil and Tere Naal Naal made the audience swoon with their smooth melody, the film’s dedicated dance track 24/7 Lakk Hilna became the life of the mehendi dance floor. The special track Rab Rakha sung and composed by Farhan Saeed elevated the quality of an already wonderful soundtrack.

Arth – The Destination (2017)

Music: Sahir Ali Bagga

Arth‘s soundtrack consists of fourteen tracks composed by Sahir Ali Bagga. While the sheer number of the songs featured in the album might seem overwhelming to some, the soundtrack of the film is actually a crucial part of the film’s narrative as one of the main characters of the film is a musician. A musical film needs to have a strong soundtrack and Arth‘s soundtrack delivers just that. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan went on to win the LSA for Best Male Singer for his song Sanwar De Khudaya featured in the film’s soundtrack.

Teefa in Trouble (2018)

Music: Ali Zafar

This 2018 blockbuster film did many things and it did them completely right. With Ali Zafar, one of the most talented musicians of Pakistan, at the helm of creating music for his film, it was almost a guarantee that the soundtrack of the film would be a work of impeccable quality. Item Number was the most trending song of the year whereas the tracks Chan Ve and Sajna Door became the love anthems. The Lahori soul of the film was evident in the soundtrack with the rap song Butt Sahab and the inclusion of the traditional song Nahin Jaana.

Parwaaz Hai Junoon (2018)

Music: Azaan Sami Khan

Films based on patriotic themes demand to have music that can convey the energy of the jawaans who fight for the country’s safety and honor every day. And the debutant music director Azaan Sami Khan managed to create a soundtrack that perfectly captured all the emotional beats of the film’s story within the music. Main Udaa had the right amount of blood pumping zeal that suited the ambitions of the Pakistan Air Force around whom the story revolved. Thaam Lo, on the other hand, was the heart warming romantic track which sang of the romance of these youths. And Musafir was the perfect haunting track to close the emotional journey of the film.

Baaji (2019)

Music: Zebunissa Bangash, Taha Malik, Jamal Rehman and Tafu

Not many films explore the reality of the world of Lollywood the way Baaji did. Its soundtrack in turn ended up both paying homage to as well as reviving the charm of the old-school Pakistani film music that was lost for so long. The soundtrack features of some classic Lollywood songs remade with a modern touch. Khilti Kali and Yeh Aaj Mujh Ko definitely manage to re-introduce the classics to a whole bunch of new listeners while Gangster Guriya is a song that is the reflection of the sensibilities of current cinema.

Parey Hut Love (2019)

Music: Azaan Sami Khan

With the film being heavily marketed as a grand cinematic affair, the music of the film had to be something similar. With Parey Hut Love, Azaan Sami Khan more or less cemented his position as one of the country’s most talented musicians for the soundtrack of Parey Hut Love was grand, filmy, but most importantly – original. Hayye Dil Bechara was the year’s most-viewed film music video and the song dominated the dance floors of the country. Behka Na as the soundtrack’s romantic number tugged the heartstrings of all the romantics. And Ik Pal was a clever remake of the traditional song Chan Maahi meant to be played profusely at weddings all around.

Superstar (2019)

Music: Azaan Sami Khan

There is a range in Superstar‘s soundtrack that is so rarely found in any music album. Azaan Sami Khan’s third venture as a music director is perhaps his most complex work that could very well become his signature style. There is a grandness in the soundtrack’s romantic ballad Bekaraan, the blend of qawali with a distinctly pop sound in Ghalat Fehmi is a reflection of the feeling of heartbreak that can be quite messy and tough to reconcile with. While Noori provides the soundtrack a touch of masala that is true of the film’s world of cinema.

The post The 10 Best Film Soundtracks Of The Decade appeared first on Galaxy Lollywood.

The 2010s will forever be known as the most formative and decisive years for Pakistani cinema. It was during this decade that not only the Pakistani cinema went through its so-called revival stage but also, some of the films produced within these years established the very essence of modern Pakistani cinema. Be it due to the themes they explored or the way they were presented, Pakistani films made in this decade will go down in history as some of the most important ones.

We have, after much deliberation and discussion, jotted down 10 of the most important films made in Pakistan in the 2010s, listed chronologically below. These films might vary in genre and hold a difference in their box office earnings however, the impact of these films on Pakistani cinema as a whole cannot be argued.

Bol (2011)

Produced by: Nabila Ali and Fayyaz Ahmad Khan

This Shoaib Mansoor directorial is the brightest example of Pakistani cinema shaking out of its identity crisis. With stories and themes that were deeply seeped in the reality of Pakistani society, Bol was one of the first films of the decade that solidified the fact that Pakistan has stories to tell which belong completely and totally to Pakistan and are not influenced by the trends of Hollywood or Bollywood. The stellar representation of the lesser, if at all, discussed truths of the society wonderfully wound in a tight narrative that was both fascinating and disturbing make Bol a film that is to be cherished for many more years to come.

Waar (2013)

Produced by: Hassan Rana

2013 was not a year where the audience was expecting any sort of groundbreaking cinema that was produced locally. And then came Waar. With Waar director Bilal Lashari did what was desperately missing from mainstream entertainment i.e. blending of the real-life events in a fictional narrative. It is also one of the first and few well-made movies that show a positive and heroic side of Pakistan’s armed saviors. This film gave Pakistan a chance to control its own narrative when the international media, especially Bollywood, was busy painting an image of the country that was profoundly negative. Waar gave the audience as well as the filmmakers of the country a taste of just how rich and fulfilling stories the country has to offer if only one would dare to step out of the comfort zone and commit to telling those stories with complete honesty.

Na Maloom Afraad (2014)

Produced by: Fizza Ali Meerza and Mehdi Ali

2014 was still the year when more than locally produced content (which was not high in numbers, to begin with) the audience was happily consuming international films. But Na Maloom Afraad was that pathbreaking film that proved that Pakistani films also have longevity to them and they are capable of running for long times at the cinemas. All it needs for the film is to be relatable and original, both the sentiments easily seen in the Nabeel Qureshi directorial Na Maloom Afraad. Based in the bustling city of Karachi and taking inspiration from some harsh realities of the said city, NMA is a clever, humorous, and earnest take on the desperation of a common man struggling to find stability in his life while living in an unstable city. NMA stayed away from glossy fanfare and instead focused on real-life characters that were instantly relatable for the audience. And it was this relatability that made the film run in the cinemas for a record 22 weeks.

Jawani Phir Nahi Ani (2015)

Produced by: Salman Iqbal, Jerjees Seja, Humayun Saeed, and Shahzad Nasib

Masala movies tend to get a lot of flak from the intellectual brand of audience who frown at any film that dares to be entertaining in a no-brainer sort of way. Jawani Phir Nahi Ani directed by Nadeem Baig showed those naysayers that an entertaining masala film is not always without a brain. The humorous writing of JPNA that was full of pop-culture references exclusive to the Pakistani society gave the audience a masala film that was not falling over its feet in trying to imitate someone else’s style. It very cunningly used the trappings of a typical comedy film and then redefined what it means to be an out-and-out Pakistani comedy film. The film is funny, witty, and became a part of the country’s pop culture all while setting standards of how far filmmaking in Pakistan has come.

Actor In Law (2016)

Produced by: Fizza Ali Meerza and Mehdi Ali

Another great example of blending the real-life events within a fictional narrative was the 2016 Nabeel Qureshi directorial Actor In Law. Coming after Na Maloom Afraad, Qureshi solidified the idea that a common man living in a metropolitan city has as many interesting stories to tell as a lesser privileged rural man. It is all about tapping within the desires and motivations the characters easily found within the society and presenting them cinematically. NMA also showed how social realities of the country need not always be shown from a depressing lens and a film can highlight the problems and issues of the society from a lighter angle that tethers on being optimistic, however, it gets the job done wonderfully.

Punjab Nahi Jaungi (2017)

Produced by: Salman Iqbal, Jerjees Seja, Humayun Saeed, and Shahzad Nasib

In the time when Pakistani cinema was all but completely disappeared from the mainstream, Pakistani dramas solidified their place as the most popular form of entertainment. And Punjab Nahi Jaungi was one of the very few successful attempts in bringing all the highs of a Pakistani drama on the big screen without losing that cinematic touch. It was also a film that cemented the love that the Pakistani audience has for romance and melodrama when it comes to movies.

Cake (2018)

Produced by: Zulfikar Bukhari, Mahnoor Amna, Sumaira Qazi, Mo Azmi, and Asim Abbasi

Unlike the western world, Pakistani society is all for appreciating and wholeheartedly accepting the joint family system. It is such a standard affair that no one questions the implications of this system and chooses to ignore the harsher realities of it. Cake turns to one such family that seems like a normal family and focuses on the intricate and complicated ties that bind them. The introspective manner of storytelling mixed with the deeper, universally acknowledged emotions makes Cake an interesting blend of art-cinema and mainstream movie. Cake shows the bolder and more mature side of Pakistani cinema which has evolved from engaging in loud and dramatic tussles to portraying complicated conflicts with nuance and sensibility.

Teefa In Trouble (2018)

Produced by: Ali Zafar

The audience loves action. And the audience loves humor. Teefa In Trouble brought the best of these two beloved genres and gave Pakistan an action-comedy film that truly redefined the standards of filmmaking in Pakistan. Director Ahsan Rahim paired up with actor, writer, producer, musician Ali Zafar and gave Pakistani cinema its true summer blockbuster which did not rely on the lucrative Eid release date to bring in big numbers on the box office. Teefa is a shining example of the statement that more than the date of the film’s release, it is the content of the film that sells. The film had slick action and rib-tickling humor. Teefa In Trouble tapped into what the audience actually wants from a Pakistani cinema in a way that very few other Pakistani films – a decent script presented in a captivating manner full of enjoyable performances and a foot-tapping soundtrack.

Laal Kabootar (2019)

Produced by: Hania Chima and Kamil Chima

Experimenting with new techniques and genres is a must if the industry has to evolve. And Laal Kabootar was one such successful experiment. A serious film set in the dark underbelly of the city of lights, Karachi, Laal Kabootar had looked like a risky venture from when its trailers were released. It did not serve anything “comfortable” to the audience i.e. it was very far from a standard well-lit, mainstream affair that the audience was used to watching. And that is where the film’s success lay. Because it dared to move away from the predictable style of filmmaking and had the courage to experiment with its genre and presentation, Laal Kabootar definitely proved that the audience is more than ready to invest in other subjects than just bubblegum floss style of films.

Baaji (2019)

Produced by: Saqib Malik

Pakistani cinema has a very rich and complex history that demands to be explored. In 2019 Saqib Malik did just that. Baaji delves deep into the darker side of Lollywood and explored the harsh realities behind the world of glitz and glamor. Baaji was dark and brutal and an enthralling cinematic experience for it tackled issues of stardom and the desperation to stay relevant in a world that has the shortest attention span. The film proved that there are many stories lurking in the seen and unseen corners of our everyday world and all it needs is to capture them in the right light for the audience is ready to watch them all.

The post The 10 Best Films Of The Decade appeared first on Galaxy Lollywood.

Mere Paas Tum Ho is undoubtedly one of the biggest television phenomena in recent times, the characters, dialogues and OST have worked big time with the audiences. The show has also gained international viewership on digital platforms making it the most viewed Pakistani television play of recent times. It has been penned by renowned writer Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar, who is always in the news be it for his blunt interviews or his sensational writing.

While various characters of the play have caught viewers’ attention, it is Roomi, the precocious child of on-screen characters Danish and Mehwish who has especially endeared himself to the audience – even if his behavior has at times has come across as somewhat odd. Now, the play’s controversy-ridden writer has revealed in his latest interview that Roomi is based on his own childhood. 

What he said

Khalil sahib revealed in a heartfelt confession, “I wrote the character of Roomi with an actor in mind. And that actor was Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar. That kid is actually playing the role of Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar. I am disclosing this today. He is essaying my childhood. I was a kid who used to say such big things that it used to shock people around me. And I named him Roomi, out of love for a very close friend of mine who is also named Roomi.”

Khalil-ur-Rehman’s candor deserves an appreciation since Roomi, while upping the cuteness level in the play, has also come under some criticism for his adult-like behavior and screen lines which might seem awkward. Hence confessing that the narrative comes from his own life is surely a daring statement.  

Enacted by child star Shees Shahzad Gul, the character’s dialogues such as “Mama bhi chor ke chali jaye, to mama nahi rehti” have drawn much attention. Roomi is also known to have said some rather odd lines like “Mama poppat lag rahi hai, poppat” which we now know have come from a personal space of Khalil sahab’s own childhood. The character has the trademark bluntness that we see in Khalil’s interviews, be it his suggestion to his father of marrying his school teacher or telling his mother on her face that he doesn’t want her to come and see him at his boarding school.

Final word

Khalil-ur-Rehman’s revelation is surely unexpected but not surprising. The detailing given to Roomi’s character made the audience believe that the character is close to the writer’s heart. Roomi also is the meatiest character for a child artist in Pakistani television post-Udaari. Shees mentioned in his recent interviews that MPTH might be his only acting gig but we hope to see this bundle of talent being part of exciting narratives on the small screen. 

The post ‘Roomi Is Based On My Life,’ Says Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar, And We Are Not Surprised! appeared first on Galaxy Lollywood.

Malala Yousafzai, the world’s youngest Nobel Prize Winner survived a tragic gun attack on her by the Taliban in 2012. This news caught international media’s coverage and the rest they say is history. Now, there’s a biopic of Malala in the offing titled Gul Makai, the trailer of which has been released today on digital platforms. The Bollywood production has been directed by Amjad Khan with an Indian cast and crew. Shooting for the film is said to have taken place in Kashmir and Mumbai. 

A mixed bag

The trailer of Gul Makai is a mixed bag and showcases content packaged in a stereotypical way although its heart seems to be in the right place. More than Malala’s struggle, the terrorist elements (which have been cleared since the last few years) in Swat have been highlighted a lot more. Importantly, the accents and mannerisms of the actors are also distinctly Bollywood and lack authenticity.

The Plusses

The trailer offers a glimpse into not only the turmoil in Malala’s life but also offers a window into the family life of the Nobel laureate prior to the attack. The cinematography is appealing to the eyes — the Swat portions that have been supposedly shot in Jammu Kashmir capture the topography nicely. The background score by Amar Mohile is first-rate as well, with the music serving to make the trailer more gripping and impactful. The detailing given to the costumes of female characters is authentic, even the school uniforms seem to be nicely researched. 

The trailer highlights the need for education for women and also shows Malala’s daring speech in which she emphasizes women’s right to a full education, making it a pro-women empowerment movie. 

Coming to the cast, Reem Shaikh seems to have done a decent job depicting Malala’s nuances, as the actress emotes well on-screen and seems to be well suited for the role of a Pashtun girl. However, her accent and mannerisms in certain places are off. The same can be said for Divya Dutta, who plays Malala’s on-screen mother.

The disappointments

The film revolves around the situation in Swat during the time of the gun attack on Malala. We see terrorists oozing out of every corner of the city along with Bollywood’s usual stereotyped depiction of all residents in religious attires and beards. The sequences of terrorists putting their feet on books and beating women are unpleasant and could have been dealt with more sensitivity. 

Overall, the movie seems to be a rather filmee version of incidents in the Swat valley rather than being a true-to-life account of Malala’s life. Authenticity is going to be an issue, as far as I can tell from the trailer. 

Final Verdict

The film is supposed to be an ode to Malala’s struggle but the trailer strictly restricts itself to the portions of her life in Swat. Malala’s life has witnessed much following her tragic incident and that should have made it to the trailer for a more universal appeal. On the plus side, the performances seem to be decent and the background score works rather well with the film’s theme. The elements focusing on women empowerment also deserve special mention. However, when it comes to authenticity and Bollywood’s stereotypical depiction of Pakistani culture, the trailer is an unsurprising disappointment. 

The post Malala’s Biopic Trailer Is Out And Here’s What We Think appeared first on Galaxy Lollywood.

Hina Altaf is known for her candid and blunt demeanor, which intentionally or not gets her embroiled in plenty of controversies. Contrary to her on-screen image of the innocent girl next door, her real-life persona is actually quite, well let’s just say, different. In a recent interview, the Udaari starlet took some tongue-in-cheek jibes at her colleagues, which made us wonder if working alongside her could bring some unforeseen consequences. Read on to find out what happened…

Throws dirt at Muneeb Butt

Hina during the conversation took a rather blunt pot-shot at the Yaariyaan actor. When asked to name an actor she believes lacks talent but has a starry air around him, the actress without much hesitation took Muneeb’s name. A clip from the same interview had previously gone viral provoking some angry responses from Muneeb’s wife Aiman Khan.

She also added that her gripe with Muneeb and Aiman was that she had not been invited to their wedding except for a Bollywood night themed party. This apparently didn’t rub Hina the right way and left her majorly miffed at the duo. Voicing out her grievance, she said “The entire world went to that wedding but I got invited only for the Bollywood themed night only, which I chose not to attend as they could have at least invited me to the valeema.”

This actor gets too touchy-feely

Hina was asked if she is attracted to her co-stars while filming romantic scenes, and she responded by confessing to getting carried away by Emaad Irfani’s suave charms. But before we could even gasp, she switched to Faisal Rehman, dropping another bombshell.

Before going any further, let’s just say that Faisal Rehman is a veteran of the industry and has romanced several leading ladies over the last three decades. Hina romanced the Ranjish Hi Sahi actor in 2017’s Aatish, and complained about Faisal being “overly involved” in the romantic sequence. “Faisal Rehman is too much into a romantic scene, yaani ke yahan ungli pakarni hogi to wo yeh pura haath pakar lega,” is what she said, leaving us gaping in shock. Apparently, so uncomfortable did Faisal made her feel that she almost yelled “Me too!.”

Minal Khan wants to send her to acting school

On being asked who from the industry would likely go around saying that she is a bad actress, Hina without much hesitation took the Hassad fame Minal Khan’s name. She also mentioned an incident where Minal during one of her interviews suggested Hina take acting classes. When asked whether she would like to say anything to Minal, this was her response: “Minal, we have the same number of social media followers, so we are pretty much equal.”

Aamir Liaquat has a little problem

Over the course of the conversation, Hina was put in a spot by being asked to enact a proposal scene for televangelist turned politician Aamir Liaquat Hussain. Hina acted out the scene and then took a jibe at Amir by saying “He spits a lot.” She later mimicked Aamir saying “Whenever he speaks it seems as if his chair will break.” The actress didn’t stop there and continued taking digs by quipping about Aamir Liaqat’s infamous leaked clip in which he mentions the film Ghalib. 

Hina also took Mathira’s name on being asked who she thinks must have a possessive boyfriend and also didn’t spare the Aik Din Geo Ke Sath host, Sohail Waraich. The actress made fun of him for his antics in the show where he sometimes will sit and stare at actresses who would be taking a dip in a pool nearby. 

Foot in the mouth?

Well, all we can say is that was quite a mouthful. It seems that Hina has very publicly stoked a feud with Muneeb Butt, his wife Aiman Khan, and has even drawn Aiman’s sister, Minal into the crosshairs. All the heat from this bubbling cauldron of celebrity bitching is sure to up the mercury even as the cold wave persists across the country. We are pretty sure the buck doesn’t stop here and there will be more to this story coming up very soon, so stay tuned!

The post Hina Altaf Shocks: Trashes Major Celebrities appeared first on Galaxy Lollywood.

As we had written about at length previously, the first half of the current year seemed suspiciously empty as far as new releases are concerned, with only one film, the art-house Zindagi Tamasha scheduled for release in late January. The teaser of Kahay Dil Jidhar which came out of the blue yesterday therefore came as a pleasant surprise, as it now seems that the film, having entered its post-production phase a few weeks back is very much on track for a release in the coming few months.

Crime, drugs, and music…

Starring Junaid Khan and Mansha Pasha as leads, the minute-long preview hints at a coming of age drama with a few twists. The initial shots of the teaser show a group of friends charting out their future destinies, and then we jump forward in time and are shown snippets of what their lives after graduation end up looking like. In walks Junaid Khan with his macho-cop gait, the voiceover narrating his idealistic ambitions. The same idealism also seems to rub on the now hard-hitting journalist played by Mansha Pasha.

From the glimpses of the film the clip provides, it seems the two leads meld rather well into their characters. The latter portions of the trailer offer more clues to the story arc of the film, which seems to encompass the war on drugs and the confluence of illicit narcotics, law enforcement, and the music scene.

Our verdict

Kahay Dil Jidhar is directed by Jalaluddin Rumi, who has some memorable music videos to his credit, and the production team seems to have done a fairly decent job with the project. While it’s still too early to say anything about the film’s technical aspects, from what we can tell, the photography and color-grading could use some improvement, especially in the preview’s initial campus shots. On the plus side, the dialogues hit the right notes and Junaid Khan and Mansha Pasha look pretty badass in their movie avatars of a cop and a journalist, respectively. With a rock act being part of the narrative, the film just might have something tuneful to offer on the music front too.

So is the film a potent mix of coming of age drama, crime thriller and musical genres? We are not getting our hopes too high, but the teaser stokes our curiosity enough to make us look forward to the trailer which we hope will offer more answers. For now, enjoy the minute-long preview of Kahay Dil Jidhar, and let us know what you think in the comments below.

The post Cop-drama, Drugs and Rock: The ‘Kahay Dil Jidhar’ Teaser Is A Heady Mix appeared first on Galaxy Lollywood.

Renowned writer Khalil Ur Rahman Qamar is one of the few non-actor personalities of our entertainment industry who is the subject of many viral news. Be it due to his blockbuster scripts for dramas like Pyaray Afzal and the film Punjab Nahin Jaungi or because of the statements he gave regarding gender equality in an interview, the controversy stirring writer’s name in the headlines is not a rare sight. Currently, the writer’s most recent blockbuster Mere Paas Tum Ho is the talk of the town and with the show ending next week, the audience waits with bated breath to know how this saga of love and betrayal will end.

But that is not the subject of the current piece of news that is being circulated regarding Khalil Ur Rahman Qamar.  This time it refers not to his work but rather intriguingly, to his personal life. More specifically, it is about his alleged marriage to the young actress Eshal Fayyaz who played the lead role in Khalil Ur Rahman Qamar’s directorial film Kaaf Kangana.

The denials

Galaxy Lollywood reached out to Eshal Fayyaz to find out the truth about the rumors and the actress vehemently denied the news as rubbish.

“I don’t know who is spreading this news and why. It is completely fake news. I respect Khalil sahib as a director and that’s it.”

Eshal was naturally very upset with the rumors. Khalil Ur Rahman Qamar was also very quick to turn to his social media and post an official statement refuting the rumors. In a post on his Facebook account, he said it was, “shameless to peep into the personal life of artists like us and destroy our images (sic)” as he solemnly declared that nothing like the sort being reported happened and that he and Eshal only worked in a “professional capacity” for the film.

Not the first time

Although this is the first time these rumors about KRQ-Eshal marriage have surfaced on the social media, hush-hush whispers about their alleged linkup had been making rounds of the grapevine since the time of Kaaf Kangana‘s shooting. There were even unconfirmed reports that the two of them had married and later having got divorced.

Khalil Ur Rahman Qamar does not talk about it openly but it’s no secret that he already has two wives and kids from both the wives. With the kind of attitude the famous writer has always shown regarding his political and philosophical news, it is rather strange to think that he would be involved in such a scandal. Nevertheless, the quick refusals to the news have cleared the air nicely.

The post Whoa!? Eshal Fayyaz And Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar Just Denied They Are Married appeared first on Galaxy Lollywood.

Audiences the world over have always taken a keen interest in the personal life of celebrities. This world of glitz and glamor that is mostly inaccessible to the common person holds a certain kind of enigma that attracts much attention. This is why for decades, ever since this world-within-world of entertainment industry was born, people have clamored for any kind of access to the secrets of the celebrities that they so adore and like.

The arrival of social media has dramatically lessened the mystery element of the celebrity world. While previously monthly magazines or the entertainment pages of daily newspapers were all the rage, nowadays there is no obstacle in the way as celebrities themselves have more or less put their full life on display on their social media for the audience to see. One aspect of that is the stars’ personal relationships, more specifically the romantic ones, that draw much public attention and result in much fame.

The jori craze

It comes as little surprise that stars are now more open about their relationships. As the local society has opened up, celebrities are increasingly not shying away from sharing snippets of their romantic and intimate moments with their followers and well-wishers via their social media. ‘Dating’ is now, not taboo, and what’s more, it gets the stars more followers, hits and views on their online accounts.

Over the last few years, the jori phenomenon has taken over the entertainment industry. The audience’s very keen interest in the confirmed and rumored real-life pairings of the industry is at par, if not more, than the traditional reel-life pairings. The audience now wants romance not just in fiction but in real life as well. And they look towards their beloved actors and celebrities to fulfill that demand, something the celebrities apparently are more than happy to deliver!

Noticed how quickly the off-screen moments of some celebrities go viral? In recent times pairings like that of Iqra Aziz and Yasir Hussain, Hania Amir and Asim Azhar, Sajal Aly and Ahad Raza Mir have arguably made more waves and news due to their personal equation with each other than the work they do.

Measure of popularity

As already stated, there is no denying the immense popularity that these real-life joris enjoy on social media. However, the important question remains — does that popularity also translate into actual successes i.e. hit dramas and blockbuster movies? Are these pairs mere products of the social network, or legitimate performers that the audience craves to watch?

For instance, for all the love that Hania and Asim get as the young, carefree, unabashedly in love pairing of the industry, that love of the audience was not seen in the reaction towards the telefilm that they acted in together, which came and went without much of a buzz. And then, Sajal and Ahad have done three projects together, but are yet to replicate the all-around success of their first project together that aired when the two were not even in a relationship. On the other hand, Iqra and Yasir will be seen together on-screen for the first time in a film after their marriage and it remains to be seen how the audience would react to their reel-life pairing, although we have to admit, so far there is close to zero for their supposed project together titled Half Fry.

Does the industry not offer these joris the kind of projects that would perfectly capture their chemistry on screen? Or has the exposure on social media given the audience a case of full-belly when it comes to these pairings? It is clear that there is a real difference between the social media popularity of a pairing and how it is shown in real life i.e. the ratings and the conversations their projects generate.

Or have the celebrities themselves realized that they can better capitalize their chemistry and relationship in collaboration projects like magazine shoots, TVCs, or fashion ramp walks. It’s quick, effective, and is more sustainable both in terms of monetary gains as well as maintaining their social media dominance. After all, the chances of any of the real-life pairings being in news because of their appearance at a social gathering or a development of their rishta from baat pakki to nikaah is way more than them grabbing eyeballs as they act out different characters onscreen in a drama. Performing to match the hype is well, tough work.

This is certainly a very interesting phenomenon that has become a trend in the industry. It is no longer enough for the joris to just work their magic onscreen. The same has to be seen offscreen. So, be it confirmed real-life pairings or rumored pairings, our celebrities don’t shy away from flaunting that chemistry for the ‘gram. After all, the project’s success can only be determined after the project has released or been on-air for a significant time. But the jori‘s success is determined as immediately as the picture is posted on social media.

The post Celebrity ‘Joris’ Need Projects That Match Their Popularity appeared first on Galaxy Lollywood.