An Instagram post made by a Pakistani actor Hasan Khan recently got much attention where Hasan talked about getting a project where he was playing the role of the deceased Indian actor, Sushant Singh Rajput. The topic of Sushant Singh Rajput’s death has been in the news in India these past two months. With all of Sushant’s fans and his close friends and family urging the government to probe into the mysterious circumstances around Sushant’s suicide, the last thing on anyone’s mind is to see any sort of dramatic reenactment of Sushant’s life.

So, the post made by Hasan Khan where he claimed to have been playing the character of Sushant Singh Rajput for some Indian digital platform, really came as a surprise. The original caption of Hasan Khan’s post had said that the project was supposed to be for Amazon Prime.

Clarifications

Earlier, an official statement released from Amazon Prime Videos clarified that no such project was in the works and denied that Amazon Prime has commissioned any work on the late actor which has Hasan Khan included in the cast. The official statement reads:

“Amazon Prime Video has not commissioned or licensed any project on the late Sushant Singh Rajput with actor Hasan Khan or for that matter with anyone else.”

Another report made by BollywoodHungama said that a source close to Amazon unofficially said, ” It’s all in the air right now. No idea why he (Hasan Khan) tweeted about playing Sushant Singh Rajput.”

Details revealed

Galaxy Lollywood reached out to Hasan Khan to know his side of the story. Talking about the project, Hasan revealed that the movie has been shot already and is expected to be released in a couple of weeks. According to Hasan, it’s a short film that is directed by a Pakistani director, Mohammad Mussavir and produced by an Indian producer, Raj Gupta.

Hasan also claims that the short film was originally supposed to come out on Amazon Prime. However, this news received quite a lot of backlash from Sushant Singh Rajput’s fans which caused Amazon Prime to back out of the project. Nevertheless, the film will be released on the producer’s own channel called Imperfect Movies.

Some behind the scenes pictures

Below are a couple of pictures shared with us by Hasan Khan from the shooting.

TRIGGER WARNING. The following pictures are from a dramatic re-enacment of a possible death/suicide scene and it may cause discomfort to some readers. Readers are precautioned to view the pictures at their own discretion.

The post All You Need To Know About The Pakistani Film Being Made On Sushant Singh Rajput’s Life appeared first on Galaxy Lollywood.

The news of PEMRA taking notice of content that goes against the religious, ethical, and moral values of the Pakistani society had surfaced a few days ago. PEMRA had given out a statement that had banned the re-runs of dramas Ishqiya and Pyar Kay Sadqay from airing on televisions.

In the same statement, the fate of the on-going drama serial Jalan was still left undecided. PEMRA was still investigating the content of the drama and based on the investigation, the drama’s fate was to be decided.

Well, the verdict is out now.

Jalan is banned

PEMRA has released a statement banning the drama serial Jalan from airing on television. The statement reads that PEMRA has put an immediate ban on the drama as it goes against the social and moral ethics of Pakistani society.

The statement also reads that PEMRA had given repeated warnings to the channel ARY Digital to revise the content of Jalan to make it more in accordance with the social and moral ethics of Pakistani society. However, the channel refused to comply with PEMRA’s warnings.

As a result, PEMRA has now but an immediate ban on the drama. Jalan includes a plotline that depicts an illicit affair between a brother-in-law with his sister-in-law. The outrage regarding the drama’s storyline has been present on social media ever since the drama started airing.

The post Breaking: PEMRA Orders A Ban On Drama Serial ‘Jalan’ appeared first on Galaxy Lollywood.

Entertainment industries around the world have their share of cliques and camps. And the Pakistani drama industry is not any different. While not rampant to a notorious extent, there is no denying that many of our dramas tend to have a team that is often repeated.

Over time it has become quite noticeable how certain directors tend to repeat actors in their projects. Sure, Nadeem Baig will more often than not have Humayun Saeed as the leading man of his project but that’s not the only case. There are other directors for television who have a set of favorite actors that they like working with.

Here are some of the major Pakistani drama directors and their favorite actors that they like to work with the most.

Directors and Actors

Farooq Rind and his clique

Notable for his works that include Pyar Ke Sadqay, Baaghi and Besharam, Farooq Rind’s clique consists of actors Zahid Ahmed (Jugnoo, Pukar, Ishq Zahe Naseeb), Yumna Zaidi (Jugnoo, Pukar, Ishq Zahe Naseeb, Pyar Ke Sadqay), and Saba Qamar (Besharam, Baaghi) who often play the main leads in his dramas.

Apart from the main leads, Farooq’s clique also consists of supporting actors Malik Raza (Besharam, Jugnoo, Pyar Kay Sadqay), Saba Faisal (Baaghi, Pukaar), Ismat Zaidi (Jugnoo, Ishq Zahenaseeb), Khalid Malik (Baaghi, Laa, Ishq Zahe Naseeb) and Rehan Sheikh (Pukaar, Besharam, Laa, Jugnoo).

Kashif Nisar and his clique

Kashif Nisar is another prominent name in the Pakistani drama industry. Often playing the main leads in his dramas are actors Naumaan Ijaz (Kami Reh Gayee, Ullu Baraye Farokht Nahi, Dumpukht, Pinjra, O Rangreza and Dar Si Jati Hai Sila, Saat Mulaqatein, Bay Emaan Muhabbat upcoming web series Mann Jogi and drama Raqeeb Se), Saba Qamar (Sannata, Ullu Baraye Farokht Nahi, Sangat, Bay Emaan Muhabbat Mann Jogi), Yumna Zaidi (Ullu Baraye Farokht Nahi, Pinjra, Dar Si Jati Hai Sila, Inkaar), Iqra Aziz (Ranjha Ranjha Kardi, Raqeeb Se) and Imran Ashraf (Lashkaara, Inkaar, Ranjha Ranjha Kardi).

His supporting cast includes Kiran Haq (Sangat, Pinjra, Dar Si Jaati Hai Sila), Faiza Gillani (Intezaar, Pinjra, Mann Jogi), Munazzah Arif (Inkaar, Dar Si Jati Hai Sila, Ranjha Ranjha Kardi), Omair Rana (Ullu Baraye Farokht Nahi, O Rangreza) Noor ul Hassan (Darr Si Jaati Hai Sila, Ranjha Ranjha Kardi, Inkaar), Kinza Malik (Darr Si Jaati Hai Sila, Inkaar), Uzma Hassan (Mann Jogi, Bay Emaan Muhabbat, Ullu Baraye Farokht Nahi).

Anjum Shahzad and his clique

Known for his work mostly on Geo Entertainment, Anjum Shahzad’s clique consists of actors Sana Javed (Darr Khuda Say, Khaani, Romeo Weds Heer) and Feroze Khan (Khaani, Romeo Weds Heer). Saman Ansari also starred in Khaani and Romeo Weds Heer in a supporting role.

Badar Mehmood and his clique

Badar Mehmood has only made a handful of dramas so far, but after he directed Aisi Hai Tanhai, he became one of the most sought-after directors on TV. His next three dramas Balaa, Cheekh and Ishqiya were quite popular during the time they went on air. His clique consists of Bilal Abbas Khan (Balaa, Cheekh, and upcoming Dunk) and Azekeh Daniel, who surprisingly, starred in all three dramas Bilal starred in.

Directors and Writers

It is not just the actors that the directors are fond of working with. Some directors also have favorite writers whose stories they tend to direct for screen more than others.

Saji Gul and Kashif Nisar

Director Kashif Nisar not only has a camp that consists of his favorite actors but writers too. That is precisely why he keeps collaborating with one of his favorite writers, Saji Gul, time and again. The director-writer duo first worked together on the drama Sannata. Then they delivered the super hit O Rangreza. The duo will be back with yet another project, this time a web series, Mann Jogi, set to air on Zee5.

Faiza Iftikhar and Kashif Nisar

Faiza Iftikhar is known for writing brilliant and complex female characters. She wrote two dramas that Kashif directed, Pinjra and Ranjha Ranjha Kardi. Both dramas received unanimous appreciation for having distinct storylines.

Bee Gul and Kashif Nisar

It was only ten years ago when Bee Gul started her writing career when she first wrote the drama Kaun Qamar Aara. But since then, she has become a household name in the Pakistani drama industry. She wrote Dar Si Jaati Hai Sila, which handled the sensitive topic of sexual abuse in a great manner. The drama was directed by Kashif Nisar. Both of them will reunite once again for the upcoming Raqeeb Se.

Badar Mehmood and Zanjabeel Asim Shah

Director Badar Mehmood and writer Zanjabeel Asim Shah have worked together on two dramas as of now: Balaa and Cheekh. Although both dramas had a brilliant start, the audience complained that they stopped making sense somewhere in the middle.

Having cliques in an industry may not necessarily be a bad thing, but when well-established channels, writers, and directors choose to work with the same actors, again and again, other talented actors have no choice but to work on average scripts. While this might not seem like a huge problem now, in the near future it could negatively affect the kind of talent that is promoted in the industry.

The post Directors And Their Favorite Actors That Are Ruling The Pakistani Drama Industry appeared first on Galaxy Lollywood.

All celebrities have their own formula regarding their online presence. While some take the time out to interact with fans, others tend not to. It is understandable considering how celebrities are soft targets for the social media trolls that take no time in taking offense to every word they post online.

However, celebrities are also citizens of the country and the pressing issues of the country affect them as much as any common citizen. The heinous Motorway Incident has sparked outrage on social media and our Pakistani celebrities are also not hesitating in demanding strict actions against the rapists and urging the system to take accountability. They are well within their rights to exercise freedom of speech and yet, people on social media don’t make it easy for them to simply because they are celebrities who work in the Pakistani entertainment industry.

Questioned for demanding justice

the hashtag #PublicHangingOfRapists was endorsed by many Pakistani celebrities who had posted it on their respective social media. Faysal Qureshi was one of the actors who expressed his frustrations at the increasing number of sexual crimes against women and demanded strict repercussions for the criminals. However, the responses that his tweets got were more to do with his job than what he was actually saying.

Faysal was involved in a Twitter spat with some users who had taken offense to Faysal demanding punishments for the culprits when he was a Pakistani television actor. Apparently, just because Faysal has acted in a couple of dramas that have the theme of sexual violence in them, Faysal is in no position to comment on the issue that is becoming rampant in the county. He is, according to some twitter users, a contributor to the crimes.

Kabhi burai ki jeet howi kisi dramy mey khair yeah sab baad mey abhi ayese zaleel logoon ko saza dilwani hey … https://t.co/jIXLNDFejS

— Faysal Quraishi (@faysalquraishi) September 10, 2020

Jahan bachoon k sath zyatti howi madrasoon mey woh bhi dramay daikh rahy thy ..aur koun sey dramoon mey rape karny k tareeqay btaye gaye yeah btana https://t.co/C6iPRmHtQK

— Faysal Quraishi (@faysalquraishi) September 10, 2020

Seekha uss sey kuch ya bas burai attract karti hey https://t.co/wBvCwZjDm0

— Faysal Quraishi (@faysalquraishi) September 10, 2020

Faysal Qureshi was not the only one who was questioned for demanding justice. Mahira Khan had also posted on her Instagram where she expressed her frustrations regarding the whole situation. Even her post got a comment which put the entire blame on the Pakistani entertainment industry instead of the actual culprits. Mahira shut down the person by pointing out the very obvious in a sarcastic manner.

View this post on Instagram

Hang them! Kill them! Publicly shame them! – It won’t change a thing. The problem is so deeply ingrained within our society,so deep rooted that even the officer said – ‘she shouldn’t have left at that time. This is the way our society is’. We are immune to it. We are ok with it. Why should we accept this mindset? Why should we question the victim yet again and not the those who commit the crime? ہمارے ہاں عزت کی حقدار صرف گھر کی عورتوں کو سمجھا جاتا ہے۔ با قی عورتیں ہمارے لیئے گوشت کی دکانیں ہین۔

A post shared by Mahira Khan (@mahirahkhan) on Sep 10, 2020 at 9:35am PDT

Is the industry really to blame?

Every time there is a new tragic and unfortunate incident regarding harassment and rape, this argument is brought up. The recent clips from Say It All With Iffat Omar that have resurfaced online were also brought in the conversation to act as evidence for the role that the industry is playing in all this.

Faysal was even questioned about the controversial statements that Iffat Omar has made in her show. While Faysal rightfully replied that the ones who made the comments are the one who should be questioned for it, it does give proof of how social media tends to think of the entire drama industry as one homogenous entity where every individual can be asked to take accountability for the actions of others.

This argument is a very childish and stupid one. Rapists and the criminals are the ones responsible for such heinous crimes and nothing as TV serials or movies can be blamed for it. No content either on TV or film has ever glorified or tried to normalize the horrors of these crimes. Even in the stories that do have sexual violence and crimes as a plotline, it is never presented in a way that could potentially entice carry out the same deeds.

Regardless of the accusations against the industry, it’s an undeniable fact that our artists, dramas, and films do have an impact. They raise awareness by presenting the realities of society in a fictional movie or a show. In real life, they used their platforms on social media to bring attention to the pressing matters. The importance of celebrities speaking up for issues cannot be denied. And it is high time netizens learn it.

The post Does Being An Actor In Pakistan Take Away Their Right To Condemn Heinous Crimes? appeared first on Galaxy Lollywood.

Armeena Khan has been gone from the television for quite some time now. Her last outing in the Pakistani entertainment industry was last year’s film Sherdil. Since then, Armeena hadn’t taken on any significant film or television project in Pakistan which led people to believe that Armeena has left the Pakistani entertainment industry.

However, that is not the case. The actress has not left the industry as evidenced by the pictures that surfaced on social media from the sets of an upcoming drama serial. Armeena Khan is all set to do another drama serial for Hum TV alongside Hira Mani and Junaid Khan.

Armeena talked about her prolonged absence from the Pakistani entertainment industry in this week’s episode of Galaxy Lollywood’s What’s The 411!

A hiatus

Armeena explained that she had never left the industry nor had she ever announced any such thing. All she did was take a hiatus to set her priorities straight in her life.

“I am an actor, this is my job. I had to come back at some point.”

Armeena talked about how a human being has many facets to them. Life is short so Armeena needed that time to herself to set a few things in order. She further explained that that hiatus has helped her in loving being back on sets and shooting.

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?” Armeena commented with a chuckle.

Some details about her upcoming drama

Armeena was all praises for the team of her new drama Mohabattein Chahatein that will air on Hum TV. She said that she was thoroughly enjoying her role and her time on set.

“I have a great, wonderful, supportive team. My director, the cast, and the crew is great. I am thoroughly enjoying playing the role as it is something very different, literally, to anything I have ever done before.”

She did not reveal any more details about the project or her character as doing so will ruin the intrigue of the drama and she wants the audience to keep guessing.

“All I can say is that there is no predictability in the script. No one can be sure about what is going to happen until the end.”

The script for the drama is written by Sameera Fazal who had coincidentally also been the writer for Armeena’s last drama, Daldal.

For more fun discussion about what topics had the social media’s attention this week, check out the full episode of What’s The 411! only on Galaxy Lollywood’s Youtube channel!

The post ‘I Never Left The Industry.’ – Armeena Khan appeared first on Galaxy Lollywood.

Drama serial Jalan has been in the news ever since the drama’s promos went on-air. Initially, the promos had left the audience skeptical about the drama’s theme and when the drama finally went on-air, it received criticisms from the audience for having indecent content. The complaints about the drama’s content got to the point where PEMRA had to take notice of the situation and intervened.

Subsequently, the drama serial Jalan was banned by PEMRA to be aired on television a few days ago. One would think that would be the end of the tale but apparently, the tale continues on. In the latest turn of events, Sindh High Court has reversed the ban on drama serial Jalan, allowing the drama to air its next episode as per its schedule.

PEMRA overstepping

A tweet posted by a journalist Omair Alvi earlier in the day announced Sindh High Court’s decision to overrule PEMRA’s ban on the drama. As per the court’s decision, PEMRA has no right to put a ban on any on-air content as it is a regulatory body that is meant to regulate the content of a drama, not put a ban on it.

Sindh High Court to the rescue … the next episode of #Jalan will air tomorrow as SHC suspends PEMRA’s ban on the play.

This was bound to happen because #PEMRA is supposed to regulate, not ban a drama. Congratulations @fahadmustafa26 @aabis_raza @Jerjees @asfand316 and team!

— Omair Alavi (@omair78) September 15, 2020

According to Something Haute, there were some sources close to the drama that had said that the team behind Jalan was in talks with PEMRA to reach a compromise. Talks about cutting out the objectionable content from the episodes were on between the two parties. Looks like Jalan‘s team has succeeded in defending their project as just a day before Jalan‘s new episode is to be aired, the ban on the drama has been lifted.

The news of PEMRA banning the airing of drama serial Jalan on ARY Digital had sparked a whole discussion on social media on what this move could mean for the future of dramas in Pakistan. If one side was celebrating the ban because it meant “indecent” content would be pulled off-air, the other side brought up valid arguments about the rather questionable precedent this ban would set for other dramas.

Well, Jalan lives to see another day on-air. It will be interesting to see which changes, if any, the drama has gone through to avoid getting a warning from PEMRA again. And what this situation can mean for the Pakistani drama industry as a whole.

The post ‘Jalan’ To Air As Per Schedule: Sindh High Court Reverts PEMRA’s Decision appeared first on Galaxy Lollywood.

The Motorway Incident has sparked nationwide protests as people from all walks of life are demanding strict repercussions for the criminals. The incident has put a spotlight on the alarmingly large number of rape cases that are reported in the country on a regular basis. The topic is trending both on social media and in real life as protests are happening to make sure that these horrific cases are now dealt with in such a manner that the chances of them being repeated in the future lessen, if not get completely eradicated.

Our celebrities have also shown their support for this issue by both showing up to and organizing protests meant to get the media’s as well as the government’s attention towards the issue. Celebrities have been vocal about their support both on social media and on the streets. However, some accounts that are now emerging on social media have raised suspicions that the celebrities, in being vocal, are drowning out the voices of other victims who need the platform more that is readily available to the celebrities than them.

Not trying to downplay anything or anyone’s efforts for today’s protests, but the way trans community’s voice was snatched by a ‘bigger’ voice in a span of 15 minutes. – you should’ve seen.

— Rida Lodhi (@ridaalodhii) September 14, 2020

A tale of two protests

On 14th September, a group of some of the most popular Pakistani celebrities showed up in front of the Karachi Press Club to protest against the Motorway Incident. The protest that was joined by the likes of Mahira Khan, Sarwat Gilani, Ayesha Omar, Ali Rehman Khan, Sarah Khan, Aijaz Aslam, Faysal Qureshi, among many others and organized in part by Yasir Hussain got much of the media attention. However, this protest also took away from another protest that was happening at the same time at the same venue.

A group of transgender activists had gathered in front of the Karachi Press Club to demand the safety of the transgender community as well as protesting against the Motorway Incident. Last week a couple of transgenders were targetted by some unknown people who opened fire on them which resulted in the death of one and caused several injuries to the other. This incident highlighted the precarious situations in which the transgender community lives in the country where they have to constantly fear for their lives and safety.

Glad to see that celebrities protested today but it would be more helpful to have consolidated efforts. A massive protest took place on Saturday outside Karachi Press Club. Celebrities should've thrown their weight behind that instead of keeping a separate protest for themselves

— Manal Faheem Khan (@ManalFaheemKhan) September 14, 2020

Hijacking the protest

Some accounts of people, who were on the ground when the two protests happened to coincide, are being shared on social media where it is being shared that the celebrity protest had hijacked the ones being conducted by the transgender community. A post on Facebook briefly accounts the events of the protest that when the celebrities showed up at the venue, they took up all the space and the media attention away from the already happening protest by the transgender community that happened to be against the same issue as the one the celebrities were protesting against.

The posts also read how a couple of transgender activists were being harassed just a few feet away from the celebrity protest but no one had come to their aid. The media cameras were pulled away from the 200 or so transgender women who had gathered to protest for Trans Rights and were focused on the celebrities.

Incidentally, on 12th September a huge protest was organized by Aurat March that was joined by thousands of people, including a few celebrities as well. That protest was bigger in number and focused solely on the issue of the Motorway Rape case. People on social media began to question why the celebrities, that chose to organize their own celebrity special protest on the 14th, hadn’t joined the larger protest on the 12th and lent the organizers their support then.

The other side of the story

Galaxy Lollywood reached out to Yasir Hussain who is being credited for organizing the celebrity protest. Yasir claims that the protest was all done in a peaceful manner and no such thing as being reported on social media happened on the ground.

“Karachi Press Club is a place where big and small protests happen on the regular. There were already 2-3 protests going on when we reached there. All of them were carried out in a peaceful and successful manner.”

Yasir also said that he cannot take full credit for organizing the event as Frieha Altaf, Asim Jofa, and Sarwat Gillani had helped a lot in making sure the protest was all well organized. When questioned about what he has to say about social media posts that are asking why a separate protest was organized by the celebrities when they could’ve joined another, already bigger protest a few days ago, Yasir said that it was all done for causing awareness.

“We had celebrities that have following in the millions on social media individually. When a group of people with such massive following all gathers at a place, it is bound to create awareness. Which is what our aim was. I would like to see more and more groups come out to protest. As this is an issue that affects all of us.”

Yasir said that it is the media’s job to cover everything that happens and it is wrong to just blame the celebrities for media not doing its job. When questioned what he has to say about the trans community saying their voices were drowned by the celebrities’ protest, Yasir said that the transgenders were standing with them.

“They were standing with us. They were very cooperative. They asked us for pictures and videos. In fact, I had gone to the other protests that were happening and supported them.”

Regarding the last allegation that the transgenders were attacked and harassed, Yasir had to say that he saw nothing of that sort happening. From the moment they arrived to the venue to the point that they left, everything was done in a peaceful manner.

Final word

Celebrities coming out in support of social causes should not be discouraged as they lending their support to causes like this does bring much-needed attention to the issues. However, the transgender community has a history of being discriminated against and their voices being silenced. Even if this situation is a case of unfortunate coincidence, the transgender community has a right to speak against their platforms being hijacked by celebrities. And their voices should be heard.

The post Did The Celebs Really Hijack A Protest Organized By The Transgender Community? appeared first on Galaxy Lollywood.

Media is an extremely powerful tool in bringing the less discussed social issues and societal crimes to public knowledge. It is an influential entity in spreading awareness and educating the public about serious socio-cultural subjects such as rape and child abuse. However, in the era of privatized media, the need to monitor the way in which the spotlight is being shed on these important issues is extremely vital.

Good Morning Pakistan, ARY’s long-running morning show hosted by Nida Yasir is under fire once again. A recent episode of the show is being criticized heavily on social media where Nida invited the family of a young girl, Marwah, who was a victim of a brutal rape-murder case.

What went down 

Nida invited the family of the late Marwah, a 5-year-old rape cum murder case victim on her show, to publicly discuss the details of the tragic incident. Nida started the questioning by first apologizing to the family, which included Marwah’s father and grandparents, for asking them about the whole incident but deemed it necessary for the sake of getting the case the investigation and the attention that it deserves. She also stated that the possibility of any eye-witnesses coming forward also increases when the details of the incident are brought to public attention.

The questions asked by Nida were a mixture of the investigation procedure and the incident’s details. Nida was asking the victim’s family their first-hand account of how the incident occurred and how much help from the authorities have they been getting about their tragedy. The tone of the entire episode was solemn as both Nida and Marwah’s grandmother broke down crying multiple times during the episode when talking about this sensitive topic.

Nida stated in the show that the family members are unable to have a constructive conversation because of their disturbed psychological state and hence not more shall be expected from them. Therefore, among the guests on the show was an ARY reporter who had reported the details of the incident for ARY News. He shared more professional details about the incident and gave updates about the investigations that were going on. During her interactions with other guests on the show such as Frieha Altaf and philanthropist Sarim Burney, Nida repeatedly expressed her apologies and concerns to the family of the victim for discussing the details of the show in front of them.

The sensitiveness of the issue

Owing to the extremely sensitive nature of the issue, the emotions in the episode were very high. At one point, Marwah’s grandmother got overwhelmed and started crying with pain as she mourned her granddaughter’s tragic death. Nida cried with her and allowed the woman to speak to her heart’s content without interrupting her.

To her credit, Nida was mindful of the sensitiveness of the issue and was hesitant to ask certain questions. She even stopped the reporter from indulging in triggering details of the case. However, there were several points in the episode where Nida could have intervened and spared the family of the victim more emotional trauma.

Social media backlash

Segments from the episode have surfaced on social media. The segments and the episode have received flak on social media for emotionally abusing the sentiments of the family for the sake of channel ratings. Netizens have panned the insensitive nature of Nida Yasir’s questioning from Marwah’s family. Some even felt that the show was designed as a rating gimmick.

The comment section under the video that featured Marwah’s grandmother’s breakdown is full of comments criticizing Nida for fishing for dramatic content by giving her a platform to speak when the lady was not in control of her emotions. The comments criticized that why was a grieving grandmother’s personal outburst highlighted on live television and deemed it as being derogatory for the family’s sentiments. As it was already quite evident that the grandmother was in trauma and was losing her emotional control after short intervals, it wasn’t sensible enough to ask her about her feelings.

Apart from YouTube, the topic also gained recognition on Twitter and Instagram. The angry netizens have even tweeted to PEMRA for a ban on the show.

Nida Yasir, host of 'Good morning Pakistan', in her disgusting appetite for ratings called parents of Marwah & went on to ask merciless questions, reliving the pain & agony of parents. 'Be Sharam. Be Ghairat Log.@reportpemra wake up from sleep and take action.#JusticeForMarwah pic.twitter.com/2X0ujT32O2

— Qazi (@qazisays) September 15, 2020

Nida’s justification

Upon receiving backlash for a clip of the incident discussion, Nida replied to a few public comments on Instagram stating that not everything needs to be scrutinized and that the conversation shouldn’t be seen out of context. She claimed that such antics do not increase the TRPs of the show rather it helps them spreading awareness and education about such social issues.

Nida added that the show has helped the investigation process severely and hence the suspects have been arrested. She also mentioned that the episode has helped Marwah’s family in receiving financial assistance.

Although Nida’s statement of the suspects being found in 2 days is slightly exaggerated as the show went on-air on 9^th September whereas the suspects were taken into police custody on 15^th September. And as per the discussions that happened in the show, the police were already investigating the matter and had caught a few suspects of the case when Marwah’s family was invited on it. Add to it how the incident happened on 4th September while the show was aired on 9th September and the public isn’t conviced by the show’s seemingly selfless motivations.

Final word

The negative public feedback is against the insensitive misconduct of the discussion by dramatizing a discussion about the tragic incident for the sake of ratings. Nida could have handled the discussion on her show in a more sensible manner, but her intention for the show doesn’t seem doubtful. We hope that this backlash from the audience will be received in a constructive way by the show’s producers and that will reflect in their future discussions on such vulnerable subjects.

The post Did Nida Yasir Really Take Advantage Of A Family’s Tragedy For Ratings? appeared first on Galaxy Lollywood.

It has been a while since Mohsin Abbas Haider has done television dramas. His last stint on television was in a cameo role in Deewar e Shab and a mini-series by the name of Mujhay Tum Pasand Ho. Now, almost two years after Meri Gurya, his last appearance in a full-fledged leading role in a drama, Mohsin is set to be back with not just one, but two dramas.

The sneak peeks posted by Mohsin on his Instagram account surely gotten the people curious about his projects. Speaking to Galaxy Lollywood, Mohsin shared his excitement about his two upcoming dramas and shared some details about the characters he is playing in them.

Ghamandi

When director Sohail Javed shared a picture on his Facebook account with him, Mohsin and Nazish Jehangir sitting on a bench, which seemed to be taken from the sets of an ongoing project, it created quite a stir on social media. Well, that picture was taken on the sets of Ghamandi, an upcoming drama that is going to be aired on Express Entertainment. The drama has Mohsin Abbas Haider and Nazish Jahangir in the lead roles. Speaking about his character, Mohsin revealed his character is very innocent.

“He is pure and innocent to the point of being a fool. It is a story about this guy’s childhood love and how he grows up and struggles to get his love.”

The drama is produced by Adnan Siddiqui and Akhtar Hasnain. The supporting cast of Ghamandi includes Maryam Noor, Shaheen Khan, Parveen Akbar, Rabya Kulsoom, Sajeer Uddin, Ali Rizwi, and Fahad Sheikh.

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آئینہ دیکھ کہ مسکائے گی بھی بات بے بات وہ شرمائے گی بھی حسن کو ناز ھے اتنی حسیں ھے "گھمنڈی" ھے تو پھر اترائے گی بھی – محسن عباس حیدر – جلد آ رہا ہے @entexpresstv #Ghamandi @humtvpakistanofficial #DilTanhaTanha @nazishjahangir Director: @sohailjaved73 (Ghamandi) Director: Ali Masood (Dil Tanha Tanha) @danish.tariq Makeup/Hair Styling: @sajjad_aliofficial

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Dil Tanha Tanha

Directed by Ali Masood and produced by Momal Productions, Dil Tanha Tanha is another drama that has Mohsin in a lead role opposite Kiran Haq. This drama will go on-air on Hum TV. Talking about his character in Dil Tanha Tanha, Mohsin revealed that it is completely opposite to his character in Ghamandi.

“It is a grey character. An egoistic and stubborn character who would to go to any extent to get what he desires. There’s a very interesting journey with this character where he starts as something and ends up as something else. The story is about how this person is taught a lesson by life.”

Mohsin also shared that he was having fun playing the character. The supporting cast for the show comprises of actors Nazish Jahangir, Ali Ansari, Nabila Khan, Fareeha Jabeen, and Shahzad Malik.

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لوگوں کی بھیڑ میں رھتے ھیں نہ ملتے نہ کچھ کہتے ھیں کچھ آنسو اندر بہتے ھیں " دل تنہا تنہا " رھتے ھیں – محسن عباس حیدر – جلد آ رہا ہے @humtvpakistanofficial @kiranhaqofficial #DilTanhaTanha Director: Ali Masood @asadsyed4

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There has been no announcement on when the dramas are set to go on-air as of yet.

The post Mohsin Abbas Haider Talks About His Two Upcoming Dramas appeared first on Galaxy Lollywood.

Nida Yasir isn’t new to controversies and online backlash. Her morning show Good Morning Pakistan airing on ARY Digital has been in the news many times for controversial comments made by artists. Just a few months ago, the show got a ton of backlash for not practicing social distancing seriously in the midst of a global pandemic.

This time however the issue is far more serious than before. Last week, Nida invited the family of the late Marwah, a 5-year-old rape-murder case victim on her show, to publicly discuss the details of the tragic incident. This caused yet another controversy and backlash for the host.

The apology video

To recap, the show invited the family of Marwah for a special episode where Nida asked the grieving family the details about the case. This did not go down well with the viewers when the clips from the episode surfaced on the internet. The show and Nida Yasir both got backlash on social media for the insensitive nature of the show.

Nida had first responded to some comments online clarifying her side of the story. However, she made a four-minute-long apology video today that she posted on her Instagram account where she explained the details leading up to the controversial episode and its impact.

She starts the video by apologizing to everyone and asking for their forgiveness for hurting the public sentiments. Nida explains that her intentions for the doing the episode were not to cash in on a family’s tragedy but to give them a platform so their grievances could be heard by the concerned authorities. Nida also defended her show that Good Morning Pakistan‘s content is usually cheerful and entertaining because her intentions are to start her audience’s day with a smile. However, when the show was approached to do this show, Nida said she dropped all their pre-planned episodes of the week to concentrate on this episode that needed attention. She did so despite knowing how depressing the topic is for herself and that it affects her negatively.

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A post shared by Nida Yasir (@itsnidayasir.official) on Sep 17, 2020 at 2:38am PDT

Nida clarified that the show hadn’t approached the victim’s family instead, the family had approached them through Sarim Burney Trust so the case could get media attention and support. Nida also talked about how media support is crucial when it comes to such cases and that’s exactly what she provided the family with. Nida claimed that the show had been crucial in helping the victim’s family and how the culprit was caught two days after the airing of the show.

Lastly, Nida said in her apology video that any hurt that was caused was unintentional. Her intentions were selfless as she only wanted the victim’s family to get justice. Her show’s TRPs come from happy, cheerful episodes so there is no way she took up this subject for the sake of ratings.

The reactions

While the hate and backlash for the episode were very strong and consistent across the board, the reactions to her apology video have been mixed so far. Some are calling it a hollow apology saying Nida keeps making mistakes and never truly changes. Some were still adamant that PEMRA should ban her show for good. Others sympathized with her and seemed more willing to forgive her, finding her apology genuine and her seeming to have the right intentions behind the interview.

It’s clear that audiences are tired of Nida and her shenanigans. The hate against her and the show has been piling on for so many years now and this seemed to be the breaking point and the final nail in the coffin. However, Nida’s apology did feel genuine. It isn’t every day that a celebrity actually owns up to their mistakes and issues an apology for hurting sentiments. In a world where celebrities tend to make mistakes and then, instead of acknowledging them, they act like victims when being called out for them, Nida’s apology is a welcome change.

We can only wait to see if she actually changes for the better and proves that this wasn’t just damage control but her speaking from the heart. We hope Nida has learned from this situation and will now try to do more sensible hosting when it comes to sensitive topics like these.

The post Nida Yasir Owns Up To Her Mistake And Apologizes For Hurting Sentiments appeared first on Galaxy Lollywood.

Fawad Khan can be easily dubbed as one of the most popular names that the Pakistani showbiz arena has produced in the past two decades. Very few people taste success in the entertainment industry the way Fawad has and continues to do so. Dramas, films, music – Fawad Khan has made a name for himself in all three fields as being truly a fine artist. However, is this all there is to him?

A considerable amount of people get confused about how to judge Fawad Khan in the current times. Being Pakistan’s most popular actor since the turn of the century, Khan has not done any substantial work either in Pakistan or internationally that would justify his the title of a reigning superstar of the industry – a tag that was associated with Fawad Khan for a good period of time.

Impeccable career

Beginning his acting career via a sitcom, Jutt and Bond, Khan did not do any acting projects for some years. He focused on his career as a musician as the lead singer of an alternative rock band Entity Paradigm. He later left the band to pursue an acting career where he ultimately grabbed a supporting role in Shoaib Mansoor’s 2007 blockbuster Khuda Kay Liye. Since then the actor has featured in classic and blockbuster dramas like Dastaan, Humsafar, and Zindagi Gulzar Hai.

A Bollywood debut and later winning the coveted Filmfare Award for Best Debut proved to be the pinnacle for the actor’s career. He was dubbed as “The Next Khan” of Bollywood and featured in top sections of lists like Most Attractive Men, Most Beautiful Man, Most Desirable Men, etc. that the popular tabloids could think of and come up with at that time.

The popularity wasn’t idiosyncratic. Fawad has been a part of many memorable and iconic projects in the past two decades that have been praised internationally. Fawad’s associations with projects, both in Pakistan and across the border, have given him an image of being an actor that is truly worthy of being called the pride of the Pakistani entertainment industry.

Baffling choices

There is no doubt the Khoobsurat actor has a broad appeal that makes him bankable for any project the showbiz people can think of. What baffles his loyal fans, like myself, are his career choices off-late. It has come to a point where one cannot help but question – does the current Fawad Khan deserve the hype that never seems to leave him?

For a good actor who is conventionally handsome, is well-spoken in real life, possesses an air of enigma around him, to not appear in any notable TV or silver screen project to continually prove his mettle surely gets disturbing, to say the least. Despite every other director and producer wanting to work with him, he doesn’t seem to be keen on offering his ardent fans anything special, especially in the past four years.

The last time Fawad Khan worked in any Pakistani project was in 2013 when he starred as a lead in the telefilm Armaan. The last acting project that had him in a substantial role was the 2016 release Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, albeit it was later dubbed as a cameo by the makers of the film due to the Indo-Pak political tensions. 2020 is about to end and there has been no concrete news of when his next project will be released. While we wait for the news of his films to release, there is a weekly entertainment show that Fawad is all set to host for the first time in his career so I guess he is doing something on TV.

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Watch our brand new show “#OurGuessTonight” with #FawadKhan featuring #FahadMustafa and #SanamSaeed only on #23News, this Friday at 5 PM! @fawadkhan81 @sanammody @mustafafahad26

A post shared by 23 News Pakistan (@23news.tv) on Sep 16, 2020 at 6:53am PDT

There was a time when TV director and producers like Abdullah Kadwani would call him “the closest actor to Waheed Murad.” Not just that post-Khoobsurat, Indian Express described the actor as someone who redefined the image of a Bollywood actor, replacing the stereotypical image of a Bollywood lead actor having bodybuilder six-packs with someone who is full of charm. Seeing these comments in today’s perspective where he hardly has anything to offer to his fans is a cause of concern.

Left behind

Projects like The Legend of Maula Jutt have to be partly blamed for Fawad’s relative slumber at the local box office. The film has been a victim of many unfortunate delays that of course, have nothing to do with Fawad himself. He dedicated all his time and energies to the project yet, it has failed to find a proper release date contributing to his disappearance from our cinema screens. However, co-stars from the very same film like Mahira Khan and Hamza Ali Abbasi have continued to do different projects and progressed in their careers. They have put the film behind them, more or less, by headling other successful projects while Fawad Khan has yet to do any such thing.

Fawad Khan’s contemporaries like Fahad Mustafa have impressed the masses and classes alike with projects like Load Wedding, Jawani Phir Nahin Ani 2, Na Maloom Afraad, and of course Jeeto Pakistan. Fawad’s senior Humayun Saeed has transformed himself into an industry mogul by churning blockbuster after blockbuster both on TV and cinema, cementing his position as the industry’s top superstar. Even Sheheryar Munawar, who started his career when Fawad Khan was at its peak with Zindagi Gulzar Hai, and Ali Zafar who has been Fawad’s peer since his music days, have a better cinematic or showbiz profile at the local arena than Fawad when compared in the recent past.

The only long-term project Fawad has done in the last few years is acting as a judge in a music reality show. He has been continually appearing in TVCs banking on his Humsafar–Khoobsurat charm and the package is working for him as people still adore and want more of him. How long will this aura last, that nobody is sure of.

Final word

With any other actor’s only career choices in the past four years being appearing as cameos in someone else’s films, doing TVCs, modeling for spouse’s clothing brand, or judging a musical reality show, and it wouldn’t warrant a discussion. But it is Fawad Khan that we are talking about here. Fawad Khan who is the audience’s sweetheart. Fawad Khan has the screen presence, off-screen charm, and acting skills that attract the audience towards him as they flock to no one else. Not only that, but he also has the authority and the means in the industry where he could very well dictate what kind of projects he would have liked to do. For him to not take advantage of all of that is just tragic.

Fawad has spent a better part of the last four years giving both his audience and the industry close to nothing worth boasting about. 2021 will be the most important year for Fawad’s career as he has two releases lined up – The Legend of Maula Jutt, and Money Back Guarantee, with two more potentially getting a release in the upcoming year as well – Aan and his home production Neelofar. Will his absence from the television and movie screens impact his upcoming releases negatively? Or will these new releases once again shoot Fawad Khan up at the top of the game? Only time will tell.

The post Have Fawad Khan’s Baffling Career Choices Affected His Stardom? appeared first on Galaxy Lollywood.

It is safe to say that Netflix has done wonders in making the local content of countries more accessible on a global level. After all, when before Netflix could a person enjoy quality content in English, German, Turkish, Korean, Hindi, etc that was all available on one platform? With Netflix offering its services to 190 countries, the platform has definitely changed the viewing habits of viewers worldwide.

Of course, the catalog that Netflix offers differs from region to region. It is not necessary that titles that are available on Netflix Canada will be the same as being offered on Netflix Pakistan. While that may be the case with the titles that are only being streamed on Netflix after the platform has acquired distribution licenses for them, the case with Netflix’s original programming is different.

When Netflix produces or co-produces, content for the platform, it gets the exclusive rights to digitally stream in international territories. Because Netflix provides services in 190 countries, a deal with Netflix can ensure that the content gets a global release and reaches viewers on a much wider scale than it would if released on its own. This makes Netflix an extremely lucrative platform for content creators to feature their programs on.

So, why hasn’t Pakistani content found a home at Netflix yet?

Fewer subscribers for the platform

Pakistan only has four drama serials, sixteen movies, and two animated features that are available on Netflix. All these titles have been licensed by Netflix to be streamed from the platform in “selected territories”. There has been no development where the platform has commissioned or co-produced any Pakistani content and the reason for that is more to do with Pakistan itself than the platform.

According to an article published on Arabnews.pk, the demand for subscription-based OTT platform in Pakistan is very less for Netflix to take interest in the country. Only 100,000 subscriptions out of Netflix’s 180 million subscriptions are from Pakistan. This is a very low number compared to India which is not only a much larger country than Pakistan but has already adopted a digital-friendly culture for itself.

It is not wrong for Netflix to be wary of venturing in Pakistan based on the stats. While some may argue Pakistan’s digital streaming habits cannot be denied as episodes of shows uploaded daily on Youtube get millions of views within 24 hours of their upload, Youtube is a very different case than Netflix. For starters, Youtube is free. Apart from the few minutes worth of advertisements on monetized videos, that a viewer can skip within seconds, Youtube offers seamless streaming to its viewers for no cost. For Netflix, a paid subscription is necessary before even browsing the contents.

Consuming Indian content

In contrast to Pakistan, India already has a good catalog of original programming that is hosted on Netflix. From 2018 to 2020, India has created 13 original drama titles exclusively for Netflix. This is excluding the Netflix Original Films made in India for Netflix. Because of shared language, the Pakistani audience readily consumes the original Indian content which further pushes Netflix away from investing in Pakistan as it doesn’t feel the need to invest in two different regions that have very similar content to offer.

Amazon Prime, another giant streaming platform, hosts even more original Indian content. While Amazon Prime has some Pakistan titles available for viewing on the platform that are not acquired by Netflix, the irony of the situation is that Pakistanis have no way of viewing them because Amazon Prime is not available in Pakistan. The same is the case with Viu. It is a Hong Kong-based OTT streaming platform that primarily offers services in Asian countries. Viu hosts Pakistani drama titles to be streamed in the list of territories where Viu offers its services. Pakistan is not included in that list.

Unprofessionalism exhibited by Pakistani producers

However, perhaps the most embarrassing reason why Netflix does not seem very keen on pursuing to commission or produce Pakistani content is the unprofessional behavior exhibited by some Pakistani producers. Tahseen Shaukat, chief executive of BVC Media who also works as a content aggregator for Netflix and Amazon Prime, told Arabnews about the unreasonable demands made by the producers from the international giant.

“A producer quoted the massive amount of almost Rs800 million for Netflix original, which was not acceptable for the platform, so the idea fizzled out because of the unreasonable budget. One writer, who got his idea approved by the app, demanded Rs120 million just for the tagline.”
(source. Arabnews.pk)

Talks and rumors of some Pakistani content or the other getting a home of Netflix do appear from time to time. And those talks fizzle out just as quickly. Last year, Shamoon Abbasi had claimed that his web series Mind Games had a “90% chance of going on Netflix” and yet nothing came out of that. When Hum TV’s drama Aangan didn’t get a digital release on Youtube like other dramas, rumors of it being kept off the digital space for a Netflix release were circulating a lot. The drama is yet to find a home on any digital platform.

Subpar content

But what of content that is already aired in Pakistan and only needs Netflix’s licensing to be hosted on the platform? Mr. Shaukat said in the Arabnews article that the Pakistani content suffers from, “weak storytelling, and flawed screenplays and scripts that don’t meet international standards.”

Apart from this, Pakistan does not have official agents in the country that can submit Pakistani content to the platform for reviewing that could potentially turn into a licensing or production deal. All submissions are voluntary from the producer’s part and the process to do so is both lengthy and it costs a lot of money. Still, the chances of the content being approved after going through the entire process are not 100%.

Final word

So yeah, the chances of Pakistan getting a Netflix Original to its name seem very slim in the near future considering all these things. However, the success of Churails, Pakistan’s first web series to be commissioned by OTT platform Zee5 and get a release in 190 countries, has definitely worked in favor of Pakistani content creators. Zee5 has four more original Pakistani web series that are awaiting releases. Maybe their success can nudge Netflix into finally taking interest in Pakistan.

The post Will It Be Possible For Pakistan To Have Its Own Netflix Original Soon? appeared first on Galaxy Lollywood.

Pakistani cinema has seen a rebirth in the last decade. Bol (2011) paved the way for industry-related people to invest in local filmmaking, whereas films like Jawani Phir Nahin Ani (2015) further improved the economical dynamics of the industry in Pakistan. While film producers and artists have consistently worked towards the betterment of the industry as a whole, there was a significant lack of government support to help the revival process.

Taking notice of the situation, Prime Minister Imran Khan chaired a meeting on 16^th September to discuss an immediate revival of the cinema industry post the COVID’19 lockdown.

Meeting discussion

Lieutenant General (Retd) Asim Saleem Bajwa, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting, confirmed via Tweet that the Prime Minister is enthusiastic about the development of  Pakistan’s film industry.

One of the key discussion points in the meeting was the lack of a sufficient quantity of cinema screens in the country. The Prime Minister was informed about the industry statistics of the times when the industry was fully functional. He was told that the country had 1150 cinemas before the year 2000. Currently, the nation has 150 multiplex screens and 70 cinema halls.

Revival of Pakistan’s Film Industry:PM chaired mtng& approved in principle,measures to revive film Industry,promote our cultural/societal values, improve production qual&take entertainment to masses.Directed concerned ministries to prep implementation plan #PakistanMovingForward

— Asim Saleem Bajwa (@AsimSBajwa) September 18, 2020

The committee discussed the importance of increasing the number of cinema halls, especially single screens for an affordable film-watching experience for the masses. It was discussed that the current multiplex ticket rates are very expensive for an average citizen especially from lower-middle socio-economic capacities.

Imran Khan made a statement at the meeting, “It is important to promote our culture/societal values through films to educate the young generation. Unfortunately, due to the lack of local content, we are unable to show youngsters our history.”

The government body aims to use the film industry as a soft power tool for the country internationally and to glorify the country’s cultural marvels through the help of filmmaking on a mass level. Prime Minister Imran Khan emphasized the need for increasing the number of films being made in the country and announced establishing a fund for monetary support to filmmakers and artists, especially technicians who are underpaid and work on daily wages.

“We were forced to buy foreign content which pushed us back in terms of content quality. It is high time to race our efforts for the resumption of our film industry.” The Prime Minister stated at the meeting.

Response from the fraternity

This announcement has been welcomed by the industry bigwigs such as Shaan Shahid, Humayun Saeed, and Fahad Mustafa. The actors expressed their happiness and excitement regarding the latest political development regarding the film industry on their social media handles.

Thank you @AsimSBajwa for your continued support as well for this cause. The Pakistan film industry has waited a long time for this moment. Thrilled, excited and absolutely ready to contribute to the industry's progress

— Humayun Saeed (@iamhumayunsaeed) September 18, 2020

Dear PM @ImranKhanPTI thankyou for your initiative to promote and rebuild Pakistani film industry. We always believed this day will come when we work together to bring pride , values and our cultural power back on the right track . @AsimSBajwa thankyou for your support as well.

— Shaan Shahid (@mshaanshahid) September 18, 2020

The Teefa In Trouble star Ali Zafar called this move a “game-changer” for the Pakistani film industry. Singer Shehzad Roy urged for an expansion of cinemas as many livelihoods depend on it. Director Nabeel Qureshi enthusiastically called the development as “best news!”

Final Word

If the revival strategies discussed at the meeting gets implemented, it will greatly benefit the film industry. Not only will the industry contribute to the national GDP but it will also create multiple employment opportunities for people related to the fields of creative arts. Cinema as a soft power tool has worked well for countries such as India and Turkey and can prove to be favorable for Pakistan’s international media coverage. Government support will provide important resources to the industry to flourish and be financially more viable for the economy in the long-run.

The post ‘It Is Important To Promote Our Cultural And Societal Values Through Films.’ – PM Imran Khan appeared first on Galaxy Lollywood.

Feroze Khan is known to be a very vocal celebrity who has never taken the diplomatic route when it comes to sharing his views and ideas. He has never shied away from being blunt, regardless of what people may think about him.

This is why Feroze Khan makes for a very interesting celebrity when it comes to interviews. Although he is not working on any drama project currently, Feroze has still been in the news for his social work. Just recently, he launched an online platform by the name of ‘Protect Them Now’ which is aimed to help and protect the women who are victims of harassment and stalking. The platform played a significant part in capturing the harasser, Ibsham Zahid,  for which Fatima Amir Sheikh, who had been a target of Ibsham’s harassment and stalking for four long years, thanked Feroze Khan for his generous and selfless help.

And now it looks like Feroze’s next target is the popular video-sharing social media app: TikTok.

Tiktok is cancer

A few days ago Feroze Khan was interviewed by the ace designer and celebrity talk show host Hassan Sheheryar Yasin, or HSY as he is more commonly known as, on an Instagram live session. During the interview when the conversation shifted towards the content found on the internet, Hassan asked Feroze what he thinks of TikTok. Feroze replied that TikTok is “cancer”.

Explaining the reason behind his statement, Feroze narrated a video that his friend had shown him in which a boy had died after a train hit him while he was making a video for TikTok. He believes that TikTok should be banned by the government. Feroze also touched on the topic of TikTokers earning their income through the app and said that this source of income is temporary as it can go away anytime with the app.

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Bhai on Fire #BanTikTok

A post shared by Drama Sharama (@dramasharama) on Sep 19, 2020 at 7:40am PDT

Feroze also called the app “useless”. Although he did acknowledge the creative videos that some people make on TikTok, he said that ninety-nine percent of those videos are useless, such as young boys making romantic videos.

Controversial content

Feroze statements don’t seem far away from public sentiment regarding the app. The app has been in the news for pushing youngsters to pull dangerous stunts that have resulted in their death. And if not actual death then spreading fake news of death is used to gain followers and sympathy.

A few days ago, news of the death of a local TikTok star Adil Rajput went viral on social media. Rajput’s wife, Farah Adil, who also stars in Rajput’s videos, made a video on their TikTok account where she was seen weeping. She revealed that she had just received a call that Adil was no longer alive. After hearing the news, fans went to his house in Rahim Yar Khan to offer their condolences, but they were shocked to see Rajput alive and well. Farah later uploaded a video where she explained how someone saw Adil faint and thought he was dead, but Adil had only fainted.

This stunt did not sit well with everyone. Some people called them out for using sympathy to gain followers, while others repeated what they had been saying from the start: TikTok stars are junk.

Unfortunately, many people have met their demise while making videos for TikTok. Their death is one of the primary reasons why netizens have often demanded a ban on the mobile application. Others, on the other hand, believe that the people died due to their own negligence and TikTok shouldn’t be banned as several TikTok stars are earning a handsome amount with the help of it.

Discussions around the app’s usefulness and its dangers tend to get lengthy as there are many points to be considered. Feroze Khan, however, has made his own stance clear about it.

The post Feroze Khan Dubs TikTok ‘Cancer’ And Calls For A Ban appeared first on Galaxy Lollywood.

The owner of the AMC cinema group, Adam Aron, said earlier in March, “movie theatres need government assistance to weather the financial storm brought by the coronavirus.” AMC operates 634 locations across the U.S and Canada, and it still needed help. Pakistani cinemas, since the ban of international content from across the border in February 2019, have been in dire need of help as it is only the big local releases that come out on Eid which have kept the cinemas running.

On the 14th March 2020, considering the rising cases of coronavirus cases in the country, Pakistani cinemas shut their doors as the country went into lockdown. There are roughly around 75 cinemas in Pakistan with around 160 screens. In figures, these are small numbers but considering the jobs created through this stream, and with zero business coming through, these are difficult to sustain. In March, Nadeem Mandviwaala owner of Atrium Cinemas pointed out that the business in 2019 saw a drop of 50% in sales. By March 2020 the business was at the rock bottom. Corona hit the cinema industry while it was at that rock bottom so one can only imagine the kind of state the cinema business is in now.

Delay in re-opening

It was initially announced that cinemas in Pakistan will open from the 11^th of September with Mulan, and Tenet was supposed to release on the 18^th of September. The list of SOPs to be followed by cinemas due to corona restrictions kept on seeing a back and forth before getting finalized.

Initially, there was a restriction on the use of carpets inside the halls as bacteria stays in the carpet for a longer period. Removing carpets was not possible for cinemas as the Dolby sound is linked with the structure and carpet is important for the halls’ structure. The length of movies that can be played inside cinemas was also asked to be kept minimal, but again that is not something which the cinema owners can control.

The current state of the cinemas

On 18th September cinemas in Pakistan reopened but in a very limited number. There have been two new Hollywood releases, Mulan and Tenet to grace the screens. The cinemas that have reopened are Cinestar, Cinepax, Cinegold, Universal Cinemas, and Capri Cinema. Mainly cinemas in Karachi have not opened yet. One reason for all cinemas not re-opening at once can be that both these films do not seem likely to bring in too much business.

Mulan has been already released online on Disney+ in many countries, which has led to its pirated version being available online for all to watch. This reduces the urge among audiences to go to cinemas considering the fear of the virus is also still there. For Tenet, the film is a Christopher Nolan directorial so carries a good amount of hype among his loyal fans. Tenet has done business in the excess of 200million worldwide, but it is not a film that would appeal to the masses in Pakistan.

What the near future holds

In the coming months Hollywood films like Death on the Nile, No Time to Die, and Wonder Women are expected to release. On the local front, the Fahad Mustafa-Mahira Khan starrer Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad will be the first Pakistani film to release at cinemas post-lockdown. To release a major Pakistani film at a time when cinema owners are skeptical about re-opening cinemas on a large scale without having a sizable amount of content is indeed a risky move.

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Aaj ke din – say it loud & clear ! Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad Pakistan Paindabad Here Comes our Teaser Posters @mahirahkhan #QAZ #quaideazamzindabad #IndependenceDay #MahiraKhan #FahadMustafa #FilmwalaPictures #VidlyTv #Eveready #HappyFilms #ELEPHONE @elephone.pk #PakistaniCinema #NabeelQureshi #FizzaAliMeerza #AzadiMubarak #14thAug Photography Kashif Rashid Poster Design Shaikh Danial

A post shared by Nabeel Qureshi (@nabqur) on Aug 14, 2020 at 5:36am PDT

When Galaxy Lollywood reached out to Nabeel Qureshi to know about this decision, all Nabeel had to say was, “Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad will Inshallah release this year.” Considering how Na Maloom Afraad was released to very limited screens in 2014 and managed to do big business, it looks like Nabeel Qureshi and Fizza Ali Meerza know what they are doing with this move.

There are a number of Pakistani productions that have or are near to wrapping up their production. But most of them are waiting for the situation with the cinema halls to be more stable before they get released. We sincerely hope that cinemas in Pakistan can sustain through this period and this entertainment medium does not die down.

The post The State Of Pakistani Cinemas In A Post-Lockdown World appeared first on Galaxy Lollywood.

Internet trolls leave no celebrity untouched and Armeena Khan is no exception. Unfortunately for some venomous netizens, Khan is not the kind of celebrity that ignores verbal jabs and social media bullying. The actress hits back on Twitter as well as Instagram from time to time.

Armeena’s retorts to the trolls and the haters are often classy, much like Armeena herself. However, recently when a troll got on her nerves, Armeena educated the troll by uncovering some information that shed light on some interesting observations about the kind of reception this beautiful actress gets on social media.

What went down

The offending commenter had written that Armeena was “complex ki maari” and would jump at the chance to work in Bollywood or Hollywood even though no one invited her. Armeena, instead of directly replying to the comment, posted the comment to her Instagram story. What followed was a series of Instagram story posts where Armeena talked about her extensive body of work that exists outside her work in Pakistan.

Armeena’s debut film had been It’s Too Much, an Indian feature film that landed her on billboards all over Mumbai and on the cover of Times of India multiple times. She revealed that she’d been scouted by Pakistan immediately after and came to work amongst her people.

Armeena then began listing the highpoints of her career which included British films such as The Real Target, recipient of Best Narrative at LA film festival, Stranger Within Me, and Writhe both of which went to the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. She also posted about The Achilles Project, a British short film she’s done that is going to be entered into major film festivals including Cannes as soon as COVID restrictions are lifted.

Armeen also divulged that she’s working on her films now for which she has cast Turkish actors. The first film will be out soon while the next is already in the works. Apart from this, the Pakistani-Canadian informed her fans that she’s been on multiple international book covers and a Sprite ad that ran in three countries.

Her philanthropic side

Besides having a rich career, Armeena shared that she’s a part of multiple charities but she doesn’t share her social work publicly. Her philanthropic side is seldom publicized because she claims she does it for herself only. Armeena shared that she represented Pakistan and brought up the Kashmir Issue at a discussion with UN heads in Strasbourg. She also took up the Pakistani cause at UNICEF when it was the need of the hour.

Her various achievements were made sweeter by the knowledge that she has and continues to represent Pakistan on various international platforms including many film festivals, premieres, and awards shows. They are a clear testament to the fact that wherever she has worked she has taken her identity as a Pakistani with her and showed it off with pride.

Benchmark of success

Considering the considerable amount of work she shared and recognizing the fact that she hadn’t included her projects in Pakistan, one must wonder about Armeena’s popularity. In Pakistan, the public sees Bollywood as a marker for superstardom. Whereas a stint in Hollywood is like an almost unattainable level of success, the likes of which would catapult an actor to the highest levels of popularity and would grant them the coveted title of an A-lister.

Armeena started her career with Bollywood, has done considerable work on international platforms and now, with the huge fervor around Turkish stars, has even managed to get a slice of that pie. Yet, she enjoys a comfortable level of stardom that can not be called extraordinary under any circumstances. It does make one wonder: what exactly is the benchmark of success for the Pakistani audience?

Commendable career moves

A look at Armeena’s filmography will tell us that she has prioritized quality work over quantity. She’s currently working on a Pakistani drama after a self-proclaimed hiatus and has not announced any other upcoming films or dramas in Pakistan. For someone like Armeena who has a good international presence thanks to her philanthropic work and her international projects, to not turn her back away from her career in Pakistan is a commendable move.

For a Pakistani artist to work internationally gives them both opportunities to widen their portfolio as well as a right to boast about it. Just the title of “international” being attached to a project gives it an edge over other projects and Pakistani artists are well aware of it. Yet, Armeena Khan is the one who has hardly, if ever, talked about her international work on any public platform to brag about them.

It would be so easy for Armeena to use all her energies and resources to do more work at an international level. She definitely has enough projects in her filmography to provide her a solid backing. But Armeena continues to work in Pakistan as a Pakistani actor for Pakistani projects because she takes her identity as a Pakistani seriously. Her love for Pakistan is not just empty lip-service but she proves it by continuing to represent the country internationally, all the while contributing to its industry nationally.

Final word

An impressive filmography like the one Armeena Khan has would give any actor bragging rights for life. Yet, it is baffling to see Armeena be criticized for being an “attention seeker”. Is it because her career has taken her from Bollywood to Hollywood before she did her first project in Pakistan? Does the non-traditional route of her career somehow make Armeena’s achievements less worthy? This also raises the question that do we only respect artists who leave Pakistan to work in other film industries?

Nevertheless, the fact remains that Armeena Khan has an impeccable portfolio of work and no amount of trolling can ever take it away from her. More power to you Armeena!

The post Armeena Khan’s Impressive Filmography Is Bound To Shut Down The Trolls appeared first on Galaxy Lollywood.

Television is the biggest mass media medium in Pakistan and is consumed on a grassroots-level hence the content that is broadcasted on television is influential on the mindsets of the viewers. So, when it comes to topics that have serious socio-personal impacts on society, it becomes the medium’s responsibility to deal with them with extreme sensitivity and care.

Marriage is a sacred tradition of our culture and religion, cementing a lifelong bond of not just two individuals but also of two families. Similarly, rights related to marriage such as divorce and polygamy are a reality of our society that demand nuanced and educated discussions. However, our Pakistani dramas have trivialized these realities of the society for the sake of creating cheap thrills in the name of entertainment.

Sending out wrong messages

The concept of divorce has been dealt insensitively in some of the most cherished small screen blockbusters in recent history, and that makes the content more influential on the masses. It is an unfortunate development of the recent times that drama writers have made a buffoonery out of a life-changing decision of divorce. The phrase, “Talaq, Talaq, Talaq”, is used for frivolous reasons and is dramatized with background score and reaction shots for an intriguing watch without understanding the impact that it can have on the viewers.

The Ayeza Khan-Danish Taimoor starrer Meherposh had the main plotline where the female protagonist is divorced just a few hours after getting married because her husband suspected her of having an affair with some other man before she got married. The scene was played out with all the dramatic fanfare and the incident formed one of the central conflicts of the drama.

Drama serial Jalan has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. This Aabis Raza directorial showcases a younger sister pressurizing her brother in law to divorce her pregnant sister to marry her.

In the drama serial Nand, the leading hero divorces his wife as his sister threatens him to attempt suicide if he wouldn’t divorce her. Obliging his sister, the hero divorces his wife in the heat of the moment. Unable to bear this, the female protagonists attempts suicide on the spot. However, when the hero reaches out to hold her he is stopped from touching her as he has now become her namehram since he divorced her. This entire situation is wrong on so many levels.

Lacking nuance

Religion and law have given the spouse a right to end a marriage via divorce. However, there are certain legal and religious obligations that are tied in the whole process which our dramas choose to either disregard or not present properly.

The recently concluded drama serial Dilruba had a plotline where the female protagonist seeks divorce from her husband because she falls in love with another man. While the drama does acknowledge the mandatory iddat period that follows a divorce, the characters don’t seem to pay any significant regard to it.

The drama turned to soap, Mera Dil Mera Dushman, shows a father ordering his son-in-law to divorce his daughter as the young man was not emotionally loyal to his wife. The daughter wants to remain married to her husband but that doesn’t stop the father from demanding the end of the relationship. Marriage is not a trivial thing and the burden of making it work falls mostly on the two people who are bound in this relationship. Any third person interfering and demanding an end of marriage just sends out serious wrong messages.

If it’s not the parent then it’s an ex-lover manipulating a husband to divorce his wife by planting seeds of doubts in their mind. Half of Dil e Gumshuda‘s story was dedicated to this plot.

No one is spared

The most ridiculous thing is that no character is spared from having to face divorce. Be it young couples barely three weeks into marriage or old couples having spent decades together, our Pakistani drama serials can drop the ax called “divorce” on anyone’s neck.

In Zebaish, a 55-year-old lawyer divorces his wife as he marries his late employee’s wife. The reason? The man wasn’t happy that his wife was busy with her career and didn’t give him the domestic attention that he craved. So, he divorces her because his second wife asked him to.

Yasir Nawaz’s Jannat Se Nikali Hui Aurat starring Sajid Hassan and Samina Peerzada was based on how, in a fit of impulsive anger, a man divorces his wife, and the elderly couple is left to bear the consequences of this action. Other dramas like Kashf and Bikhray Moti have characters who are the parents of the protagonists, threatening to divorce their wives if they do not display unconditional obedience to them.

Any drama done right?

Ghalati starring Hira Mani and Affan Waheed was based on the concept of divorce. The drama intended to show the reality of the society where just one word repeated thrice can end a relationship that is meant to last a lifetime. While the drama’s intentions were in the right place, the way it was executed definitely left a bad taste in the audience’s mouth.

The female protagonist is forced to face the humiliation of being divorced for different reasons. Her husband divorces her in a fit of anger, after being pressurized by his mother, or just because he doubts that she is having an affair with some other man. But to add insult to the injury, the man refuses to acknowledge that he has divorced her thrice and wants to continue having a relationship with her, much to the female protagonist’s disgust.

The drama explored the complex process of how an actual divorce takes place but the melodramatic twists and conflicts took away from the actual lesson the drama wanted to impart.

Final word

The concepts of nikaah and talaaq both demand extreme sensitivity and nuance when it comes to portraying them onscreen. Unfortunately, our Pakistani dramas have trivialized them both. It is already rare to find a happy marriage in Pakistani dramas that are based on mutual love and respect. Adding in the casual divorces that happen within seconds is just sending out a message that the institution of marriage is doomed.

The post Pakistani Dramas And Their Problematic Obsession With Divorce appeared first on Galaxy Lollywood.

The stories of Pakistani dramas mostly revolve around marriages and family affairs. Because the scope of the stories itself is so limited, there are hardly any stunning visuals that one gets to experience in the dramas. After all, there is only so much variety that one can show in dramas where all the action is delivered through dialogue.

It is precisely why we hardly see any dramas that make use of real outdoor locations. At most, characters are shown dining in at restaurants, shop in malls, or have a conversation in a car. That too has become quite monotonous since these locations tend to be re-used in dramas across the channels.

However, fortunately, there have been some dramas that have broken away from this routine. By providing a unique visual experience for the audience, these dramas have stood out for the audience. Here are some Pakistani dramas that have been shot at some stunning locations, both natural and manmade.

Diyar e Dil

Diyar e Dil is a heart-warming drama that delved into complicated family relationships. But it wasn’t just the drama’s storyline that made the drama a hit that it was. A significant portion of the drama was shot at the scenic locations of Skardu, Gilgit-Baltistan. The gorgeous Khaplu Palace was chosen as a primary location for the drama and many indoor scenes were shot there. Director Haseeb Hassan made Diyar e Dil into a visual masterpiece as it made brilliant use of the beauty found in Pakistan and organically made them part of a story that resonated with the audience.

Aik Nayee Cinderella

With the name of one of the most beloved fairytales in the world as part of the title, Aik Nayee Cinderella had a lot to uphold. After all, the name promises a fairy-tale-like story that demands a certain kind of magic in the visuals. Director Haissam Hussain did not fail at that front as Aik Nayee Cinderella was almost exclusively shot at real locations of Northern Pakistan. The drama had the scenic locations of Nathia Gali as its backdrop. From mountains to forests to a lake, Aik Nayee Cinderella provided the audience with some truly magical visuals.

Yeh Dil Mera

Yeh Dil Mera being a romantic-thriller demanded visuals that were mysterious and, at times, spooky. Director Aehsun Talish managed to brilliantly capture the mysteriousness of the script in the drama’s visuals. None of it would have been possible if it wasn’t for the people who were responsible for scouting the location. The drama was shot in a place called Shogran, situated between Naran and Kaghan. Amaan & Aina’s house wasn’t an actual house; it was a hotel in Shogran named Arcadian Hotel. Writer Farhat Ishtiaq revealed in an interview that she needed a cottage that gave haunted vibes for the story. She was thankful to the production team for finding the perfect location that was just how she imagined it would be.

Prem Gali

There is something very welcoming about a colorful muhalla where people laugh and cry with each other as a family. That is precisely what Prem Gali has tried to show and succeeded. Set in a fictional area Prem Gali, situated in Saddar, Karachi, the drama has various families and dozens of characters that, somehow, impact each other’s lives. Although Prem Gali is shot on a set and not on an actual location, the production team deserves a round of applause for creating such a realistic set. From general stores to dairy shops, director Qasim Ali Mureed has captured the essence of these commonly found things in such a way that the audience would have a hard time believing that Prem Gali does not exist in reality.

Mushk

Drama serial Mushk‘s storyline revolves around several characters, each at a very different point in their life. And the drama’s visuals manage to present the various situations of the characters. A train station, haveli, dusty roads, an urban house, and even a dingy claustrophobic prison cell; director Aehsun Talish has not attempted to confine this story to generic locations. The real locations that have been tampered with to create a fictional setting provide Mushk with a visual authenticity that is rare to find in drama serials.

Yakeen Ka Safar

The second half of Yakeen Ka Safar shifted the story from busy metropolitan cities to the serene environment of the northern areas. Shot at Neelam Valley, Kashmir, Yakeen Ka Safar gave its protagonists’ love story a beautiful backdrop of lush valleys, mountains, and flowing rivers. Shahzad Kashmiri’s beautifully captured visuals made Yakeen Ka Safar‘s central love story a truly memorable one.

These are just a few examples of Pakistani dramas taking time and effort into the visuals. We live in a time and age where creating entire fictional cities is possible, thanks to green screen and VFX. While Pakistani directors don’t have access to such technology as of now, what they can do is be creative and shoot at unusual locations.  Pakistan certainly doesn’t have a shortage of serene places. And when drama directors make use of the country’s natural resources or put in some effort to make elaborate artificial sets, they certainly elevate the standard of dramas.

The post Pakistani Dramas That Stand Out For Their Stunning Locations And Visuals appeared first on Galaxy Lollywood.

Public figures on the internet seldom evade the merciless trolls that roam the murky streets of social media. Pakistani celebrities are not an exception to this toxic, yet extremely common, the behavior exhibited on social media. It is not an unusual sight to see Pakistani celebrities become the target of verbal attacks from their fellow countrymen whenever they post something that is deemed ‘socially unacceptable’ by these angry keyboard warriors.

In the past, the stars would ignore these jibes and reside upon a throne of indifference, responding only to their fans or other celebrities. But now, it seems like they’ve had enough. More and more examples of stars speaking up and putting the trolls and hate mongers to their place are cropping up. And we have to say, we love it!

Move over Ghairat Brigade

One of the most commonly found groups of trolls in a celebrity’s comments section is the infamous Ghairat Brigade. This warrior race can be seen camping in the comments section of female stars reminding them of the religion they are supposedly abandoning. Questions like ‘Are you Muslim?’ and ‘Is this the Islamic Republic of Pakistan?’ are the most frequently asked questions in the comment section. All it takes for them to be engulfed in the flames of self-righteous anger is an odd pair of jeans or sleeveless shirts donned by an actress.

Unfortunately for them, our stars are ready to bite back. For instance, Minal Khan’s comment section was on fire, when she bit back at commenters calling the twin sisters, Minal and Aiman Khan, ‘besharram’. Minal promptly replied that the commenter was welcome to unfollow them. When a commenter said that she should die of embarrassment, Minal retorted that the commenter should be the one to take their disgusting mindset and practice what they are preaching to her.

The shaming doesn’t end at grown women. Legendary cricketer Wasim Akram’s little daughter also came under fire when he posted a picture with his little girl in a school uniform skirt. A commenter came forward to remind him to dress her according to ‘Islamic values’ and an enraged Wasim reminded him to mind his own business. Anoushey Ashraf was all praises for Wasim Akram as he gave the troll a piece of his mind.

Ertugrul party

Ever since the dawn of Pakistan’s Ertugrul era, Pakistanis have been obsessed with everything concerning the drama. They have responded to the drama with a lot of love and in some areas, a lot of trolling. Yasir Hussain, who is well-known for always using his social media platform to express his views of any subject or trending news, has been the unfortunate target of most of the animosity ever since he remarked that Turkish actors should not receive screen time on Pakistan’s national TV channel.

Since then, no matter what he posts, Yasir’s comments section is flooded with jabs at his stance on the Turkish craze. The actor sometimes replies with good-natured jokes while for more serious incidents, such as abusive comments, he has even threatened to report the commenters to the cyber-crime department.

Recently, Yasir was credited with gathering prominent names of the fraternity to protest against the Motorway Incident. Even under Iqra Hussain’s post, where she expressed the pride she felt for her husband who had organized everything, some commenters still brought up the Turkish actors and Iqra did not hold back her wrath!

Speaking of Ertugrul, Pakistan’s darling Esra Bilgic a.k.a Halime Sultan has been receiving comments from concerned Pakistanis who are unable to distinguish the actress from the pious Islamic character she plays in the show. It seems Esra has also had enough because she too snapped at a commenter to unfollow her, thank you very much.

Blame game: You’re It!

The rampant increase in violence against women and rape cases has shaken the entire country. Our celebs have protested and spoken up with the rest of their countrymen against these issues. While they were busy raising their voices, some commenters shifted the blame entirely on them for promoting a culture that enables rape. Umm… what?

Mahira Khan and Faysal Qureshi were as perplexed as us and they did not leave the accusations unanswered. Mahira sarcastically replied that yes, they were the root cause of everything, and the actual rapists have nothing to be guilty of. Faysal took a more direct approach and asked the commenters if the rapists and molesters that commit the heinous crimes in madrassahs were watching their dramas as well.

Unconstructive pass time

More often than not, social media trolls have absolutely no reason to leave negative comments on a celebrity’s profile. Celebrities usually choose to ignore such comments but recently, Yumna snapped back at a nameless, faceless troll who expressed their discontent on the pictures that she posts on her Instagram. Yumna reminded the commenter that they, unlike her, didn’t even make the effort to upload a profile photo before commenting on the quality of her pictures. Oops.

Monetizing comebacks?

While most of the retorts are angry, disappointed, or plain savage, and seem to be coming from a place of snapped patience, we have started noticing a different trend as well. There have been some celebrities who appear to be replying to the troll comments in a way that seems entirely sponsored. Hania Amir, Shahroz Sabzwari, and Ayesha Omar were seen replying to trolls and suggesting them to have something sweet with the strategically placed hashtag #ChillKaro. Talk about monetizing clap backs!

Final Word

People tend to forget one fundamental truth about our celebrities that they are, after all, human. So, it is not completely unnatural for them to snap back at all the hate they receive once in a while. Ideally, of course, their detachment from such venomous content would be more fruitful in maintaining a picture of indifference and aloofness. Yet, watching them put the shamers in their place every once in a while is a refreshing sight. What do you guys think?

The post Celebrities Shutting Down Their Trolls One Savage Clap Back At A Time appeared first on Galaxy Lollywood.

The talented model-turned-actress Saheefa Jabbar Khattak has a personality that stands out in the crowd. Even a cursory glance at her social media is enough to tell us that Saheefa lives life on her own terms and lives it wholeheartedly. She is one of the rare celebrities that does not reek of a carefully curated façade of being a perfect person. She is vivacious and unapologetic about it.

However, the Saheefa we see off-screen and the one we see on-screen might as well be two different people. Although her work on TV screens is quite limited as she has done four dramas and one mini-series so far, the characters she plays on-screen tend to be of the typical tragedy-stricken heroine that has to live through the miseries of life. An observation that has caused Saheefa’s fans some concerns.

This week’s episode of Galaxy Lollywood’s What’s The 411! took these concerns to Saheefa herself and asked her the burning question: when will we see Saheefa Jabbar Khattak finally smiling on-screen?

What the audience likes

Turns out Saheefa is well aware of her fans’ concerns as she frequently gets asked about when will she stop crying in all her dramas. And the answer she gives to this answer is quite interesting.

“I will stop crying on-screen when the audience will stop liking me in such roles.”

Saheefa explained that for some odd reason her producers and directors think that because she looks very natural when she cries on-screen, the audience is able to relate to her characters. As a result, her characters and the dramas end up getting appreciation from the audience. That is the reason she often gets offered such scripts which involve a lot of crying on her part.

“I would like to not do such characters anymore because I think I am quite done with them,” said Saheefa.

In the pipeline

It looks like Saheefa will get her wish soon as she talked about a couple of upcoming projects that seem to be different from the ones she has done so far.

“I am about to start shooting for one of them very soon. My character in it is gladly not the one who cries all the time. It is a very happy character.”

Saheefa explained that while the script is not of a comedy play, the scope of crying in it is minimal. It is a fun project and she is looking forward to it.

“I would want people to actually look forward to that project,” Saheefa concluded.

To know more about this week’s trending topics watch the full episode of What’s The 411! only of Galaxy Lollywood’s Youtube channel.

The post ‘I Will Stop Crying On-Screen When The Audience Will Stop Liking It,’ – Saheefa Jabbar appeared first on Galaxy Lollywood.