Category: Entertainment

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)  In a recent interview by South AsianToday, Zoha Rahman, a British actor of Pakistani descent highlighted the importance of how representation matters, but what matters more is the content that is being offered to the South Asian actors.

Zoha Rahman was recently featured in Spiderman:No way home and the Indian movie 83. And now she will also be seen playing in Ms Marvel. When asked about how she feels about Muslim representation in the West, she had some very valid points to highlight

“Tokenism allows certain characteristics under the guise of being inclusive, but all it does is reinforce harmful stereotypes,” she points out.

She further added on by elaborating on how the industry looks at South Asians, “Most of my auditions and offers are for ‘oppressed’ Muslim characters, or for characters who constantly feel the need to break away from their culture and faith to be liberated. I rarely see casting calls for a character not specifically ethnic or Muslim; that puts me in a box because I’m seen as brown and Muslim before I am seen as an actor. It’s almost like I won’t be believable as a love interest or best friend because how can someone who looks like me represent something so normal! This is why my role in Spider-Man: Far From Home was so refreshing, I was just a student having fun with her friends on a school trip, and I happened to be Muslim too!” 

Over time we have seen how South Asian actors are type casted or are given a certain genre of roles that are never really in the limelight or under a positive light. And this is something Zoha Rahman wants to see a change in and equal opportunities given to South Asian actors to show their craft and skill set in all avenues of acting and screen.

 

 

 

Kamli premiere revived the splendor of Lollywood in local cinema of Lahore, The film will hit cinemas today (June 3).

The premiere show was attended by a large number of renowned artists beside the star cast of the film. Film got rave reviews from the premier.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)

The colorful premiere show of award winning director Sarmad Sultan Khust’s new presentation Urdu feature film “Kamli” proved breeze of fresh air for Pakistan film industry in LAHORE. Held at the local cinema in Gulberg, Lahore on Wednesday night, the premiere was attended by leading artists from the film, Drama, Fashion and TV industry beside star cast including Saba Qamar, Sania Saeed, Adeel Afzal, Sarmad Khost and Umair Rana.

The personalities which attended the premiere include Maya Ali, Ayesha Omar, Sabika imam, Ahsan Khan , Iman suleman, Seeme rahil , Danyal rahil, Asma Abbas , Ajnum Qureshi , Nadia afghan , Muneeb Nawaz, Khawar Riaz , Hassan shehyar yaseen (HSY), Muneeza Hashmi ,R.M Naeem , Qudsia Raheem , Zulfikar Ali , Hassan Askari  , Iftikhar Thakur  , Tamkinat Mansoor , Iffat Omar , Mussarat misbah , Yasir jaswal , Nusrat Manto , Nuzhat Manto , Shahnaz Sheikh , Salman Shahid, Wahab shah, Sarah Gandapur , Sehar Afzal , Saji Gul ,Khalil ur Rehman Qamar ,Madiha Qaiser and Toshi.

Kamli received rave reviews for its thematic plot, impressive story and accurate portrayal of characters. All the artists who enjoyed the film termed “Kamli” as a masterpiece of Sarmad Sultan Khoosat and said that the film would provide quality entertainment to the audience as well as revive the prosperity of the cinema industry.

Renowned director Shehzad Rafique in his message released on social media praised “Kamli” while earlier in the premiere shows held in Karachi and other cities, the many leading celebrities also showered their praise the film. Leading actress Saba Qamar has played the lead role of heroine Hina in “Kamli” who is especially appreciated for her excellent performance. Abid Rasheed Sheikh, Executive Director, Distribution Club shared that Kamli is being released from the platform of Distribution Club and it will prove a wholesome entertainer “Kamli” will be screened on Friday, June 3 in Lahore, Karachi and other cinemas of the country including Islamabad from the platform of Distribution Club.

 

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Irfan Ghanchi is one of the leading TV producers in Pakistan who works regularly and after a while comes up with an excellent project for the viewers. His latest project “Saya 2” is also an instant hit. It happened because the viewers were anxiously waiting for it to be aired but as soon as this drama was aired, it caused a stir everywhere. So far 22 episodes have been aired.

Irfan Ghanchi earlier presented “Saya” in 2018 which gained a lot of popularity and now he has made part two of it which is on air these days and viewers are watching it with great interest. Writer Wajiha Sehar, Director Sami Sani, GM Production Junaid Ghanchi, Head of Production Kashif Amin, DOP Shehzad Malik, Associate Director Owais Khalid, Line Producer Khawaja Imran-u-ddin, Assistant Director Mehdi Naqvi, Make-up Simon Anwar, Engineer Fayyaz , Mahmood Ali, Ali Abbas, Imtiaz Abu, Azhar & Faizan, Designer Muhammad Ali, Sameera Nasir & Urooj Adnan. Naveed Raza, Anaya Khan, Anam Tanveer, Maria Naqvi, Hareem Sohail, Wajiha Khan, Benazir Khan, Esha Usman, Asim Mahmood, Ayesha Khan, Sabiha Hashmi, Sabahat Bukhari, Asad Zaman, Bina Chaudhry, Janan Hussain, Shehzar Sani, Owais Khalid, Mehboob Sultan, Rauf Bhatta, Sami Sani, Urooj Kazmi, Fauzia and Uzair Khan.

The story of the play begins with Sohail Sameer who is living a very happy life with his family but then suddenly such forces take over his house that the story takes a new turn and from here the real drama also begins. The play begins with the heinous game of giants and other evil forces showing how these forces destroy human life. Because the story of the play is so widespread and because of this there are many characters in it who are all performing their roles in the excellent way.

It is also important to mention Anaya Khan and Mashaal Khan whose performances are excellent. Besides, Haris Waheed, Sohail Sameer, Danial Afzal Khan, Momina Iqbal, Saleem Meraj are also performing well. Talking about this, Anaya Khan said that the experience of working in “Saya 2” was wonderful for me as this drama is completely different from the traditional stories of mother-in-law.

I think such experiences should be more because the audience is tired of watching traditional. dramas. Anaya Khan added that horror stories would be a part of our lives and there are countless people around us with whom such incidents happen which is why whenever a horror drama is made It is more popular than ordinary dramas.

Producer Irfan Ghanchi said, “I am very thankful to Allah Almighty for honoring “Saya 2” more than we thought. I am very grateful to my writer, director and the entire team for their hard work.” Such a wonderful project was completed. Irfan Ghanchi further said that I am also very grateful to all the viewers who like each of my projects. Other artists working in the serial also thanked Irfan Ghanchi and said that working in this project is a great and wonderful experience for them.

 

Lahore (Nut Desk) A man is kidnapped and held hostage in his car by 3 members of a dangerous gang. But what appears to be a straight-forward kidnapping turns out to be an intricate tale of deception, vengeance and retribution. Each progressive scene during the kidnapping is linked with impactful scenes from the past, producing a cohesive non-linear story that ends with a series of mind-boggling, yet ultimately satisfying twists.

Set in a fictional version of modern-day Karachi where life is fast and furious, Carma branches away from the romantic comedy genre, and follows the path set by iconic director Quentin Tarantino. Directed & produced by renowned Music and Video Producer Kashan Admani (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashan_Admani), Carma shows us how he has seamlessly translated a gripping screenplay in to riveting audio-visual storytelling. Complementing this with a self-composed enthralling score and beguiling tracks performed by international & local musicians, Kashan has also injected the film with sound that invokes the audience’s emotions behind the film’s theme and feel. The integration of live-action footage with international quality special effects complete the visual treat. Cinematographer Farhan Golden, too, must be commended for adding a Hollywood feel to the film, perfectly defining light and space to create compelling scenes.  

Written & co-produced by Fawad Hai, Carma is a no holds barred, in-your-face, new-age revenge thriller that intends to change your perception of Pakistani cinema. The movie title is a play on the word ‘Karma’ as it has a unique screenplay shot entirely in and around Cars. It touches on sensitive topics in society including child labor, adultery, women empowerment, pedophilia, betrayal and greed while maintaining an enthralling revenge thriller feel.

 Carma boasts a star-studded blend of seasoned & dynamic actors including the evergreen superstar Adnan Siddiqui; Osama Tahir and Navin Waqar as the dazzling young couple with cryptic agendas up their sleeves; British singer and actor Lili Caseley as the protagonist’s love interest; Zhalay Sarhadi as the intimidating boss of the crime gang; Paras Masroor, Umer Alam and Vajdaan Shah as dangerous gang members; and seasoned actors Khaled Anam & Arjumand Rahim lending impactful cameos.

The vibrant Kashan Admani feels that his movie would be best suited for cinema because of the way it has been visualized and executed. “I was always intrigued by the numerous stories of Car snatchings and abductions in Karachi, and wanted to highlight this in a feature. Through Carma, my collaborator Fawad and I managed to fictionalize this concept and carve it in to a film that breaks away from the run-of-the-mill themes and helps our industry move towards a direction we believe is right. I am grateful to all my cast and crew members for giving their 110% and can’t wait for everyone to watch the film in a cinema soon.”

The credits for Carma are as follows:

Director: Kashan Admani

Writer: Fawad Hai

Producers: Kashan Admani & Fawad Hai

Director of Photography: Farhan Golden

Music & Background score: Kashan Admani

Line Producer: Irfan Hussain

Editor: Zaid Shah

VFX: Owais Alam

Post Production: Dream Station Productions

Filming Locations: Karachi, Pakistan & London, UK

PR: Take II Client Management – PR and Media Consultants

Lahore (Qasim Ali)

Ajoka’s three-day Madeeha Gauhar Theatre Festival came to a successful end with a polished and powerful performance of Shahid Nadeem’s acclaimed play on Manto, “Kaun Hai Yeh Gustakh”. A jam-packed audience gave prolonged appliance to the actors. Before the play, legendary dancer Zarin Salman Panna presented a dance tribute to Madeeha, titled “Pazeb”. The play was based on Manto’s writings and his suffering as a writer harassed by a conservative society. It included enactment of extracts from Manto’s short stories stories.

The role of Manto was brilliantly performed by Naseem Abbas, well- supported by Kamran Mujahid, Uzma Hassan, Qaiser Khan, Umar Bhatti, Haifa Ambreen, Shahzad Sadiq, Usman Chaudhry, Fahad Hāshmï, Fasih Butt, Nasir Mehmood, Rai Kamran, Sumavia, Asra and Ali Haider. A concluding ceremony was held on the last day of the festival in which supporters of the festival were acknowledged which included Punjab Council of Arts, Lahore Arts Council and Babar Ali Foundatiob as well as individual donors Waleed iqbal, Javed Masud, Fawzia Afzal Khan and Shama Ikhlaq,Saman Rai of Punjab Council of Arts, Henna Babar Ali of Babar Ali Foundation and Kamran Lashari of Walled City of Lahore Authority commended Ajoka for its valuable contribution for the promotion of socially-meaningful theatre and successful organisation of the festival.

Indian guests were also honoured on the occasion for their enthusiastic participation in the festival and given gifts. They included Neelam Mansingh, Kewal Dhaliwal, Arvinder Chamak, Kabir Chaudhry and Sajan Singh. Arvinder Chamak o presented a portrait of Madeeha Gauhar to her son Nirvaan Nadeem. The event ended with a Dhol and dance by Ajoka members and supporters. During the three day festival, three Ajoka plays on the theme “ Sacrifice, Separation, Suffering”, were presented along with a tribute to peace icon Madeeha Gauhar and interaction between visiting theatre personalities and Ajoka students. Shahid Nadeem, Sohail Warraich and Nirvaan Nadeem we’re festival coordinators while organising committee included Kanwal Christopher, Nadeem Mir. Asad Yousaf, Saadat Ali and Asra Khalid and Fizza Jamal.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Known for his exceptional performances and profound character choices, Usman Mukhtar once again delivers a strong message through the insightful execution of his role in ‘Aik Tou Tum Aurtain’; SeePrime’s latest short film. Directed by Nadeem Baig, with Madiha Imam as the leading lady, this new short film is a tribute to all the women and home workers without whom we could not have survived the global pandemic, while also highlighting their importance in our everyday lives. In this short film we can see how well Usman Mukthar has performed, truly depicting the social stigmas of how men treat women in the society and at their homes. He has really taken this role to his heart as he shows the world excatly what is wrong with the way women are mishandled and misjudged starting from their very own at their homes. We all know how tough the pandemic was and during that stage, the women in our societies really held fort and globally fought this pandemic as resilient mothers,daughters,sisters and co workers.

“This project is one that is close to my heart. I have always felt that our society discredits women and continually tries to put them down. I am so glad that I have had the opportunity to work on a project that is tackling and shedding light on a narrative mostly swept under the rug. We all know how challenging the pandemic has been, and it is high time we recognize the importance of the women in our lives that make our houses into homes, and give credit where it is due”, stated Usman. After his commendable performance in Sinf-E-Ahan, that left audiences stunned, Usman Mukhtar once again takes the spotlight as he breathes life and brings justice to the character he plays in SeePrime’s latest short film, thanks to his brilliant acting skills.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) REHBRA, the highly entertaining Pakistani rom-com action packed film, directed by Amin Iqbal and produced by Saira Afzal revealed its title song here today, in front of media and celebrities. It was the unanimous opinion of all who watched the song that after a long time one could expect a Pakistani film that offers memorable music. With the title song, Rehbra, sung by Asim Azhar, music by Simab Sen, beautiful lyrics, and picturization of the song across stunning select locales of Pakistan, along with eye-catching costumes, the song Rehbra is not likely to be forgotten in a hurry.

Starring Ayesha Omar, Ahsan Khan, Saba Faisal, Sohail Sameer, Sarish Khan, Adnan Hyder and Ghulam Mohiuddin, with a special dance number by Rimmal, the film promises quality acting along with action, drama, romance and comedy, and what’s more, a social message that is bound to be appreciated by audiences.

After a bustling red carpet which saw the likes of Ahsan Khan, Ghulam Mohyeddin sahib, Sayed Noor, Rashid Khwaja, Khali-ur-rehman Qamar, Rimal, Resham, Meera and many more, the programme started with the unveiling of the title song Rehbra, which was shown twice on popular demand. Veteran director, Amin Iqbal, then welcomed the media and the guests and thanked them for showing up in such large numbers.

He expressed his delight that the unveiling of their title song was being done from his home town. The debutant US-based Pakistani producer, Saira Afzal, then addressed the audience. She stated, “We have invested a lot of time, money and hard work in this movie to create an experience that audiences will enjoy on the silver screen.

I am hoping that this song bears testimony to our efforts.” Ahsan Khan the male lead in the film talked about his and his female lead, Ayesha Omar’s experiences while shooting the song in some memorable terrains and difficult weather conditions. Last to speak was veteran actor Ghulam Mohyedin who expressed his happiness at being part of the film, and his joy that good quality Pakistani feature films were once again being produced. A story that revolves around a journey of love, hatred, adventure and discovery of a soul mate where least expected, Rehbra highlights that love is not a destination but a journey.

The song is picturized at stunning locations giving a peek into the varied and breathtaking natural beauty that Pakistan has to offer. Rehbra’s promotional posters, trailer and song audio have already created anticipation among the film’s fans, and they cannot wait for the release of the movie on June 24, the trailer of which has been running at all cinemas from Eid day.

Presented by SA Entertainment and distributed by Mandviwalla Entertainment, The PR of the movie is being handled by STARLINKS PR & Events.

Lahore (Qasim Ali)

Ajoka‘s Madeeha Gauhar Theatre Festival opened with a thumping start on Thursday 25 May at Alhamra, Lahore with Shahid Nadeem’s acclaimed play “Mera Rang Day Basanti Chola”. The play, which is a powerful tribute to freedom fighter Bhagat Singh, was preceded by Nirvaan Nadeem’s documentary “Becoming Bhagat Singh.

The play, originally directed by Madeeha Gauhar, linked the execution of Bhagat Singh in 1931 in Lahore Central Jail and the murder of Nawab Mohammad Ahmad Khan in 1974. It included songs specially written at the time, to pay tribute to Bhagat Singh. The cast included Sibte Hassan, Naseem Abbas, Qaiser Khan, Shehzad Sadiq, Umar Bhatti, Razia Malik, Usman Chaudhry, Usman Zia and Bilal Mughal. Singers included Khawar , Kanwal, Anita, Thomas and Asad .

A delegation of Indian theatre personalities is attending the three-day festival. They include:
Dr. Neelam Mansingh Chowdhry, Kewal Dhaliwal , Arvinder Singh Chamak , Kabir Singh Chowdhry and Sajan Singh.

Indian director Kewal Dhaliwal appreciated the inspiring performance by the actors.

Earlier festival’s Director Shahid Nadeem said that the festival was dedicated to theatre icon Madeeha Gauhar and the themes of “Sacrifice, Separation, “Suffering” related to the 75th anniversary of independence and partition.

Two more historical plays will be presented on the following days. A special tribute to Madeeha Gauhar will be held on 27 May in which prominent speakers will talk about Madeeha’s cherished ideal of theatre of peace.

The festival is being held at Alhamra and is supported by Lahore Arts Council, Punjab Council of Arts and Babar Ali Foundation. FM 103 and FM 95 are radio partners.

 

Seemab Gul’s “Haven of Hope”, has been selected from Pakistan for International Film Festival (IFFR)’s Hubert Bals Fund (HBF) all from female filmmakers, for its 2022 script and project development support scheme

Each of the 10 projects receives a grant of €10,000 to be spent on development.

“Being at La Fabrique in Cannes is an incredible experience because it’s a meeting point of international cinema. It’s the largest and only festival in the world which is catered mainly for film professionals. Meeting many French and international producers has opened up lots of new co-production avenues. This is a step closer to accomplishing my dream of making my debut feature film, Haven of Hope (Panah Khana)” – Seemab Gul

The selection includes Iranian filmmaker Rakhshan Banietemad, who’s previous flm Tales picked up best screenplay at Venice Film festival in 2014, and Tamar Shavgulidze, the Georgian director of Comets which screened at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2019.

Two Brazilian projects, Everlane Moraes’ The Secret Of Sikán and Maíra Bühler’s The Marriage, are featured and will also be supported by HBF’s partner Projecto Paradiso. Jazmín López is being supported by HBF for the third time with her latest project Presidente which explore the controversial history of Argentina’s first female president, Isabel Perón, who was also the third wife and widow of Juan Perón.

The films were chosen from 308 submissions.

Hubert Bals Fund manager Jeske van der Slikke said: “Our fund is committed to defending artistic vision from courageous filmmakers across the globe who may otherwise find it more difficult to access funding, particularly during such a fragile moment as a project’s development.

Hubert Bals Fund – Script and Project Development Support selection:

Amoeba, Siyou Tan, Singapore

Consider Vera, Marina Stepanska, Ukraine

Haven of Hope, Seemab Gul, Pakistan

Home, Archana Phadke, India

Little War, Barbara Sarasola Day, Argentina

The Marriage, Maíra Bühler, Brazil

Presidente, Jazmín López, Argentina

The Secret of Sikán, Everlane Moraes, Brazil

Red Mist Descending, Rakhshan Banietemad, Iran

Vika, Tamar Shavgulidze, Georgia

Seemab Gul is a Pakistani artist and filmmaker based in London. Her films interweave documentary, fictional, and performative elements to explore social-political stories. Her work is interdisciplinary, immersed in the current political dialogue, examining conditions of precarity in society and focusing on the outsider experience.

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Eminent scholars from India and Pakistan will pay tribute to Ajoka founder theatre director Madeeha Gauhar at a memorial session on Friday, May 27 at 5:00 pm in Alhamra Hall 3. The speakers will include internationally renowned Indian theatre director Neelam Mansingh. She is founder of Chandigarh-based theatre group The Company and a professor Emeritus at the Punjab University.

Her plays including Kitchen Katha and Nagamandala have been performed at Ajoka’s Panjpaani festivals in Lahore. Amritsar-based theatre director and founder of Manch Rangmanch will also share memories of his collaboration with Madeeha for the promotion of peace through theatre. Kewal Dhaliwal also heads Virsa Vihar cultural centre and was awarded Sangeet Natak Award by the Govt of India. He has presented his plays in Lahore and directed Ajoka plays including “Loona”and “Kabira”.

Noted performing artist and poet Arvinder Chamak Will also speak on the occasion. Pakistani speakers will include Kamran Lashari, Sirajuddin, Sajida Vandal, Asghar Nadeem Syed and Nasira Javed Iqbal.

A documentary on Madeeha Gauhar will also be screened. The tribute session will be followed by Ajoka’s partition play “ Anhi Mai Da Sufna” in Alhamra Hall 2.

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