Category: Entertainment

Lahore (Nut Desk) Preparations are in full swing for the Madeeha Gauhar Theatre Festival opening on Thursday (26th May). Ajoka actors are rehearsing for three landmark plays based on the the themes: “Sacrifice, Separation, Suffering”. The themes have been selected to mark the 75th anniversary of independence and partition. There will also be a special Indo-Pak session to pay tribute to Ajoka founder Madeeha Gauhar at 5 pm on Friday 27th May in Alhamra Hall 3. The session will be chaired by Justice (Rtd) Nasira Javed Iqbal and speakers will include Kamran Lashari, Sajida Vandal, Asghar Nadeem Syed and Shaista Sirajuddin. Eminent theatre practitioners from India including Neelam Mansingh, Kewal Dhaliwal and Arvinder Chamak, who are specially coming over from across the border to will also pay tribute to the theatre peace icon. The festival will kick off with a documentary “Becoming Bhagat Singh” by Nirvaan Nadeem, followed by Ajoka’s acclaimed play on Shaheed Bhagat Singh “ Mera Rang Day Basanti Chola”, in Alhamra Hall 2. Entry will be allowed on passes which are available from Alhamra or Ajoka office. E-passes can be downloaded from Ajoka Facebook.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Pakistan’s most favourite song bird, ZebBangash is back to serenade us with yet another soulful number. Composed by Ahmad Jahanzeb and produced by MoomalShunaid, ‘Weham’ features as the soundtrack for the drama series.

In her signature style, Zeb delivers a delicately poised love story fraught with tragedy.  The lyrics, the melody and Zeb’s vocals come together to a create a haunting, melancholic mood. As the undisputed queen of love ballads, ZebBangash sets the mood of the song.  The song comes fresh after the success of her the hit song ‘Kaash’ from SaramdKhoosat’s soon to be released feature film ‘Kamli.’

The  song’s producer MoomalShunaid, spoke of the OST saying,” A beautifully composed OST video of our new drama serial Weham in the soulful voice of ZebBangash”.  Speaking of the song itself, Zeb said: “I’ve had a wonderful time working on  the OST for ‘Weham’ – the composition, the lyrics and the melody are so beautifully done and I have enjoyed every minute of the experience.”

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CdsZT55j97L/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

 

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)  Ajoka Theatre is holding a 3-day theatre festival dedicated to its late founder Madeeha Gauhar on 26-28 May at Alhamra. Three Ajoka plays on the theme of 75th anniversary of independence. The festival will open with Ajoka’s acclaimed play on freedom fighter Bhagat Singh, “Mera Rang Day Basanti Chola”.

The play will be preceded by Nirvaan Nadeem’s short film “Becoming Bhagat Singh”. On the second day, legendary dancer Zarin Panna will perform a special dance tribute to Madeeha Gauhar, “Pazaib” which will be followed by “Anhi Mai Da Sufna”, written by Shahid Nadeem and directed by Usha Ganguli. On the last day, a memorial session “Tribute to an Icon”, eminent Indian and Pakistani speakers will talk about Madeeha Gauhar’s contribution to theatre and peace. The festival will conclude with Ajoka’s “Kaun Hai Yeh Gustakh”, which is based on the life and short stories of Saadat Hassan Manto.

The festival is being held in collaboration with the Lahore Arts Council, Punjab Council of the Arts and Babar Ali Foundation and with the support of individual donations from Waleed Iqbal, Khalid Masud, Fawzia Afzal Khan and Shama Haq. A delegation of leading theatre personalities from India are coming to participate in the festival. They include international renowned theatre director Dr Neelam Mansingh Chaudhry, founder of Amritsar-based Manch Rangmanch and Chair of Punjab Sanger Natak Academy Kewal Dhaliwal and actor/ poet and founding member ofSanjha Punjab Arvinder Chamak. Filmmaker Kabir Chaudhry and actor Sajan Singh are also part of the delegation. Invitation cards are available from Ajoka office and Alhamra.

Hadiqa Kiani, Pakistan’s most prolific music icon, becomes EQUAL Pakistan’s Ambassador of the Month

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) As EQUAL Pakistan continues to highlight a mix of iconic and emerging musical talents from the country, Spotify announces its third Ambassador of the month. The brand continues to celebrate women and their achievements in the field of music with Hadiqa Kiani as the face for EQUAL Pakistan for May. Hadiqa, one of Pakistan’s most loved voices for more than 2 decades, appeared yesterday on a digital billboard at Times Square NYC following Arooj Aftab and Mehak Ali, the previous Ambassadors for EQUAL Pakistan.

Hadiqa Kiana is amongst the most notable singers and composers that Pakistan has produced. Currently on tour, Hadiqa is a trailblazer who deserves a place at the helm. In line with a tradition of being given the spotlight for the world to witness their grandeur, Hadiqa Kiani being EQUAL Pakistan’s Ambassador of the month, marked the special occasion with her song titled ‘Yaad’, coming from her recent album VASL, being featured on EQUAL Global playlist, for millions of listeners to enjoy. In addition, Hadiqa  is on the cover of EQUAL Pakistan. 

“Hadiqa Kiani’s versatility knows no bounds. Being a trendsetter for Pakistani women over the past two and a half decades, she has conquered all, shattering every glass ceiling along the way. Hadiqa remains an icon and an inspiration that artists, especially Pakistani women look up to,” highlighted Rutaba Yaqub, Spotify’s Music Manager for Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. 

“We are elated to have her as the EQUAL Pakistan Ambassador for the Month where she will act as the torch bearer, leading the way for not just female artists but the community in general to pursue their dreams.”

The EQUAL Pakistan program includes: 

• EQUAL Pakistan playlist: Pakistan women artists are showcased at full volume on the country’s go-to playlist for discovering and supporting these talented creators. The playlist features diverse women voices, including Zeb Bangash, RFB, Natasha Noorani and Sameen Qasim
• EQUAL Destination: Spotify listeners can enjoy listening to some of the most talented women artists from the country via playlists such as EQUAL Pakistan, Top Local Female artists in Pakistan 2021,  Women of Coke Studio, This is Abida Parveen, and This is Noor Jehan on the EQUAL Destination.
• EQUAL Global Playlist: Featuring EQUAL Ambassadors and women artists from around the world, this playlist will serve as the ultimate listening experience, amplifying the EQUAL class of each month.
• Artist marketing: Each EQUAL Pakistan Ambassador of the Month will receive organic and on-platform promotion across Spotify’s editorial spaces. This model has proven effective in propelling significant growth on the platform in both the artists’ home countries and beyond. Each EQUAL Ambassador gets a billboard placement in the middle of Times Square in New York. 

Lahore (Nut Desk) Recognizing that fans are the driving force behind the growth of music, Spotify expands the Spotify Charts experience to Pakistan, a distinct offering that is powered by listeners themselves. Serving as a prudent way to highlight how fans are connecting with the music they love; Spotify Charts provides a ranking for where the interest lies. It is an opportunity to celebrate the music and the artists that are touching Pakistani fans across the country.

Spotify Charts is a website (charts.spotify.com) that includes a logged-in experience for viewing artists, songs, and album chart performances. With access to:

• Daily Top Song Charts – updates daily
• Daily Top Artist Charts – updates daily
• Daily Viral Charts – updates daily
• Weekly Top Song Charts – updates weekly Friday morning
• Weekly Top Artist Charts – updates weekly Friday morning
• Weekly Top Album Charts – updates weekly Friday morning

With a clear denomination of total streams for listeners and their favourite songs, artists, and albums, Spotify Charts lets you see what is moving fans week after week.

Commenting on the launch of Spotify Charts in Pakistan, Claudius Boller, Managing Director for the region at Spotify, said, “Spotify is a platform that strives continuously to work on deepening the connection between artists and fans. With Spotify Charts, we are acknowledging and celebrating the role that fans have in an artist’s journey. These Charts are made by fans as they are the ones who open doors of possibilities for artists.” 

Ali Sethi, whose song “Pasoori” featuring Shae Gill has been in the top 5 on Spotify’s Viral 50 Global chart, expressed his excitement over Spotify Charts coming to Pakistan. “We envisioned Pasoori as a celebration of hybridity and inclusion and we’re blown away by how it has been received around the world. We wanted to make musical connections between the hand-claps of qawwali and flamenco, between raga and pop, between the message of ancient mysticism and modern-day movements for equality and representation. I think Pasoori achieved all that and then some. I’m so proud that Pasoori is Pakistan’s first song to top Spotify’s Viral 50 chart. It proves music is a universal language. I want to congratulate the wonderful people who helped make Pasoori — Shae, Abdullah, Xulfi, Kamal, Hashim and their teams. And congratulations also to Spotify charts for finally landing in Pakistan! Here’s to many more breakthroughs.”

Starting from today, Spotify Charts is available in Pakistan. Head over to charts.spotify.com to see who is rocking the charts.

Lahore (Nut Desk) May Ajoka Institute’s Art of Writing students presented dramatic readings at the Punjabi Institute of Art and Culture on Saturday. Five writings including drama scripts, screenplays and short stories, developed during a 3-months course mentored by playwright Shahid Nadeem.

They included “Split” by Fatima Umar, a stage play which revolved around a character with split personality disorder, causing confusion and chaos. It was followed by Noor Malik’s “ Babaji ki Wapsi”, a story of fake spiritual healing as narrated by a dim-witted boy-servant. Next was a screenplay by Saliha Maryam about the life of stuntman who turned out to the real-life hero. In “Writer’s Revenge” writer Moeez Rehman developed a script about the unexpected revenge of a new writer who is humiliated by nasty critics at a literary meeting. The session ended with script for stage by Hassan Zaidi titled “ Rozina ka Khawb”, the story of little known singer whose dream of royal performance comes true in bizarre circumstances.

All scripts were original scripts developed by first-time writers. The dramatic readings were coordinated by Qurrat ul Ain Taj and Ajoka’s acting/writing students join in the reading including Sabahat Moazzam, Fahad Amir, Fizza Tirmizi, Mian Meesam, M.Ahsan and Sannia Tiwana. Course mentor Shahid Nadeem distributed certificates to the writers and appreciated their creativity and hard work.

This was the 15th on-ground batch of Art of Writing students which successfully presented its work. Ajoka also conducts online writing courses for students from outside Lahore and abroad.

Lahore (Nut Desk)

Popular short video-sharing platform TikTok recently concluded its Ramadan campaign in Pakistan titled ‘#StitchKindness’ that encapsulated the spirit of the holy month and imparted the message of kindness and sharing among users. The campaign, powered by five hashtags to celebrate Ramadan and Eid, garnered close to 2.5 billion views during the month.

The vibrant and eye-catching campaign featured actress Urwa Hocane, singer Bilal Khan, and popular TikTok content creators Romaisa Khan and Aiman Zaman. A highly acclaimed advertisement became the symbol through which TikTok showcased its vision of uplifting communities and connecting Pakistanis through entertainment.

The hashtag #StitchKindness crossed 1 billion views and featured videos highlighting selfless and hardworking people who help others while fasting and adhering to their duties in trying conditions. Content creators across Pakistan created a chain of kindness by stitching their videos with the TikTok ad for this campaign that celebrated and honoured the efforts of these unsung heroes during Ramadan.

Another hashtag, #MaheRamzan which crossed 675.5 million views, celebrated the essence and spirit of Ramadan as people shared their favourite Ramadan traditions with the community throughout the month. Moreover, the #RamzanRoutine initiative educated TikTok users about fitness and self-care while enjoying Sehri and Iftar and it received more than 208.1 million views on the platform. Users also shared their favourite Ramadan food videos using the hashtag #IftarKiTayyari, which garnered over 257.3 million views.

The campaign ended with one of the most celebrated events in the country – Eid Ul Fitr. To celebrate the joyous occasion of Eid, the community interacted with #EidKiKhushiyan over 268.3 million times along with exciting in-app effects and filters launched exclusively for Eid.

As a part of the Ramadan campaign, TikTok also collaborated with the Rizq Foundation and successfully conducted ration drives across multiple cities in Pakistan. This donation marked the start of a long-term collaboration between TikTok and the Rizq Foundation, with the aim to play a significant role in addressing the food shortage and nutritional challenges faced by several communities in the country.

Ramadan has always been a month of great spiritual gains, celebrations and gatherings whether in-person or virtual. With its campaign, TikTok aimed to celebrate with its community across the world to convey the spirit of the holy month, while continuing to inspire creativity and bring joy to its ever-growing community worldwide.

Lahore (Nut Desk) Farhan Saeed gives a soulful performance  at the Kashmir  Beats Season 2 as he performs Naukar Shah Da, a qawalli that takes us on a spiritual journey of love and devotion.

Farhan Saeed has shown versatility time and time again and Naukar Shah Da is proof that he set the stage on fire this year at the season 2 of Kashmir Beats.

He created magic on stage through his mystical and euphoric performance.

Singing qawalli requires a lot of emotions and soul setting and Farhan Saeed gave the audiences just that through his powerful vocals and stage performance where everything felt so real and organic and straight from the heart. Farhan’s  phenomenal  performance, has touched the hearts of millions and it continues doing so.

I million views in less than 3 days, Naukar Shah Da is definitely on top of the season 2 of Kashmir Beats this year.

“It was surreal performing Naukar Shah Da on stage as it gave me goose bumps and this sense of devotion and a roller coaster of emotions.And I am so glad I was honoured to do do justice to a qawalli of that level”,stated Farhan.

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From the lyrics to the music to the soul performance, FarhanSaaed took qawalli to a whole different level and turned it into a masterpiece. And changed the entire vibe of Kashmir Beats Season 2 by adding his very own touch to it.

Song link – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juAzGbJ0pEE

Lahore (Nut Desk) ZebBangash took center stage at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium to kick-off the Fairbreak Invitational 2022, with a spectacular musical ode to women’s cricket. Zeb’s two song set began with the glorious ‘Sinf-e-Ahan’ and concluded with a specially curated, multilingual rendition of Dusty Springfield’s popular ‘You Don’t Own Me’, in collaboration with Benjamin Lazer Davis and Syed Misbahuddin. 

Clad in a bespoke cobalt blue suit designed by AasiaSial Khan; Zeb was bejeweled in a bespoke neck-piece and matching earrings strung together by Amber Sami exclusively for the event. The hand-crafted necklace featured the glorious ‘chaandtaara’ in varying scales and colours, representing the diversity of the multiple countries that have come together for the tournament.

Zeb’s hair, make-up and styling was done by Dubai-based Pakistani stylist, Aana Khan.

This year, a rich and diverse mix of 90 international players from 35 countries across the globe have been invited to be part of Fairbreak’s T-20 tournament to be played in Dubai between the 1st to the 15th of May. This is the first ever global private tournament in the history of women’s cricket. 

The event, which is being held to promote global gender equality, is an ICC-approved T20 league that will see six teams competing. A total of 19 matches will be held in the fortnight-long tournament that will feature cricketers from both Full-Member and Associate Nations. All matches will be given international status.

This edition of Fairbreak’s pioneering platform, showcases the talents of 5 Pakistani cricketers, as well as a former coach of the Pakistan national squad. ICC’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year for 2021, Fatima Sana represents The Barmy Army. Former skipper turned commentator, Sana Mir is captaining the South Coast Sapphires, a side that will be coached by Pakistan’s very own Mohtasim Rasheed. Captain of the Pakistan Women’s Cricket Team, BismaMaroof is leading Team Spirit. Aliya Riaz and Diana Baig are part of The Tornadoes playing 11.

After her performance; Zeb, spoke a few heartfelt words at the stadium to mark the occasion: “Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me immense pride in joining you to celebrate this historic moment in sporting history paying ode to women’s cricket and the glory of the game.

My passion for women’s cricket began pursuing and supporting the the journey of our very own girls in green who I chanced upon meeting at a luggage carousel at an airport. Sana, Bisma, Diana, Aliya and Sana Fatima today you do me very proud championing the spirit of the game by joining the some of the world’s best to bring to us what is nothing short of a celebration of women’s cricket, and all that it has achieved today and the immeasurable potential it has to grow into something bigger and better with each passing day. 

Ladies today, I dedicate to you a poem in my native Urdu celebrating you and women everywhere. Each of you ‘Women of Steel’ inspire me and countless others by your passion and commitment. May there never be any looking back – onward and upward.”

“PARDE MEIN REHNE DO” BY SHOWCASE FILMS PREMIERES IN LAHORE & KARACHI

RELEASING WORLDWOIDE IN CINEMAS ON EID UL FITR 2022

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) The City of Lights bustled with excitement today as the highly anticipated movie “Parde Mein Rehne Do” starring Hania Aamir and Ali Rehman for the first time as the leading pair in media partnership with Geo TV Network premiered at the Nueplex Cinemas in Karachi.

The premiere saw the ultra-talented leading pair Hania Aamir and Ali Rehman, along with the director-producer duo Wajahat & Shazia Rauf, and the strong supporting cast comprising of veteran actors including Javed Sheikh, Saifee Hasan, and Noor ul Hassan, alongside the talented Sonia Nazir, Hasan Raza, Sadia Faisal, Shafqat Khan, and Munazzah Arif, and backed by a powerful soundtrack directed by Hassan Ali and Aashir Wajahat, “Parde Mein Rehne Do” made an appearance at the red carpet.

The star-studded movie premiere at the Nueplex Cinemas, Karachi was graced by the who’s who of the film, entertainment, and media industry in attendance, amid much fanfare. Some notable figures present at the red carpet were Amna Ilyas, Iqra Aziz, Yasir Hussain, Mansha Pasha, Junaid Khan, Maha Tahirani, Hasnain Lehri, Dananeer Mobeen, Zhalay Sarhadi, Moomal Sheikh, Shahzad Sheikh, Kubra Khan, Gohar Rasheed, Komal Meer, Eshal Fayyaz, Osama Tahir, Nadia Hussain, Adnan Hussain, Ghazanfar Rauf, Faakhir Mehmood, Taha G, Faizan Haq, and Wahab Shah, amongst others.

Earlier this week, “Parde Mein Rehne Do” also held its Lahore premiere at the Cinestar iMax Theatre on the evening of 29th April 2022. The stellar Lahore premiere saw entertainment bigwigs such as Nauman Ijaz, Zaviyar Ijaz, Mikaal Zulfiqar, Danyal Zafar, Uzair Jaswal, Shiraz Uppal, Raza Samoo, Khaqan Shahnawaz, Asim Jofa, Sajjad Paul, and Munib Nawaz.

“Parde Mein Rehne Do” by Showcase Films is set to be released on Eid-ul-Fitr in cinemas across the country. With movie audiences eagerly awaiting Wajahat Rauf’s “Parde Mein Rehne Do” since its promotions started earlier this year in February, the comedy flick, looks immensely promising and is expected to pull a huge crowd on its release.

The plot for “Parde Mein Rehne Do” addresses a serious issue faced by a lot of newly married couples in Pakistan, i.e. the pressure to start their own family and how people don’t openly talk about family planning. Director Wajahat Rauf has addressed this prevalent issue in his uniquely humorous way with this movie, with the perfect choice of actors who have brilliantly brought the characters to life.

Speaking to the press during his movie promotions, the lead actor Ali Rehman, commented, “It was such a great experience shooting with an amazing team. I’m so proud of ‘Parde Mein Rehne Do’ because not only is it a labor of love, which we worked very hard to shoot during a pandemic, but more importantly it addresses the stigma attached to accepting certain social issues that can really have a big impact on the society as a whole”.

“Parde Mein Rehne Do’ is very close to my heart for various reasons. Firstly, because of how beautifully it has been written. How effortlessly Mohsin has talked about a subject so taboo and translated it with such care while incorporating elements of humor. Secondly, if production had to learn what the word ‘efficient’ meant I would send them to Shazia Wajahat, never seen a more professional producer. The director, Wajahat Rauf is an entertainer, and I have not worked with a director whose attention to humorous nuances is this good. Lastly, because it was a team effort, we were all there for each other throughout the shoot. This film is warm, responsible, and funny. Just like my team behind it”, has stated the leading lady of the film Hania Aamir.

The much-celebrated Director Wajahat Rauf has quoted to press, “For me, ‘Parde Mein Rehne Do’ is a labor of love that addresses an important social issue. I hope to make more films that give out a positive message along with entertaining people”.

“Thoroughly enjoyed working on ‘Parde Mein Rehne Do’, mostly due to the topic this film is based on. It was a pleasure working with actors who I refer to as family and who made every day memorable and fun”, said Shazia Wajahat, the producer of the highly anticipated movie, during her film campaign.

“Parde Mein Rehne Do” is the fourth movie releasing under the banner of Showcase Films, a joint venture of the stellar husband wife duo Wajahat Rauf and Shazia Wajahat. Showcase Films has Karachi Se Lahore (2015) – the first Pakistani film that premiered in Hollywood, and its sequel Lahore Se Aagey (2016) – the highest grossing film of the year, along with Chhalawa (2019) to its name.