THE GRAPEVINE

Published October 28, 2018

500m views

This is huge! (Try and not imagine Donald Trump saying it, though.) One of ace vocalist Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s songs, Zaroori Tha, from the 2014 album Back 2 Love, has crossed the 500m views mark on YouTube. That’s half a billion plays, folks! And that’s nothing to sniff at.

The video has Indian actors Gauhar Khan and Kaushal Tandon (of Bigg Boss fame) as the central characters in the melodramatic story, and to be honest, it’s a pretty sonorous composition. Well done, Rahat FK! Nothing like a tear-jerker to rake in the big numbers.

Killing Korina

As if the Shikwa, Jawab-i-Shikwa fiasco weren’t enough, Coke Studio has done no different with its version of the iconic Pakistani film song Ko Ko Korina in its last episode. For starters, the two vocalists — Ahad Raza Mir and Momina Mustehsan — lack the oomph and energy that is required to sing the song (in the case of Ahad M, also the ability to sing).

There was a reason why Sohail Rana made the inimitable Ahmed Rushdie sing it. But this can be termed as subjective opinion. What’s really confounding is the total lack of understanding of the Urdu language by the producers of the programme. To change ‘ho sakta hai kal khud mujh ko waqt wahan le jaey’ to ‘...waqt kahan le jaey’ is not only semantically incorrect, it just doesn’t make any sense syntax-wise, even if the girl’s point of view is being presented. This can only mean one thing: they only listen to the composition of classic songs, not their lyrics. And then press the hash button.

Amiable Amy

Last week, a New York couple Jillian Georgio and Greg Hayes went to Central Park for a photo shoot immediately after getting engaged. When they were about to have some pictures of themselves taken, someone appeared from behind them and asked if “it was an engagement”. It was none other than comedienne Amy Schumer and her hubby Chris Fischer.

Then not only did they photobomb the shoot (to the happiness of the affianced pair) but even gave them a piece of advice. Amy S said, “Marriage is awesome, you’re going to love it.” Hmmm … reminds me of an Urdu phrase, hum to doobe hain sanam, tum ko bhi le doobein ge [I’ll also drag you down with me].

He’s a star

Now that’s what you call modesty. Ayushmann Khurrana is a talented singer and actor. Two of his recent films — Andhadhun and Badhaai Ho — have met with both critical and commercial success. Naturally, he is flying high. And yet, check out his down-to-earth nature. The actor says he knows that he’s become a star but doesn’t want to believe it. Well, buddy, the great philosopher Aristotle once said, “I know that I know not.” So what you know is what you know not.

Dog Love

Salman Khan is sad. Why? On Oct 18, his dog named My Love passed away. Yes, the same dog whose pictures he used to share on social networking websites. So, no surprises when the actor wrote with a tinge of sadness on his Instagram page: “My most beautiful, My Love gone today.”

Sonakshi Sinha (his co-star in the Dabangg series) was the first one to extend her condolences to Salman K. She also posted her photo with My Love with the caption, “Rest in peace, beautiful baby girl.” Sorry for your loss, sir. Being single can be really painful.

Grande politics

Who says American pop artists are not conscientious people? Ariana Grande has appealed to all her fans that they should vote in the American mid-term elections. She conveyed that message through social media.

Mind you, she did not specify which party to vote for. That’s probably a smart move, given the flak that Taylor Swift recently received for making the same appeal, but in which she specifically told voters to vote for the Democrats in her native state of Tennessee. But even if Ariana G, hasn’t said it, everybody knows where her outspoken politics lie. After all,

it was her who’d called out Taylor S for her political silence a few months ago, wasn’t it?

Published in Dawn, ICON, October 28th, 2018

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