Loose Talk 2.0

Ever since teasers for a new show hosted and penned by Anwar Maqsood started to do the rounds on the internet, tongues have been wagging about whether actor Yasir Hussain would prove to be a worthy replacement for the late Moin Akhtar. Like the great Moin A in the iconic programme Loose Talk, Yasir H would be playing the guest who is interviewed by Anwar M in each episode, eliciting satirical quips from him. Yasir H is a good actor, make no mistake. He needs to learn one thing though: there’s a fine line between copying someone and being inspired by that person — the former only puts the label of a Kopycat, sorry copycat, on an artist.

Priority Lists

It is indeed commendable that the government of Pakistan has begun to think about the entertainment sector of the country. In that regard, the federal information minister Shibli Faraz’s statement that the film industry is on the government’s priority list must be appreciated. However, given the history of such statements issued by successive governments, we sincerely hope that this time round there’s a lot more in the claim than mere lip service for the industry. Lip-syncing has never been our forte, anyway.

Promising Studio

Rohail Hyatt has reiterated why he is so essential for Coke Studio. The latest season of the show has kicked off to an impressive start. The three tracks released so far — Na Tutteya Ve, Dil Khirki and Jaag Rahi — have instantly become popular, particularly the last one, which is arguably Fariha Pervez’s best vocal performance of her career. The most noteworthy thing about the songs, apart from the unfussy and unflashy sets because of the pandemic, is that each has an entirely different flavour — folk, pop and classical (thumri) — and yet they impress music lovers across the board. Lyrics to one of them left a trifle to be desired but that’s negligible in the larger scheme of things. Can’t wait to hear more with a cold beverage!

Unlike Lookalikes

As he is getting older, Adnan Siddiqui is gaining more and more traction in social and mainstream media. One of the reasons for this are his observations, which sometimes border on the weird side. In one of his recent Instagram stories, the television star has said that Pakistani actor Faysal Quraishi and Indian film star Shahid Kapoor are doppelgangers. To prove his observation right, he posted the two actors’ semi-laughing pictures side by side. What? Seriously? We don’t know who will mind this more, Faysal Q or Shahid K.

Gigi Mum

It’s been two months since supermodel Gigi Hadid and pop singer Zayn Malik became the proud parents of a baby girl. For some reason, they haven’t revealed the name of the child, nor have they allowed the media to look at her face. Now Gigi H has resumed her professional duties and can be seen on the ramp as well. (It didn’t take her much time to get back in shape, it must be said.) The good thing is that she has taken motherhood very seriously. She has been quoted to have said that motherhood is a “job like no other”. Well, high end modelling is not a bad job either.

Looking for Love

Dating apps are the ‘in’ thing these days all over the world. That’s perhaps understandable, because there’s an app for virtually everything under the sun. But not for the effervescent Bollywood actress Kiara Advani, who claims to be untouched by such tech. When a journo recently asked her about it, she said she has never used a dating app, but if she did ever try to use one, her bio would simply say that she was only looking for love. Aren’t we all, Kiara A, aren’t we all?

Published in Dawn, ICON, December 13th, 2020