Hubby Fun

Countless memes and funny videos were made on Nida Yasir’s 2016 booboo about Formula 1 racing, which surfaced on social media recently —unnecessarily we might add because, given the state of a majority of hosts in Pakistan’s electronic media, the gaffe was nothing out of the ordinary. Just when one started to feel sorry for the TV anchor, her husband, actor/director Yasir Nawaz came up with his own video version, mimicking his better half. We thought it was a nice gesture on his part in order to tell all the fun-pokers that the incident hadn’t affected his family. In fact, they’ve enjoyed the hullabaloo. Cool. Good formula, Yasir N, to cut the detractors down to size.

Bland Chutney

Meesha Shafi can sing, make no mistake. She has proven credentials. The thing is, her latest single, Hot Mango Chutney Sauce with Swineryy, appears to be an effort that doesn’t have enough to wow a big chunk of her fan base. Yes, it’s peppy, but the kind of everyday objects’ references used in the track, a staple of Punjabi rap and pop songs these days, come across as forced rather than coming right from the heart. Also, the melody isn’t catchy to go with the beat. That being said, it’s an opinion.

Not the opinion…

Javed Akhtar Under Fire

Indian lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar came under intense and heavy criticism from right-wing forces in his country when he, talking to a TV channel, remarked that the Hindu extremist party Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is like the Taliban. Immediately after that, a ruling BJP parliamentarian Kadam Ghatkopar threatened that, until Javed A apologised for his statement, his movies would not be allowed to screen in India. Another rightwing group, Shiv Sena, also followed suit and threatened the same to the writer. Hmmm… maybe it’s time for the lyricist to write a new version of his old hit song… Aik ‘fundo’ ko dekha to aisa laga…

Case in Point

Things have turned around quite a bit: it’s now Salman Khan’s turn to file a case. The Bollywood A-lister, on September 8, moved a civil court in Mumbai to get an order against a video game titled Selmon Bhoi that’s clearly based on his extensively reported and widely discussed 2002 hit-and-run case; and in which he was acquitted in 2015. As a result, the court has ordered a temporary restraint on access to the game. What? Temporary! Bhoi, oh bhoi, this means that the game is still on.

Bottled Up Feelings

We all know that supermodel Gigi Hadid and pop star Zayn Malik are proud parents of a baby girl named Khai. But mum seems to be obsessed with the daughter and all those things that go with the lil’ ones. At the recently held New York Fashion Week, Gigi H carried a baby bottle as an accessory on the runway. Not just that, she took a tiny bite of the bottle teat, looking playfully at those who had come to see the event. For sure, now she’s a well-fed model!

J-Law In The Family Way

Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence and her husband, art gallery director Cooke Maroney, are expecting their first child. The happy news was relayed by the 31-year-old actress’s representative late last week. The couple have been seeing each other since June 2018, got affianced in Jan 2019 and tied the knot in October that year. Congratulations to the two of you! For J-Law, from reel life Hunger Games to real life hunger games begin… in a good way.

Published in Dawn, ICON, September 19th, 2021