Another Social Media Blow-up

The Feroze Khan saga has taken another turn. First, the actor announced on Instagram he was sending defamation notices to a bunch of artists for levelling “false allegations” against him on social media with respect to his alleged domestic abuse (his ex-wife has already accused him). Then, those he accused of tarnishing his image — some of them industry heavyweights in their own right, such as Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Mira Sethi, Sarwat Gilani, Osman Khalid Butt and Ushna Shah — approached law enforcement to proceed against him for leaking their private information, such as phone numbers, on social media. A couple of days later, Feroze K cryptically tweeted the following four words: “Not even first half.” This doesn’t augur well for our showbiz fraternity. But one thing should be clear: fight your fight in the courts, not on social media.

Nominations’ First

Another feather in the increasingly well-decorated cap of Pakistani showbiz: on January 24, Riz Ahmed, the British actor whose parents migrated from Pakistan to England where he was born, has become the first such person (of Pakistani origin, that is) to announce the Academy Award nominations. He did that alongside actress Allison Williams. Super cool, isn’t it! Now just imagine, if one day a Pakistani feature film wins the Oscar for Best Film. Just imagine! 

Forthright Anurag

This is how you call a spade a spade! Recently, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a statement asking BJP workers not to make comments on movies and Bollywood personalities. When filmmaker Anurag Kashyap was asked at an event to respond to the premier’s gesture, he remarked, “It would have made a difference if he [Modi] had said this four years ago. I don’t think it will make any difference now. It was about controlling their own people. I think things have gone out of hand. It’s not that anybody will listen to anyone. When you empower prejudice with silence, when you empower hatred with silence… it has become so powerful by itself that it has become their strength, that mob is out of control.” Mr Modi has so far not reacted to Anurag K’s argument, and we suspect that’s how it’ll be.

The Symbiosis

Ranbir Kapoor has become wiser. Here’s a piece of evidence. Last week, he and his wife Aalia Bhatt were at the Mumbai Press Club, where he was asked about his relationship with the paparazzi. He said, “When I was younger, I and the paparazzi did not get along. I used to think that they are my enemy and that they want to expose me. I’ve matured and grown up. I understand that the paps are just doing their job, that it’s a symbiotic relationship which is how it should be.” Adding to the scenario, Aalia B revealed that hubby dear, despite not being on social media, is a chhupa Rustam photographer. “I’ve never seen anyone in my life take better pictures than Ranbir.” No wonder he’s patched up with the shutterbugs. Fallback career choices.

The Hardest Act

Pop icon Madonna has opened up about her role as a mother of half a dozen children. In an interview given to a magazine’s European edition, the singer has said, “Today I am still struggling to understand how to be a mother and do my job because, whoever you are, having children and raising them is a work of art. No one gives you a manual. You have to learn from mistakes. It is a profession that requires a lot of time. It is exhausting, because there is never rest.” To be honest queen of pop, every job can become a work of art, depending how you deal with it.

Actor and Footballers

On Jan 19, two of the greatest footballers in the history of football — Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi — faced each other in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in a ‘friendly’ match between Riyadh XI and Messi’s Paris Saint-Germain. As if that weren’t enough to bedazzle the viewers, the organisers had invited the actor of the millennium, Amitabh Bachchan, as the chief guest, who also spoke a few words. He later posted pictures and videos of himself with the above-mentioned sporting greats, also mentioning the likes of PSG’s Kylian Mbappe and Neymar Jr, with whom he got to rub shoulders. There’s a likelihood that the actor kick-started an acting assignment in the Middle East, too.

Published in Dawn, ICON, January 29th, 2023