Respect, Please

What’s going on in Pakistan’s entertainment industry? It seems that inner rifts have begun to disturb some of those who want unity in the ranks. Actress Mansha Pasha is one of them. Check out her Insta message to her fellow artists, which is a bit of an eye-opener and a point to mull over: “Dear Pakistani artists, cricketers, hosts, etc. If you want the world to respect you, your work and your country, first learn to respect one another. Take it easy on each other for God’s sake!” Here’s the thing: we’re not sure if her general message for unity and peace will be heard in the ear-splitting din of showbiz.

In Solidarity

What happened in Lahore’s Zaman Park a little over a week ago was deplorable, to say the least. Pakistani society is already grappling with myriad problems, and such acts of political instability will make us further sink into the whirlpool of despondency. However, it turned out that a sizable number of members of the showbiz fraternity were voicing their opinion in favour of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. They included the likes of Adnan Siddiqui, Farhan Saeed and Maya Ali. Since it’s a sensitive issue, we won’t comment on it. What we would like to stress is that Pakistan is our country and we need to all strive to ensure it remains a peaceful land so that our image doesn’t get tarnished in the rest of the world where our artists have recently acquired traction.

Cute Dude

These days multiple choice questions for celebrity interviewees on social or mainstream media are the ‘in’ thing. Why not! For example, during one such conversation, actress Hania Aamir was asked as to which among the following cricketers — Azhar Ali, Naseem Shah and Babar Azam — is cuter than her. Pat came the reply: Babar Azam. We think that while the list is okay, none of them is cuter than Hania A. But that’s a matter of opinion. It’s all subjective.

Diet Money

While it’s a good thing that modern-day actors pay extra attention to their looks — meaning, they try to stay fit and healthy — in order to last long in the business, what they have to do for it might make the common man ponder deep about the wide gulf between haves and have-nots. Here’s why we’re saying this: Bollywood A-lister Taapsee Pannu has revealed that she gives her dietician 100,000 (Indian) rupees every month. Now that’s a whopper! And it seems too big an amount to dole out on a regular basis just to stay hungry or half-satiated…

10th and Last

Iconic filmmaker Quentin Tarantino has made nine films and claims that his tenth will be the last of his career. This has not gone down well with his admirers, because they want him to make movies as long as he’s capable of making them. However, recently their attention was diverted from the end of his career to the title of his upcoming film, which was disclosed on social media. It is: The Movie Critic. Its story, it’s said, is set in the 1970s; and no, no male is in the lead. Rather, it has a woman as its protagonist. Hmmm… since one of the oft-quoted lines from his movies is ‘revenge is best served cold’, is Quentin T out to avenge some of the bad reviews that his films have received over the years?

Billie’s Act

Billie Eilish is a pop sensation who has won quite a few Grammys and even sung a Bond theme song. If you thought that was her only area of expertise, you thought wrong. The gal with a golden voice and a record-breaking track Bad Guy under her belt has now become an actress. She can be seen in a series called Swarm on Prime Video, playing the role of a… wait for it… hypnotist. The first look of the show suggests Billie E also has pretty decent acting chops. So, as they say in hypnotism: just close your… eyes… and… admi..re…

Published in Dawn, ICON, March 26th, 2023