The Abrar Episode

What happened to pop singer Abrarul Haq in the field of politics should stay in that field, even if anyone doesn’t agree with his political persuasion. His foremost identity is that of an artist. Having said that, the Billo De Ghar and Nach Majajan singer didn’t make things easier for himself with the paranoid way he behaved either. It looked like he had a full blown panic attack before his recent performance in London. We’re not sure if there actually was a cause for concern but Abrarul H certainly looked scared someone was out to harm him, whether for abandoning the Pakistan Tehreek–i-Insaf or to get back at him for his earlier political aggression. In any case, the media could have handled his nervous panic with a bit more empathy.

The Legacy Continues

It was such an auditory treat listening to Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s son Shahzaman belting out at a concert one of the Punjabi numbers originally sung by his grandfather, Rahat’s uncle, the legendary Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. When the video clip of his performance was uploaded online, most of those who commented thought the young man sounded like the great Khan sahib. That’s true. Although he has a long way to go in terms of mastering the craft of singing, he has tremendous talent and we can’t wait to see him progress and say, like grandfather, like grandson.

Heinous

On May 31, actor Danny Masterson (of That ’70s Show fame) was convicted by a court in Los Angeles of two counts of rape after a second trial. He was charged with sexually assaulting three women that he had interacted with through the Church of Scientology in the early 2000s. The case ran for a year, which also caught the media’s attention because of the involvement of the Church of Scientology whose practices are now being questioned. Whatever, rape is an unpardonable crime. Danny M now faces 30 years of life imprisonment… and endless shame.

The Blame Game

It’s time we as a society, especially the media, chilled out. We should stop being ‘woke’ about each and every word that’s uttered by a celebrity or someone important. The latest came from light banter that took place between actors Imran Abbas and Sanam Jung on a morning show, in which the former asked the latter to lose weight after she returns from abroad. The exchange didn’t go down well with a certain section of the media and they looked at it through the body-shaming prism. Please! Friends tend to be frank with each other and, most times, when they say something personal, it isn’t necessarily done with a mean spirit. On an irrelevant note, trolls should be ‘wisdom shamed.’

Guilty as Charged

Late Indian actor Irrfan Khan’s son Babil Khan is the new kid on the block who has impressed everyone with his performance in the film Qala. Last week at the IIFA Awards, he was seen rubbing shoulders with the media and answering their questions without any showbiz-y airs. In response to one query, he was helped by his mother Sudapa Sikdar, who told newsmen that her and Babil K’s guilty pleasure is the Pakistani drama serial Tere Bin. Earlier, he had dubbed Pakistani plays as ‘intense’. For sure, intense they are… and no pretence whatsoever.

Star-Struck Chastain

Last week, our very own Malala Yousufzai went to Broadway, where Hollywood A-Lister Jessica Chastain is, these days, playing the female lead in Ibsen’s play A Doll’s House. Coincidentally, they ran into each other and it made the actress super happy. She took a picture of the two and posted it on Instagram with the caption: “Spinning around in my chair during the pre-show of A Doll’s House and look who I spotted! I was so excited to see Malala, a woman who has been on the forefront of fighting for female rights and freedom.” Good gesture Jessica C. It’s always a delight to see a Nobel and an Oscar winner side by side.

Published in Dawn, ICON, June 11th, 2023