MENTAL HEALTH

Here’s another piece of evidence to suggest the importance of mental health, something often not taken seriously in our society. Many would have thought that Mahira Khan leads a life of comfort and joy. Well, she’s had her share of stress in her career, details of which she has recently shared with her fans. The actress related that she had to battle depression after Pakistani artists were banned in India following the release of Raees, in which she co-starred with Shah Rukh Khan, and after her picture with Ranbir Kapoor at a party went viral. She had to take antidepressants for it. So, folks, look after yourself and those close to you — you never can tell from afar what someone is going through. 

SABA NOT SINGLE?

Saba Qamar knows how to phrase an answer. On a talk show, she was asked whether she was single. The actress took the long route, by first philosophising about the experiences that she’s had in her life and the tranquillity that she’s found lately. When the host pushed her to elicit an answer, she remarked that every human being needs a companion. Smart gal! Not only did she hint that she’s in a relationship, she also kept everyone guessing who that person is. Or isn’t.

USHNA’S CODE

Ushna Shah has interesting opinions on marital life. She believes a wife shouldn’t check her husband’s phone… and vice-versa. We think that’s a fair idea. After all, among other things, marriage is all about trust. But the actress goes a step further in pushing the idea and says that, after you’ve tied the nuptial knot, there should be no phone passwords. Isn’t that cool! Totally goes along with the philosophy that ‘man is what he hides’. By the way, if that were to catch on, many couples might be in deep trouble.

ANOTHER BAN

On August 31, a ban was imposed on the drama series Hadsa — helmed by Wajahat Rauf and starring pop star Hadiqa Kiani — by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra). Before the restriction, the play had come under severe criticism on social media from certain quarters for allegedly being based on the infamous Motorway rape case. Although the drama makers and Hadiqa K herself denied that the drama was based on that traumatic incident, one of the reasons that Pemra gave was that “it would tarnish the country’s image globally.” Those who were actually following the drama (ie not simply following social media outrage) say that the drama was actually a smart and nuanced depiction of a woman’s strength in overcoming trauma. Trust Pemra to always grasp the wrong end of the stick.

Dog To The Rescue?

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith are trying very hard to hold on to each other, as they should. The latest on that count is that Mrs Smith has made an addition to the family, by getting a puppy named Lucco. The Hollywood pair already has a bulldog called Bandit. Posting a video of Lucco on Instagram, Jada P S wrote, “Say hi to Lucco, my new rescue.” Hmmm… rescue is the right word she’s used, given the (slap)dash kind of energy that exists in the household.

SANE SUPERSTAR

Gadar 2 with Sunny Deol in the lead is doing phenomenally well at the Indian box office. A lot of us thought that because of the action-packed, hyper-nationalistic nature of the movie, any Indian actor would have accepted the role, had it been offered to him. Not so, says director Anil Sharma. He has revealed that, for the first instalment of the film, when he narrated the story to Govinda — although he wasn’t being considered to do the part, the director was just making conversation with the actor — the superstar said he wouldn’t do it because of the Hindu-Muslim conflict in it. This means some semblance of humanity can still be found in actors in contemporary India.

Published in Dawn, ICON, September 10th, 2023