NOT WEDDING

Actress Mawra Hocane posted a picture on Instagram in which she was nicely dolled up. The image immediately led to speculation among netizens that she had got or was getting married. The actor was quick to dispel the notion, saying that it was not a photograph from her wedding ceremony and that she was not tying the nuptial knot this year. In fact, the upload was from the BTS of her upcoming project. However, she didn’t reveal what that forthcoming venture was or whether we can call it a ‘pre-wedding’ project.

FALLING PLEASURES

Actress Navin Waqar, like all intelligent people, speaks her mind. In a recent interview, she sounded a bit miffed, and rightly so. She is of the opinion that people enjoy watching others fall from grace. “They derive pleasure from it, they like it when they are maligning someone. So in that sense, we are a very judgemental society.” While we agree with her, we think this happens all over the world. And we don’t need to be judgemental about our own society alone, isn’t that right?

BIOPIC BLUES

Apparently, a biopic of actress Zeenat Aman titled Shaque: The Doubt is being made, in which her role is going to be essayed by Payal Ghosh. It is more than strange that the makers of the film haven’t consulted Zeenat Aman herself for the project. She is justifiably unhappy, as is indicative from her complaint: “You may dismiss this as the ranting of an old lady but, in my opinion, it would be foolish to make a biopic about me without actually involving me.”Not just stupid, Zeenat A, but morally and ethically criminal.

MOOLAH > FAME

Last week, the ultra lavish and hyper-luxurious ‘pre-wedding’ celebrations of Indian business tycoon Mukesh Ambani’s son Anant were the hottest topic of discussion among all and sundry. Anant is going to wed Radhika Merchant in July but, four months prior, all Bollywood A-listers (actors and singers) took part in the event performing in front of the two families. American pop star Rihanna was especially invited to sing on the occasion and was reportedly given more than six million dollars for it. Apart from questioning the participation of high-profile celebs in a private event, people are making comments on the power of moolah and how it can make even the most known faces in the world bow down to it. Well, they say, money makes the mare go. In the Ambani case, even the mules went.

AIN’T TRUE

Hailey Baldwin is cross with the media. Why? Well, last week, her dad — actor Stephen Baldwin, Alec’s brother — requested their followers to pray for his daughter and her husband Justin Bieber. This sparked off all sorts of gossip-mongering. Hailey B wasted no time in saying, “Just FYI, the stories and constant ‘blind items’ I see on TikTok are 100 percent of the time wrong. I know it may be fun feeding into these stories, but just know they’re always false.” Hmmm… always? Are you sure?

KIND EXES

Singers Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes broke up in 2021 after being together for quite a few years. In 2023, however, they were seen lip-locked at Coachella, which gave birth to rumours about them getting back together. Well, Camila C has turned down the possibility with the statement: “I’m lucky, you know, because some people have exes that are awful and he is not. He’s a really kind and good person when you rekindle.” Tell you what, girl, he is lucky, too… if not luckier!

Published in Dawn, ICON, March 17th, 2024