THE GRAPEVINE

Published February 2, 2025

Stay Away, Please

Zara Noor Abbas has had it. She wants online content creators to be left alone by ‘critics’. This she said on her YouTube channel. According to the actress, it isn’t something that happens with her followers and listeners but, sometimes, when people comment, they end up comparing and creating competition where there should be none. She feels this is wrong. We agree Zara N A. There is no competition between any content creators, actors, actresses, writers, directors, producers and cameramen, that is, all those involved in the business of expressing themselves. None. It’s all a figment of their imaginations.

Wedding Bells

It’s all over social and mainstream media, and everyone is happy! Actors Gohar Rasheed and Kubra Khan will soon be husband and wife. They shared this pleasant piece of information through a video in which multiple celeb friends were seen mock-speculating as to who was getting hitched. In the end, Gohar R and Kubra K appear, standing side by side, pointing at each other, suggesting they’re the ones getting married. It was cute. We congratulate both of them and wish them a lovely and successful married life! And let’s see, how many more videos they come up with — pre- and post-wedding.

Cross-Border Bonhomie

It is heartening to see Indian and Pakistani celebs interacting on a regular basis… even if not in their respective countries. We recently discussed Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Akhtar and Indian actor Shahid Kapoor’s meeting in the UAE. The latest example is the meet-up of singer Faisal Kapadia and Lucky Ali. The ex-Strings vocalist ran into the Indian singer in Dubai and shared a picture with him: “Always been a huge admirer of Lucky Ali’s music — it’s pure magic! We’d crossed paths briefly a couple of times in the past but, this time, we finally got to sit and dive into some truly soulful gup shup.” Faisal K, you’re a Lucky guy!

The Absence

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. Saba Qamar had been off cyberspace for a while, which caused a bit of concern to her admirers (and there are countless of them). Sensing their worry, she got back on Instagram for a while to reassure them: “Sometimes in life, you just need to take a step back, be quiet for a bit, and give yourself some time to heal and recharge. That’s all it is — I’m okay, so please don’t worry about me.” Heal and recharge! Now that raises more questions than it provides answers. Still, we wish Saba Q all the best and welcome her back on socials… after getting healed and recharged.

The Return of Saif

After the terrible ordeal that Saif Ali Khan faced on January 16, in which he received five stab wounds during a robbery attempt at his flat in Mumbai, the Nawab of Pataudi was discharged from hospital on January 22. He looked hale and hearty, except the protection on his left arm, which was visible as he waved to the media before getting into the car to get back home. Some sections of the Indian press are creating a fuss about his quick recovery and the upright manner with which he stepped out of the hospital, doubting the severity of the wounds. We say they should check their prejudice quotient instead.

Colonial Pardon

British rock band Coldplay was performing in Mumbai. During the gig, the front-man of the group, Chris Martin, addressed the crowd, extending his gratitude for welcoming the musicians from the UK as well as for “forgiving us for all of the bad things Great Britain has done and welcoming us into your home.” Some have liked his apology. Some haven’t. Those who haven’t can listen to Dr Shashi Tharoor’s Oxford Union speech on the subject to understand what Chris M is referring to. Ignorance may be bliss but too much of such bliss can make you move far, far away from reality.

Rap and Roseanne

Published in Dawn, ICON, February 2nd, 2025

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