India, No!

Hania Aamir is popular in India. Apparently, she is on the verge of getting a project there (if she hasn’t already). TV host Nadia Khan ain’t happy about it. She feels it’s just a waste of time for the young actress to try and get an Indian film. Nadia K believes Hania A could do better if she spent that energy elsewhere. The reason that she gives for her disapproval is the tense relations between the industries of the two countries. Hania A is an individual and she’s free to do as she pleases for her career. But given the recent sudden downturn in relations after the Pahalgam incident and the rise of jingoism in India following it, well, Nadia K might have a point.

Road Sage

It seems that top-tier TV celeb Imran Ashraf is a nice guy. Why do we say this? Recently, he was in his car heading to meet someone somewhere when the vehicle became stuck in a traffic jam. Two young boys on a bus also stuck in the jam recognised him and gawped at the actor. He rolled down his window and waved at them. They waved back. He also inquired how they were. The boys enthused they couldn’t believe they were seeing him. Imran A replied that he could. The pleasantries lasted for a brief period because the traffic was soon cleared. But good on you, Imran A! Stay on this road.

Khudaya Ishq

Khudaya Ishq is the first song from the eagerly awaited film — to be released next month — Abir Gulaal, starring Fawad Khan and Vani Kapoor. It’s sung by Arijit Singh and Shilpa Rao, two of the most sought-after current crop of playback singers in India. To be honest, the song doesn’t quite cut it. It has a melody that typifies Bollywood songs of the third decade of the 21st century, which is to say, nothing that stays with you. Perhaps also because the song is filmed on Fawad K and Vani K, the voices of Arijit S and Shilpa R sound misplaced, and don’t go with the faces. Then again, maybe it’s the other way round: the faces don’t match the voices.

Bhangrra Will

We know that Indian Punjabi vocalist and actor Diljit Dosanjh is now a global superstar. But we didn’t have an inkling that he could teach bhangrra moves to none other than Oscar-winner Will Smith. A video is going viral in which Will S is seen doing the bhangrra following Diljit D’s lead. Many are suggesting that it’s an important cross-cultural moment of contemporary times. We like it too. But we hope once he fully learns the steps, Will S doesn’t move his hands too much and only uses his legs. You don’t want him swinging his arms around, if you get what we mean.

Still Together

The 78-year-old singer Cher has a 38-year-old partner, Alexander A. E. Edwards. He is a music producer. Last week, Alexander E went to the 2025 Coachella Music Festival with a group of ‘female friends’. It ignited the rumour that his visit hadn’t gone down well with Cher and they have now broken up. But representatives of both parties have denied it. They say the two are still together. Hmmm… as Cher once crooned in one of her famous songs, “Do you believe in life after love?”

No Gal

Disney’s Snow White stars the Israeli actress Gal Gadot as the evil stepmother. Lebanon was one of the many countries where the movie was set to be released. But the country’s interior ministry has banned the screening of Snow White in its jurisdiction because of Gal G’s involvement in the film — her apartheid country’s genocidal army has been constantly bombing Hezbollah bases in Lebanon and she has made no secret of her support for it. At least she was cast aptly in the film.

Published in Dawn, ICON, April 27th, 2025