Sacrificing Pride

On May 27, the country celebrated Eidul Azha with religious fervour. Showbiz celebs were no different. However, actor Arsalan Naseer wasn’t happy with some sections of society. Taking to Instagram, he wrote, “It’s unfortunate to see this Eid becoming a display of wealth and status. Many will sacrifice an animal, but only a few will sacrifice their pride.” We’re sure he meant well but this is nothing new. Same issues have been spoken about every Eidul Azha. You know what really needs to be sacrificed? The need to comment on everything on social media.

Caged Identity

Hollywood A-lister Nicolas Cage is now formally/officially… Nicolas Cage. We shall explain. When he was born, he was given the name Nicolas Kim Coppola (director Francis Ford Coppola is his uncle). But he came into films with the adopted surname Cage to avoid accusations of nepotism. So why did he change it now after 62 years? The actor has revealed the following in an interview: “I am Nic Cage. I changed my name legally last year. I’m Nic Cage in life, and I’m Nic Cage on camera. ’Tis better to be the patriarch of my own little family than the clown cousin on the margins of someone else’s. So I decided I’m going to bring it on and be ‘Cage’.” He added that the inspiration for the name came from the Marvel character Luke Cage and the composer John Cage. Gosh… so many cages for a single man…

Trouble in MobLand

Oscar-winner Helen Mirren and actor Tom Hardy were allegedly having problems on the sets of the Paramount+ series MobLand. Rumour had it that the former complained against the latter’s attitude towards his colleagues, as a result of which he was allegedly shown the door. There was a big hue and cry because for many Tom H is what made the show. Later, insiders confirmed that he had not been fired but “things are being worked through creatively.” In addition, Helen M is now being outed as a staunch Zionist and it is claimed that Tom H’s support for Palestinian causes is the real reason for their friction. Tom H may recover but Helen M’s reputation probably will not.

Ageless Rudd

Paul Rudd is 57, but still looks like he’s in his early 40s. This has given rise to the suspicion that he gets Botox treatments. Recently, the actor cleared the air on a podcast when he was asked straight up whether he does. Pat came the reply: “No”. He even showed the host the wrinkles on his face and reiterated that he does age. “I do. You’re kind for saying that [he doesn’t age], but I really do.” Well, to be honest, even without Botox, Paul R is not usually accused of being extremely emotive on screen, if you know what we mean.

Mediation Impossible?

Ranveer Singh and Farhan Akhtar have developed ‘creative differences’ over Don 3. Farhan A is directing the movie, and Ranveer S is, or was, playing the character of Don. Then, the actor reportedly walked out of the project. In came Salman Khan as the mediator. Apparently, he had a conversation with Farhan A and a detailed discussion with Ranveer S, trying to understand their standpoints. Salman K has urged both to do the movie without hurting their other projects. Till the last reports came in, it was not known whether the warring men had paid heed to Salman bhaijaan’s request. It is unlikely they will.

The Great Instagram Mystery

Is actress Kinza Hashmi trying to say something to actor Ali Raza? The speculation was triggered by a Kinza H Instagram post, in which she wrote, “You’ll look for me and I’ll be gone.” Meanwhile, Ali R archived a couple of the posts of the two together that were captioned “With my star.” Fans who had assumed they were an item (without any official acknowledgement) are now suggesting that the pair is publicly announcing their break-up. We think this really doesn’t concern the fans but also it somehow encapsulates celebrity culture. A lot of heat around something that may not even have existed.

Published in Dawn, ICON, June 7th, 2026