An Atif Morning
Atif Aslam is truly a global star. His songs are heard not just in his native country Pakistan, but all over the world. According to data provided by Spotify, in the past year alone, more than 41 million listeners discovered or returned to his music. Much to the delight of his fans, his latest album, titled Subha Aaye Na [Morning Doesn’t Come] will have been released by the time you read this. The vocalist says, “This album is a true representation of freeing myself from the chaos and meeting my real self. Stay tuned. I can’t wait for all of you to hear it.” We can’t wait either… for the morning to come.
The Battagram Miracle
In 2023, eight people, including six schoolchildren, had a nerve-shattering experience when the cable of a cable car in Battagram snapped, leaving them dangling 900 feet above a ravine. A miraculous rescue mission ensued and everyone was saved. Emmy-winning director Mohammed Ali Naqvi, aka Mo Naqvi, has made a documentary about the incident, titled Hanging by a Wire. It has won accolades on the festival circuit, including the prestigious Sundance Film Festival. The film is now set for its cinematic release in the UK and the US on August 28. Great job, Mr Naqvi!
Friends Forever
Courteney Cox (star of the iconic sitcom Friends) has directed a movie titled Evil Genius, starring Patricia Arquette, who is, incidentally, the sister of her ex-husband, actor David Arquette. It is based on a Netflix ‘true crime’ documentary. Her Friends co-star Jennifer Aniston is super-delighted about her achievement. In order to encourage Courteney C, she reposted the director’s post about the film with the message: “My girl! So proud of you. When you really believe in something… don’t ever give up. Dreams can come true.” Jennifer A, indeed, dreams can come true. Not for everyone, though.
Roaches Revolt
On July 20, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led demonstration in New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar area, demanding reforms to India’s education system, turned violent when the police lathi-charged, teargassed and fired on the assembled students, causing injuries to scores of them. The protests ended five days later with the resignation of the education minister as per the protestors’ demands. Actor Naseeruddin Shah spoke eloquently in an interview against the government and his Bollywood colleagues Shabana Azmi, Imran Khan and Prakash Raj even joined the students during the demonstration. When Ayesha Khan, the star of Dhurandhar, came to support the students at Jantar Mantar, she was arrested by the police. Some of the slogans that the youngsters came up with against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi were very funny but are, sadly, unpublishable. Now, it’s only a matter of time before they will create similar slogans about the Khans and the Kapoors who remained mum on the issue.
Estate of Affairs
On August 28, 2020, actor Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther) died of colon cancer at the age of 43. Now, six years later, his brothers, Kevin and Derrick, on behalf of their parents, have filed a lawsuit against Chadwick B’s widow, Taylor Simone Ledward, claiming that she has failed to distribute his estate. They are of the opinion that she hasn’t properly distributed the late actor’s assets, including $3.8 million in cash — which a court had ordered her to do in 2022. We think Taylor S L should have done that without wasting time because she may get property, sorry, properly, into legal trouble.
The Odyssey’s Odyssey
Filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s new offering The Odyssey — based on Homer’s epic poem— is receiving criticism from left, right and centre for different reasons. Some critics believe he’s focused too much on Odysseus’ adventures, others feel he’s missed a few important episodes from the story, while still others are upset at the diverse casting choices, such as Lupita Nyong’o, a black actress, portraying Helen of Troy. Then there are those who can’t get over the deliberately anachronistic American accents in the film. Christopher N can afford to take all the criticisms in stride while laughing to the bank, since the film has grossed over $666 million worldwide in less than two weeks.
Published in Dawn, ICON, August 2nd, 2026
