THE GRAPEVINE

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The Return of Ali Azmat

Rockstar Ali Azmat is back with a brand-new track, interestingly titled Yahan Wahan [Here and There]. Let’s first briefly touch upon its video, directed by filmmaker and photographer Abdullah Haris, which is pretty good and touches upon the global frustration caused by cruelty and exploitation. Reports say it was made using “a combination of human direction and AI tools.” Indeed, we can tell AI was extensively deployed, not only for the dystopian backdrops and fantastic imagery but also to make Ali A look more fit and buff. As far as the musical composition is concerned, let’s just say we found it a tad yahan wahan.

Mahira In The Family Way

Mahira Khan married businessman Salim Karim in October 2023. Almost three years later, on September 12, 2026, while attending the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), the actress, who has a 17-year-old son, Azlan, from her first marriage, announced that she’s pregnant again. Speaking about the pregnancy, Mahira K said, “The last time I was pregnant, I was 24. I’m 41 now, so I’m literally a different woman… emotionally, physically, in every possible way.” She added, “There has been immense joy, of course, but there has also been fear, exhaustion and vulnerability.” Congratulations to Mahira K and her husband. May the baby bring oodles of happiness to the family!

Musk’s Hush Money

A documentary on the life of the richest man in the world, Elon Musk, Musk, directed by multiple Emmy awards and Academy Award winner Alex Gibney, will be released in theatres on October 16, and is already generating much interest. At the Venice Film Festival where the film premiered, one of Musk’s ex-partners, Ashley St Clare, an American influencer, author and political commentator, claimed Musk’s team offered her a non-disclosure agreement with a whopping $40 million to keep mum about her ex-boyfriend. She, the mother of Elon M’s 13th child, Romulus, refused. Sharing her thoughts, Ashley SC reasoned, “I want to set an example for my kids that you should never take being materially comfortable over speaking the truth.” For a woman who got involved with a right-wing weirdo, she sure has some better sense remaining.

J-Law Finally Logs On

After resisting Instagram for almost a decade, Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence joined Instagram on September 9 with the handle @jlaw (@jenniferlawrence had already been taken, she quipped). In her first reel, she joked she would quit the app immediately if anyone said anything negative about her. Interestingly enough, until a few years ago, Jennifer L had said she didn’t understand social media platforms such as Twitter (now X). However, the actress admitted last year to using TikTok in an anonymous way. “I get in fights in the comments section,” she’d chuckled. “One girl was like, ‘How old are you? Get a life!’” You know what they say about comments sections, they can be very addictive. Isn’t that right, @jlaw?

Bigg Opening

The 20th season of Bigg Boss Hindi began with a bang, with a record-breaking 6.4 million viewers tuning in to its launch. Bollywood big shot Salman Khan, hosting the show for the 16th time, is super happy. “Bigg Boss has been a very special journey for me,” he said. “Having hosted the show for 16 seasons and now seeing it reach its 20th season with this kind of love is truly overwhelming. In fact, to see Bigg Boss Hindi Season 20 become the biggest reality show launch ever is overwhelming and a proud milestone for all of us.” Hmmm, will Salman K now remain big only on the smaller screen?

Truth Under Threat

Last week, a documentary, Naza, directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, received a 25-minute stan­ding ovation at its premiere at the Venice Film Festival. The directors had won an Oscar in 2025 for the documentary No Other Land, which chronicled the forced displacement of Palestinian communities in the Occupied West Bank. This new film is about the brutal killings of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, as detailed by former Zionist soldiers themselves. A few days later, Israel’s Culture Minister Miki Zohar wrote on X that he would “act immediately to revoke the Israeli citizenship of these despicable creators, for treason against the state.” In the face of global opprobrium, it sounds like desperation has set in for the Genocidal Apartheid State.

Published in Dawn, ICON, September 20th, 2026

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