Body Language
We live in times when people are not afraid to talk about things that previously were not spoken about openly. Actor and host Sanam Jung, for example, in an interview has said something that needed to be said: “I never see oversized actors on screen. It has more to do with our industry, as it’s still evolving. Having a skinny body makes it easier for you to enter showbiz because it fits the ideal vision of beauty and makes everyone happy as well. It’s also incredibly difficult for a ‘healthier’ person to get styled in our business.” Spot on. In fact, oversized people are often depicted as villains or vamps. Time for a rethink.
Tit for Tat
Indian lyricist and screenplay writer Javed Akhtar’s recent visit to Pakistan, to take part in the Faiz Mela in Lahore, has caused quite a stir. First, in response to a question put to him by someone in the audience he tried to give India a leg up about efforts to make the relations between two countries more cordial (“We hosted Mehdi Hasan and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan” etc), lamenting that Lata Mangeshkar never got to perform in Pakistan, and then went directly political. The response that came from actors Faysal Quraishi and Saboor Ali was justified (that “Pakistan had hosted Jagjit Singh and Sonu Nigam” etc). They might not have spoken up had Javed A not himself touched on those subjects. It seems that not just politicians, even the artist community of the two countries will now take time to reconcile with each other. And it’s not a good sign.
Married Men, No!
The rumour mills need to stop churning. Why? The answer is: Ayesha Omer has given a statement about her association with cricketer Shoaib Malik. Rest assured, there’s nothing romantic going on between the two of them. According to the actress, she will never be attracted to a married man. Period. This clearly suggests that she is open to get attracted to single men. And the phrase ‘single men’ is not open to interpretation.
The Eyes Have It
Ushna Shah and businessman Hamza Amin are now a married couple! The marriage ceremony took place on Feb 26 in the daytime, a little over a week after the actress announced on a talk show that she’s going to tie the nuptial knot. And then she took no time in putting the good news up on Instagram: “Married to my nainon waala Maharaja. I love you husband.” Awww… Isn’t that sweet! So many songs involving the word naina (eyes) spring to mind. If the two are into singing songs to each other, the playlist must be a long one. Congrats the two of you!
Privacy, Please!
Aalia Bhatt is miffed. She should be. Why wouldn’t you be if you’re in the confines of your home and someone from the building across is taking your pictures. That’s what happened to her last week and she, tagging the Mumbai police, complained in the following words: “Are you kidding me? I was at my house having a perfectly normal afternoon sitting in my living room when I felt something watching me... I looked up and saw two men on the terrace of my neighbouring building with a camera right at me! In what world is this okay and allowed? This is a gross invasion of someone’s privacy! There’s a line you just cannot cross and it’s safe to say all lines were crossed.” We agree. Having said that, Aalia B, paparazzi are, unfortunately, a real thing.
Going South
In a recent episode of South Park, references have been made to Meghan Markle and her hubby, and apparently, she ain’t happy about it. For those of us who are not in the know, the particular episode called The Worldwide Privacy Tour focuses on the ‘Prince of Canada’ and his wife who have come to a town called Colorado. In one scene, the couple are holding up placards on which ‘we want our privacy’ and ‘stop looking at us’ are written. There is also a reference to Prince Harry’s book Spare which in the episode becomes WAAAGH. News is that Meghan Markle and the prince are, however, not going to press charges against South Park. Royally wise couple.
Published in Dawn, ICON, March 5th, 2023