More Cinemas, Please

It’s a positive sign that a project initiated by musician Nadeem Jafri’s company, NJE, in collaboration with DHA, will result in the construction of three more cinema houses in Karachi to “strengthen the city’s cultural and entertainment landscape.” We welcome this because our film buffs, as well as the film business, need it. However, we’d also like to suggest that more ventures such as this one should emerge in the middle- or lower-middle-class neighbourhoods of Karachi (and other cities), such as Nazimabad and Gulistan-i-Jauhar, to better serve a wider range of movie-lovers.

Tribeca Triumph

The Gymnasts of Fisherman Colony (TGFC) is a documentary directed by Pakistan-born Canadian journalist and filmmaker Habiba Nosheen. The documentary focuses on a group of girls from Karachi’s Machhar Colony, one of the largest informal settlements of the country, who, by virtue of their ethnic backgrounds and bureaucracy, find themselves stateless and deprived of basic rights. Nevertheless, with the tutelage and support of a local NGO and their own grit and determination, they come together to form a gymnastics team that goes on to win many accolades. It’s an inspiring tale. The good news is that the film has made it to the reputed Tribeca Film Festival (June 3-14) in New York, and will be screened in the ‘Documentary Competition’ section. Good luck to team TGFC! We hope you raise the bar high for Pakistani documentaries to come.

Host Hoist

TV host Fiza Ali is often in the news for interesting reasons. This time round, though, things have taken a rather weird turn. During her show, Fiza A’s husband, Ejaz Khan, made an appearance. In a moment of who-knows-what frenzy, he lifted his wife over his shoulders like a WWE wrestler before putting her down, thankfully not like a WWE wrestler. The clip of the incident went viral, drawing flak from netizens. A few days later, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) issued the channel — on which that particular programme was aired — a show-cause notice for “inappropriate remarks” and an “unacceptable gesture.” Ejaz sahib, aaraam se!

Gang Busted

In February this year, a group of men opened fire at Indian film director Rohit Shetty’s (the Singham films, Sooryavanshi, the Golmaal films) home in Mumbai. While the incident resulted in damaged property, thankfully, no one was hurt. Investigations revealed that a gang that wanted to intimidate Bollywood stars to extort money from them was behind the shooting. A few weeks ago, the police arrested a man called Golu Pandit, who had recruited the gunmen, and last week they captured Pradeep Kumar, one of the men who was involved in the attack. Well, we think it’s good that the criminals are behind bars. But we would also like to suggest to Rohit S that he stick to rom-coms and stop blowing up cars in his films — sometimes the wrong people get influenced by it.

Marriage Plans?

Everyone knows that reality TV star Kim Kardashian and Formula 1 celeb Lewis Hamilton have been going out for some time. Their recent appearance at the Coachella music and arts festival in California, where they danced their hearts out, is another piece of evidence that they’re going strong. But things seem to be getting even stronger as, on April 14, the pair was spotted buying furniture and decorative accessories in Los Angeles. This has given rise to conjecture that the two will soon tie the nuptial knot. Nobody ever accused Lewis H of going slow. Or Kim K for that matter.

Something Cooking for Martha

Rumour has it that a film based on the life and work of American lifestyle mogul and popular TV personality Martha Stewart is on the anvil. The question is: if it ain’t a rumour, who is going to play her? Answer: two-time Oscar winner Cate Blanchett. Yep, that’s the buzz in showbiz circles. Martha S herself has been quoted to have said, “I think there’s something in the works right now with Cate Blanchett.” The title of the proposed biopic is slated to be Good Thing, taken from the Martha S’ catchphrase “It’s a good thing.” We say, if Cate B is in it, then it’s definitely a good thing.

Published in Dawn, ICON, April 26th, 2026