The executive, maker and author of the much-discussed Pakistani Animated feature film Allahyar and the Legend of Markhor, Uzair Zaheer Khan, is resolved to be an impetus in the realm of Pakistani silver screen. 

The film is because of launch this December, and Mr Khan trusts it contains something for "one and all". 

A year ago, lobbyist Kami Sid chose to invasion into the universe of form and excitement. 

Sid, who has been working for transgender rights in Pakistan, felt that the group expected to advance into the spotlight to make mindfulness and change societal observations. Also, she knows TV is a capable medium.

We see Mahira Khan in her boldest role yet

The trailer for the much-awaited Shoaib Mansoor film Verna has just been released.

While Shoaib Mansoor has tried to keep the film's plot under wraps, word has it that Verna is a revenge drama that centers around the protagonist Sarah's (Mahira Khan) struggle for justice after she survives rape.

We got a sense of the film's dark, gritty mood in its initial teaser and then Mansoor offered us some relief in the music video for the song 'Sambhal Sambhal Kay'.

What does the trailer reveal? We learn that Sarah has been let down by two men in her life — her husband (Haroon Shahid) and a political acquaintance of hers (Zarrar Khan)  and that she does, indeed, have revenge on her mind. Rasheed Naz's closing dialogue 'DNA match kara Tou kya kareyge?' (What do we do if the DNA matches?) confirms that a rape does occur in the film.

Verna comes out on November 17.

After her hit show Sammi, Mawra Hocane is set to stun with another exceptional venture from Hum TV. 

This time, she's featuring in a period show that is set in pre-Partition times — and we truly like the sound of that. Despite everything we recall how charming Fawad Khan and Sanam Baloch's Partition show Dastaan was, and we wouldn't see any problems with getting a charge out of that sort of narrating by and by. 

This is what we think about Mawra's new venture: Titled Aangan (or Courtyard), the dramatization is being helmed by Mohammed Ehteshamuddin (of Udaari acclaim) and composed by Mustafa Afridi. 

The dramatization will be delivered by Momina Duraid. Mawra's one of the primary performers to be thrown in this super undertaking and sources say the cast will highlight a couple of increasingly A-rundown on-screen characters. 

As per sources near the performer, Mawra's been yearning to do an alternate TV serial and has at last picked one such undertaking. Since it's set in a more seasoned time, there's a ton of prep included. 

Ehteshamuddin's work is dependably on our radar — before the runaway hit Udaari, he's brought us famous arrangement like Sadqay Tumhare and Aseerzadi. Also, after Mawra's piercing execution in Sammi, we can hardly wait to perceive what this executioner combo conveys to our screens!

Known for his versatility and incredible range as an actor, Akshay Kumar is all set to experiment with something he has never done before. The actor will be playing the antagonist, Dr. Richard, in his upcoming film, 2.0, sequel to the Aishwarya Rai and Rajnikanth film, Robot, for which he has transformed not only his looks but his voice as well.

The actor has gone through major transformation to look the part while he will also sound different than usual in the film. For this, Oscar winning sound designer Resul Pookutty has been taken onboard to work on the sound enhancement, an Indian publication reports.

“We are working on it,” Resul said. “After struggling for weeks, Shankar and I have discovered a method. We are not fully satisfied with the voice quality yet. In a while, we will get the perfect voice and pitch for Akshay.”

 Kumar’s voice will be dubbed in Tamil and Telugu while in the Hindi version of 2.0, he will speak in his own voice but will sound completely different, thanks to a technological sound enhancement that changes vocals.

2.0 is touted as one of the most expensive films in Asia with a budget of Rs 400 crores. Directed by Shankar, the big budget film also stars Rajinikanth and Amy Jackson in pivotal roles.

Well, we've been waiting for this one for a while, haven't we?

Bollywood's most beloved father-daughter duo Anil Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor and gearing up to appear together on the big screen for the first time in Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s next, reports Indian Express.

The upcoming production titled Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga will reportedly be directed by Vidhu’s sister, Shelly Chopra

“I'm very excited. Anil Kapoor coming together with us to make this happen is just incredible. I'm really looking forward to it,” said Vidhu, who has directed Anil in two of other films, Parinda and 1942 A Love Story.

Interestinly, the ballad 'Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa' that this movie's title seems to be named after appeared in 1942 A Love Story.

Additionally, this will be the second time Sonam will be working with the director after the Sanjay Dutt biopic, which is being produced by him.

DC’s Legends Of Tomorrow‘s latest superhero Zari, is a Muslim computer hacktivist from 2042 – a character that was also shaped up to tackle Islamophobia in America, reports The Straits Time.

The character played by Iranian-American actor Tala Ashe is beyond perfect. She is all set to join heroes Rip Hunter (Arthur Darvill), Atom (Brandon Routh), Heat Wave (Dominic Purcell) and Captain Cold (Wentworth Miller) as they return in Season 3 of the show, which airs in Singapore on Warner TV (StarHub TV Channel 515).

Talking to the press in Los Angeles, showrunner Marc Guggenheim says that since he and his team began working on Legends Of Tomorrow, “We all recognised that there weren’t enough women on the bridge of the Waverider”, the team’s time-jumping ship.

“And it’s something we’d been looking to address. And we were talking about bringing on a female character and what her powers could be,” says the writer and producer of the show. Legends of Tomorrow is a spin-off of the DC Comics-inspired series Arrow and The Flash.

Previously, US President Donald Trump unveiled a ban on travellers from several Muslim countries. So the main reason to get a Muslim hero in the show was a retort to that. “All sort of gravitated towards the idea of the character being Muslim”, says Guggenheim.

Yet he insists the creation of Zari was “not to make a political statement” or to “make it a thing”.

“One of the things that we really pride ourselves on is that someone’s race, religion or sexual orientation is not the only aspect of their character” said the director of the show.

Guggenheim did, however, draw inspiration from his own family, who has been directly affected by anti-Muslim sentiment in the US.

“Just to get personal for a second, my sister-in-law is Muslim and, talking to her, I realised how difficult it is to be a Muslim-American in the current political climate.”

With Zari, he wanted to create a character “who, other than being a computer hacker, a superhero and from the future, also happens to be Muslim” in the way another Legends Of Tomorrow hero, Jax (Franz Drameh), “happens to be Christian, or Felicity Smoak on Arrow happens to be Jewish”.

It is a nice, important aspect of her character, says Guggenheim, who also heads production on Arrow.

Ashe, born in Iran and raised in Ohio in the US, wishes she had a character such as Zari to look up to when she was young.

“Representation is a really powerful thing and, when I was growing up and watching television, I didn’t see anyone who looked like me,” she said.

“When I think about the child me in Ohio, it broadens your perspective. And what I think is so lovely about the show is that Legends Of Tomorrow is this tapestry that reflects the America of today, and Zari is joining in, further diversifying that.”

Guggenheim believes superheroes in general are popular now because leaders and institutions have disappointed many.

“I have this theory that it’s not just politicians – a lot of the heroes of real life are letting us down, a lot of the institutions that we typically would look to and go, ‘Oh, I want to be like this person’ or ‘This person is going to save the world or make something better.’

“So as a society, I think the reason the audience and creatives are gravitating towards superheroes is wish-fulfilment.

“They’re looking to find a little bit of hope and escapism,” says Guggenheim, whose younger brothers Eric and David produce, respectively, Hawaii Five-O and Designated Survivor.

“We don’t wish necessarily that superheroes existed, but we certainly wish that there were people and institutions that we could like to be inspired by and find hope in.”

For quite some time, we’ve all known that the upcoming X-Men movie the ‘New Mutants’ would be more of a horror movie than the traditional action, sci-fi genre of the rest of X-Men movies.

With the release of the first trailer of the movie, the rumors have indeed turned true. The trailer shows a horrifying insane asylum with tons of creepy moments. It’s definitely not your typical X-Men movie.

The ‘New Mutants’ is supposedly a movie about a new younger generation of mutants. But unlike the comic books where the new students arrive at Charles Xavier’s school, the film seems to be largely set in an eerie asylum in which this new young generation of mutants are kept inside cells and are there to be studied by scientists.

There’s definitely a very dark atmosphere setting of the movie which proves that it is indeed going to have horror elements if not completely a horror movie.

Are you excited about the upcoming X-Men movie ‘New Mutants’?

The ‘New Mutants’ just dropped it’s the first trailer today. The release date for the movie has been set for April 13, 2018.

Game Show Amir Liaqat is Back Again With New Game Show Crorepati game show Pak news Dr. Aamir Liaqat

Click to Watch the Video.....

If you thought his music fandom is all that's Farhan Saeed's got going for him, you're in for a surprise.

The 'Thori Der' singer has just landed his first film project as an actor and he's set to play its male lead. It's said that the female lead will be announced in the coming days.

What's interesting about the film is that it's not only written by Punjab Nahi Jaungi writer Khalil ur Rehman Qamar, but will also mark his debut as a film director! Who saw that coming?

Khalil ur Rehman's scripts always leave an impact — he has TV hits like Pyarey Afzal, Sadqay Tumhare and Mera Naam Yousuf Hai to his credit and Punjab Nahi Jaungi is approaching six weeks in the box office. So naturally, we're excited to see what he brings to the big screen in his directorial debut.

We're glad that Farhan's following up his popular role in TV drama Udaari with an equally promising project. We'll have more details soon.

A fundraiser dinner for the Pakistan International Film Festival (PiFF) under the newly-formed Karachi Film Society (KFS), which is scheduled for the last week of March 2018, was held at Governor House on Sunday night, with Sindh Governor Mohammad Zubair in attendance.

Ms Sultana Siddiqui, founder and president of Hum TV Network addressed the guests: “The time to fill the void for a film festival has arrived. To strengthen the roots of the film industry and its revival it’s important to enlist the support of like-minded people such as Dr Ishrat Husain, Ameena Saiyid, Jamil Baig, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. KFS was formed to support positive trends in film-making. The first KFS meeting was held at Governor House followed by this fundraising dinner.

“Important film festivals around the world promote cities. PiFF aims to give a platform to talented film-makers and documentary-makers bearing cultural colours. With it, we hope to bring back life to this city of ours. We ask for support from all quarters and the diplomatic community.”

PiFF Festival director Abrarul Hassan and founder of the 60 Second International Film Festival walked the guests through a visual presentation of the PiFF’s categories and events such as primary goal, membership and perks, film screenings, workshops, residencies, industry linkages, mentoring, gala opening and closing, panel discussions, exhibition of posters, film archive, photography and music, mobile screening, VR screening booths and AR display, activity timeline, daily story competition, women and film, besides features, documentary features, shorts etc.

He said it created an opportunity for South Asian film-makers to work with their Pakistani counterparts and nurture the new generation of film-makers besides exploring the art of storytelling.

“Why Karachi? Karachi was, is and always will be the custodian of film-making in Pakistan,” the festival director said.

Governor Zubair, who is also the patron-in-chief of PiFF, in his address said, “I like films just as much as anybody else. But film-making was not considered a good thing during the ‘Islamisation’ era in Pakistan. The Quaid-i-Azam’s narrative for Pakistan calls for a much more balanced approach, to maintain a fine balance and freedom for all cultural and social interests and the freedom to express oneself.

“Creativity is best expressed through sports, TV, films etc. Karachi was once at the heart of film-making with Waheed Murad, Mohammad Ali, Nadeem, Shakeel, all great stars from Karachi. Then the industry shifted to Lahore but it has now returned to Karachi. World-class films are being produced now.

"Me and my wife love going to cinemas to watch films, especially Pakistani films. The last film we saw was Punjab Nahi Jaungi. It was outstanding in terms of acting, sets, music, dances, songs etc. It is just one example of kind of films being made these days in Pakistan and Karachi has now made this difference in film-making.”

He spoke about how Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy has created a strong and positive identity for Pakistan. “I’m personally a big fan of hers. We need to change the narrative for this new Pakistan. Just one example was when Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy was invited to the PM House along with members of the diplomatic corps and A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgivenesswas screened in an attempt to reign in honour killings. Eventually the legislation was passed. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s topic remains outstanding.”

He said PiFF has given momentum to Karachi. “We are fighting for Karachi on various fronts such as working with Jahangir Khan, holding hockey tournaments and I’m trying to bring the PSL final match to Karachi. It’s been a long journey and Karachi has changed dramatically in the past four-five years with the law and order [situation] improving swiftly. We’re making efforts for further improvements and I promote Karachi in various Gulf and Middle Eastern cities during my visits there.”

At this moment, the Sindh governor pointed out that some of the elite of Karachi were not present at the fundraiser and appealed to them for support for the project.

Former State Bank governor Dr Ishrat Hussain, vice president of the KFS, said people asked him why he supports PiFF. “I’ve been involved with Javed Jabbar, Zia Mohyeddin and Arshad Mahmud in the setting up of the National Academy of Performing Arts. It’s important to promote the soft image of Pakistan and to counter its hard image abroad. To change international perception about Pakistan with interaction, sports, music, drama theatre, film, and bringing people from different backgrounds together. Karachi is now a different city from what it was back in 2013.”

He also paid tributes to Ameena Saiyid, managing director of Oxford University Press, for the Karachi Literature Festival and held high hopes for PiFF. “We as citizens have a responsibility towards Karachi,” he said.

At this point, it was announced that due to lack of time, the Q&A session with Javed Jabbar stood cancelled and the guests were asked to proceed to dinner.

Published in Dawn.

Much like he did in his eloquent TED Talk that premiered in May, Shah Rukh Khan sauntered on to the stage and started off with anecdotes from his younger days at the launch of TED Talks India: Nayi Soch in Mumbai on Thursday evening. “I have been working in the industry for 30 years as an actor, but TED Talks India has given me the platform to just be myself,” said Khan, who will host the show set to air later this year.

In a first, media giant TED has collaborated with a commercial mainstream television network to take its mission – of taking revolutionary ideas to people – in a language other than English. The show, in Hindi, will be premiered on the Star Plus television channel.

“I believe in the power of love,” Khan said at the Mumbai event. “And love is nurtured by small and simple ideas. TED Talks have been doing that for years.” The actor went on to describe his TED Talk as the greatest achievement of his career.

However, the makers remained tight-lipped about the speakers who have been roped in and the air date of the show.

The show promises to feature speakers from the Hindi film industry, but lesser-known faces with spectacular ideas are also expected to make appearances. “You won’t see these stars doing what they usually do,” Juliet Blake, the executive producer of the show said. “They are bringing very personal stories. The audience will be pleased to see that these are the finest storytellers from India, who are doing remarkable things.”

Film industry stalwarts Karan Johar, Ekta Kapoor, Javed Akthar and Indian women’s cricket team captain Mithali Raj are rumoured to be part of the lineup. All but one episode will be in Hindi. “The idea came out of a deep sense of angst that has captured the imagination of a lot of us, the television sector in particular,” Uday Shankar, Chairperson and CEO of Star India said. “It is usually perceived that anything that is deeply creative, intense and also intellectually stimulating could not be accepted by people at home who tune onto their television in the evening. I find that deeply disturbing. TED Talks India is clearly an outcome of that.”

Like in the original TED Talk, the selection criteria for the speakers is to see whether their idea rings true to the organisation’s motto: Ideas worth spreading. “In the West, a lot of people are cynical and angry,” Head of TED and publishing entrepreneur, Chris Anderson, told Scroll.in in an interview. “In India there is a much bigger commitment to learning. The idea of a major mainstream television network to say we are going to offer lifelong learning to wherever you are for free in a powerful form is a very great experience. It is a great fit for India.”

Themes that resonate not only with Indian audiences but also overseas viewers will be chosen. Topics such as education and the power of learning will be prime narratives on the show.

“Television has its own demands,” Anderson explained. “I think what has been surprising to us is how much it is the same more than how much it is different. The crew, right from Uday, has insisted that this not be dumbed down, but this be TED. A way that a TED event actually happens is that you see a series of them. You might see four or five, which cluster around a theme. But they connect to each other and build on each other. You are going to see something really similar in this show.”

The series will be approached with the same diligence as any other TED Talk, the makers said. “It is a long process where the talks get translated into Hindi and back-translated into English for me,” Blake said. “And we have a team in New York, which does the fact-checking. There has been no talk in the show that has not been fact-checked by our team. And that has sometimes meant re-writes and edit after a talk has been given.”

Nevertheless, the show will fit into the entertainment genre, Khan promised. “It is a mix of entertainment, inspiration and intellectualism and to achieve that is difficult,” he said.

This story originally appeared in Scroll.in and has been reproduced with permission.

On Friday, the legendary Jackie Chan said in an American radio show the wait for the much awaited fourth Rush Hour sequel will soon be over as he Chan and Chris Tucker have finally agreed on a script.

It has been over a decade since we last saw the duo sharing the big screen together.

Chan added, "The script probably at the end of this month will have a second draft and next year, [we'll] probably start."

But why probably?

It's because "if... Chris Tucker agrees," the actor said. Tucker has yet to publicly comment about the fourth film, but if he isn't part of the project, it'll likely be because of schedule conflicts, Chan added.

"It's not about money!" the artist said. "It's about [having the] time to make. Otherwise, Rush Hour 4 we're all old men. I tell Chris Tucker, 'Before we get old, please do Rush Hour 4.'"

The first Rush Hour came out in 1998; its success led to two more sequels released in 2001 and 2007, subsequently.

Singer Junaid Khan has been roped in for upcoming drama serial, Khasara.

After Mann Mayal, Sana Shahnawaz production is working on this new drama which will be directed by Shahid Shafaat.

Speaking to Images, the Dil Ki Lagi leading man revealed that the drama "revolves around four characters."

"They will be played by myself, Mikaal Zulfiqar, Sarwat Gilani and Sonia Mishal."

Elaborating on his character, Junaid said, "My character is a simple man from a village near Karachi. He has a simple government job, a very normal life, with a wife and two children, and is very content with it. He doesn't have many desires and is of the mindset that one should make the best of what one has. That's not to say he's lazy, he's very hardworking. He's just the type to be very happy with what he has."

Junaid also gave some tidbits about the rest of the cast.

"Sonia plays my wife in the series and she is the more ambitious one. She wants more for the family with dreams to move to the big city, gain more and more success and stretch boundaries."

The plot for Mikaal Zulfiqaar and Sarwat Gilani will be rather different as Junaid explained, "On the other side you'll see Mikaal's character, who plays my school friend, and his recent marriage with Sarwat. They live in Karachi and Sarwat comes from a well off family. after their marriage their lives have started to change."

Khasara will bring two stories together as two very different lifestyles will meet for a reason that is yet to be revealed.

"Khasara's story begins with Mikaal's family visiting my family. Why they visit and what happens afterwards is what you'll find out in the show," he adds.

No release date has been given for Khasara but Junaid Khan said that the project will be for ARY Digital.

The release of the ninth installment of the Fast and Furious franchise has been delayed.

The movie, which was slated to release in the US in 2019 will now see light of day in April 2020, reports Indian Express.

No reason has been given by Universal Pictures, the studio behind the movie for the change. Furthermore, there is no word yet on whether the release date for Fast and Furious 10 which was April 2021 has also been changed.

While movies get delayed all the time, co-star Tyrese Gibson did not take the news well, lashing out at Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock and producing partner, Hiram Garcia.