Pakistan’s First Grammy Winner

Congratulations to Arooj Aftab for becoming the first Pakistani to win a Grammy award! She won the coveted trophy for her track Mohabbat in the Best Global Music Performance category. It is truly a well-deserved, noteworthy achievement. The artist has been coming out with remarkable songs for the last one decade, and finally her hard work and creativity has paid off. That being said, it wouldn’t have been a hassle for her had she in her acceptance speech mentioned the great Mehdi Hasan who originally sang the ghazal, for which she’s won the Grammy. Still, this shouldn’t take anything away from her accomplishment.

Age Is Just A Number

Bravo to Iftikhar Rashid for launching his music career at the age of 70. The septuagenarian has come out with a track titled Rum Jhum which is a tribute to none other than the legendary K.L. Saigol. Interestingly, it’s been produced by the singer’s grandson, Shamsher Rana. Isn’t that cute! To be honest, Iftikhar R has done a pretty good job on the number. It’s a groovy song sung with a great deal of musical flair. The video ain’t bad either. So watch out all the (relatively) young pop stars… You’ve got seasoned competition.

Not at 60, Please…

The Nawab of Pataudi, Saif Ali Khan already has four children — two with the first wife Amrita Singh and two with the second, current better half, Kareena Kapoor-Khan. Apparently, he had them in consecutive decades, that is, when he was in his twenties, thirties, forties and now fifties. Analysing the situation, Kareena KK has told her hubby that he can’t carry on with the trend: no babies when he is in his sixties! We think it’s a wise call, because if he has a child when he is 60, Kareena would already be 50 you know what that would imply.

Street Smart

Iqra Aziz gives off an endearing girl-next-door vibe. Here’s why. In her latest interview with a local newspaper, the actress has opened up about her difficult relationship with her father, and her growing up days in Karachi’s bustling old town Saddar area. She is grateful for the long time that she spent there and, according to her, it has made her street-smart because she knows how to conduct herself while dealing with the crowds. Indeed, girl! Showbiz and crowds go hand in hand, and not always in a cordial way.

The Slap That Reverberates!

The infamous incident that occurred at the Oscars in which actor Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock for making fun of his wife’s alopecia is still reverberating in showbiz circles all around the world. Make no mistake, Will S should be reprimanded and admonished for it. But he obviously has regrets and has already resigned from the Academy. And kudos to Chris R for gracefully dealing with the whole situation, not just when it happened but even after the event. Last week, at a stand-up gig, he began the show by saying that he’s still processing the whole thing. As for Will S, his processing process may not ever end for the rest of his life.

Mixed Bag

Kriti Sanon is a pretty, brainy young woman. The other special thing about her is that she’s not afraid of speaking her mind. Some people think that the commercial triumphs of her recent films, such as Mimi, has gone to her head. Nope. Check out what she has to say about it: “I don’t think I take the pressure of the success of a film. It’s supposed to be a happy thing, so I take it that way. I do feel more confident in taking up projects like this. I feel like taking more risks by doing something out-of-the-box. I want to give my audiences something different to watch. I want them to see me in all colours. So yes, I would be doing many more films like this, but you’ll always see a mixed bag on my plate.” A mixed, [Sanon]sational bag, you mean.

Published in Dawn, ICON, April 10th, 2022