FRIEND IN NEED

This may sound a little bit strange but Iqra Aziz turned up on her hubby Yasir Hussain’s talk show for a conversation. After all, she’s also an actress, not just a wife. The thing that some people have taken a note of in particular from the programme are her views about not having friends. Apparently, she can’t choose just anyone as a friend and feels bad about it. She thinks that neither people want to be her friend nor does she want to be their friend. And this, according to the actor, goes both ways. Well, Iqra A, one has to make an effort to endear oneself to people.

BEAT AND RETREAT

The video of Rahat Fateh Ali Khan beating up his student in a fit of anger, and which went viral in no time followed by an explanation of the singer for his brutal act, raises some questions. Why do artists resort to such means? Aren’t they supposed to be members of the ‘sensitive’ segment of society? Or is it society’s fault that it considers artists role models? Whoever recorded that video must’ve known what’s about to happen, which means that it wasn’t for the first time that it had happened. Even if the incident took place for the first time, the word ‘deplorable’ doesn’t even begin to describe the whole situation.

THE DIVORCE-MARRIAGE SAGA

We understand no one can control mainstream media, leave alone social media, when it comes to putting showbiz personalities’ lives under the microscope. However, it needs to be said that, while discussing cricketer Shoaib Malik and actor Sana Javed’s marriage after his divorce from tennis star Sania Mirza, the way people have gone to town on the story is deplorable. In the entire saga, people often forget that Shoaib and Sania have a child. No matter what, Shoaib is his father and, when we make fun of someone’s parents, no matter what the child’s situation with his parents is, it hurts the child. Just because someone has a public life doesn’t give anyone a right to disturb the family’s peace.

CRAVEN CELEBS

Last week, the international media’s attention was on India where the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya took place. A big number of Indian film actors and actresses, including Amitabh Bachchan and Ranbir Kapoor, gleefully took part in it. Our very own Fatima Bhutto had this to say about it: “Bollywood is a craven industry. To see its stars dolled up to celebrate the destruction of Babri Masjid and clicking selfies to cheer the hateful politics of the BJP is sickening.” Spot on, Fatima B! There’s a reason these days sickening, jingoistic films become box office successes in that country.

OSCAR BARB

Ever since Ryan Gosling has earned an Oscar nomination for playing Ken in Barbie, he’s been getting shade from some quarters. His partner, Eva Mendes, has come to his rescue and support. Talking to a journo she has argued, “So much hate when he took on this role. So many people trying to shame him for doing it. Despite all the #NotMyKen ridicule and articles written about him, he created this completely original, hilarious, heartbreaking, now iconic character and took it all the way to the Oscars. So proud of my man!” Hmmm… in all honesty, we Kennot say you’re right, Eva M.

NEVER,REALLY?

With so much happening in India — and by so much we mean most of it is not culturally good or socially healthy — should Pakistani artists collaborate with their Indian counterparts? It’s a difficult question to respond to. Mawra Hocane has her own ideas. Answering a question put to her by an Indian admirer on Instagram about her prospects of working in Bollywood, she has been quoted to have said never say never… and that “whatever will be, will be.” Well, girl, the way Bollywood is going gung-ho on Pakistan these days, let’s just hope whatever will not be.

Published in Dawn, ICON, February 4th, 2024