Olympic Regrets

In this day and age of social and mainstream media spotlight, we were saddened to know that only seven athletes representing Pakistan took part in the Paris Olympics. It is an appalling situation. Even Palestine, facing a genocidal war, had more athletes at the games. Pakistan is a country of immense talent. Our actors, singers and filmmakers are making their presence felt in a big way on the global stage but when it comes to sport, it seems we are nowhere. Gone are the days when we used to have mega stars in hockey, squash, snooker and cricket. All we’re left with is motivational speakers and… more motivational speakers. And yet, we’re not motivated at all.

Leave the Family Alone

The internet has exposed us to how vile human beings we can be. Writer Khalilur Rehman Qamar is facing criticism, after a couple of video leaks, that some believe he deserves. But to target his daughter, the Tik-Toker Hijab, in relation to her father’s act, is simply not fair. What does she have to do with all of that? Trolls are going after her as if she had instigated her dad to do what he did. This goes to show that we don’t go after the deed; we go after the person.

Divorced, Not Divorced

Rumours about Aishwarya Rai and Abhishekh Bachchan’s divorce have been doing the rounds for almost a year. Their separate appearances at the (in)famous Ambani wedding added fuel to the fire. Last week, Ash with her (and Abhishek B’s) daughter Aaradhya flew out to New York from Mumbai — that is, just the mother and the daughter. Some claim that only a formal confirmation of the split remains. If that’s the case, then it will be dispiriting for a lot of people. But they should take heart, nothing is confirmed as yet and maybe it’s all a storm in a teacup.

The Eye

In our part of the world, our elders warn of us against the evil eye (nazar lagna). Something like that has happened to Shah Rukh Khan who, on July 29, visited a hospital in Mumbai for a procedure on his eye but, unfortunately, things went a bit haywire during the surgery. Reportedly, he was rushed to the USA to rectify what the local doctors had done. We wish him a quick and complete recovery… and hope that he will now turn into a visionary actor.

Kid and Hulk Show

It was the final night of the Republican National Congress in Milwaukee and Donald Trump, the Republican Party’s US presidential candidate, was to deliver the keynote speech. Prior to his speech, two artists performed. Who were they? Well, the answer is: rocker Kid Rock and wrestler Hulk Hogan. The appearances came under criticism from the other side of the political fence, with some Democrats alleging the two males were used “to appeal to working class men.” They may be right. The Trump campaign probably wants to showcase its macho side, since it has already expressed enough of its feminine side. Take that with a pinch of salt by the way.

New Squids

One of the most watched and successful series in OTT history, Squid Game, will release its second season on Dec 26. This has been announced by Netflix, the proud producers of the fantastic Korean show. Not just that, Season 3 is on the anvil too, which will see the light of day later in 2025. Isn’t that exciting? Some are saying it’s more exciting than the games happening in Paris. Hmmm… with actual Israeli killers participating in the Olympics, we agree.

Published in Dawn, ICON, August 11th, 2024