Saif Attacked

On January 16, an alleged burglar barged into actor Saif Ali Khan’s Mumbai apartment in the early hours. The actor was asleep but he woke up and a scuffle ensued. The intruder stabbed Saif AK six times and ran away. The actor was taken to hospital, where he underwent a delicate surgery, since two of the wounds were deep and one was near his spine. It’s still not clear how the intruder managed to get into apartment but, reportedly, the burglar was demanding 10m Indian rupees. After a few days, the police were able to nab the attacker and identified him as a Bangladeshi national named Mohammad Shariful Islam Shehzad, who had been living in India under the Hindu name Vijay Das. While some have questioned the police’s version of events, we wish Saif AK a full and speedy recovery.

Sheikh Bestie

Momal Sheikh acts well. But what’s her private life like? Does she have a close circle of friends? Well, the actress has revealed all that in a recent podcast. According to her, Mahira Khan is her closest friend. Yes, the Raees gal. She claims both women hang out all the time, even when they don’t share pictures and selfies for everyone to see. According to her, they always pick up from wherever they’d left off [in conversation], so Mahira K is her good friend ‘in wavelength’. Dear Momal S, now that the entire world knows about it, can we say the wavelength has moved from the infrared to the visible spectrum?

Better Half

Actors Mohib Mirza and Sanam Saeed have been married for three years. They make an endearing couple. Check out how hubby dear has showered praise recently on his wife: “There’s no arrogance to her. She’s a very down-to-earth person and possesses a peaceful soul,” he said, adding that she is one of the finest artists in the country. We can’t say anything about the former half of the statement because it comes from a personal space, but we do agree on the latter half, that she is one of the finest actresses, along with… okay, let’s not name others.

Copycat Khan?

Hina Bayat has hosted talk shows on important topics. To boot, she notices things that many of us tend not to take note of. For example, she has claimed that Bollywood big gun Aamir Khan’s TV show Satyamev Jayate was inspired by the programme that she once moderated, Hina Ke Saath,which touched upon subjects such as mental health. Yes, mental health is something that we in our society must highlight for the betterment of all, to tackle less-discussed ailments such as delusion.

Express Singh

Recently, former Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, aka the Rawalpindi Express, ran into Bollywood A-lister Shahid Kapoor in the UAE. He was accompanied by former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh. Later, the fastest bowler in the world tweeted a picture with the actor with the caption: “Lovely meeting you Shahid Kapoor after a long time. Keep doing wonders like you did in Kabir Singh.” Hmmm… Shoaib A singled out Singh, a film many accused of being ultra-macho and promoting male chauvinism. You may retire as a sportsman, but the fast bowler in you never does, does it?

New Love

After separating from his wife of 27 years in 2023, Hugh Jackman is now back in a relationship. He is dating American actress Sutton Foster. Those of us who don’t know her, she is basically known for her remarkable work on stage, because of which she is a multiple Tony award winner. The two acted together in the Broadway musical The Music Man, where the romance apparently bloomed. Sutton F divorced her husband of 10 years in September. The lovebirds were last week photographed in Los Angeles, hand in hand, walking leisurely in the sun, coming across as a perfect pair. Good to know that someone’s getting on like a house on fire in LA in a good way…

Published in Dawn, ICON, January 26th, 2025