Joyland to the World

A Pakistani film, Joyland, directed by debut feature filmmaker Saim Sadiq has been selected in Un Certain Regard, a section of the Cannes Film Festival’s official selection that runs parallel to the competition for the Palme d’Or. This is significant because it’s the first Pakistani movie to receive an official selection at the celebrated event. In 2019, Saim S had won an award for his short Darling at the Venice Film Festival. News is that, like his short, the feature has a trans character at the centre of the story. Congratulations to team Joyland! We hope the film dazzles the viewers at the festival and brings joy to its makers.

Grumpy Ijaz

What’s up with Naumaan Ijaz? His interview of Ayesha Omar on his talk show, in which he grilled the actress about her ‘bold shoots’ and ‘statements’ detailing her harassment in her profession, stepped over the line. To be clear, the problem is not in asking questions, but giving his own preconceived opinions — he dismissed her relating her story as unnecessary and done only for bandwagoning — shows that the intent was not to learn but to preach. He needs to sit down, perhaps on his own show, to talk in detail about what his own anger is about. Inviting guests on the programme and putting them on the spot may be one way of getting viewership, but to make them feel uncomfortable is a bit uncalled for.

Balcony Betrothal

On April 13, Bollywood A-listers Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt got married in Mumbai. The ceremony was attended by the families and friends of the bride and groom. Arguably, the most interesting part of the whole event was the ‘spot’ where it took place, as Alia B on her Instagram wrote, “Today, surrounded by our family and friends, at home in our favourite spot — the balcony we’ve spent the last five years of our relationship — we got married.” Cool. It reminds us of the famous balcony scene from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. So, heartiest congrats to the couple! We wish them a happy life together.

The Complexion Complex

Nida Yasir is one of those morning show hosts who are often in the news, for a variety of reasons, sometimes not unfunny. Recently, she gave a detailed interview about her professional and private life, in which she revealed that her husband, actor and director Yasir Nawaz, did not want her to do morning gigs out of fear that her work may encroach on her family life. Talking about their pre-marriage meetings, she said he used to be arrogant, adding, “I think he was too proud of his fair complexion.” Hmmm… wouldn’t that make him the perfect morning show guest, then?

Royal Thaw

It seems that the tensions between the British royal family and their estranged fearsome twosome, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, are on the wane. Last week, after a gap of two years, the couple visited Queen Elizabeth II, the prince’s grandma, in London on their way to the Netherlands to see the Invictus Games. Those in the know say that the meeting was held in a pretty cordial atmosphere and the Queen met Meghan M warmly. Kyunke saas ki saas bhi kabhi bahu thi…

Untrendy Mother

You would think that Friends star Courtney Cox’s daughter, the 17-year-old Coco, would be in awe of her mother. Well, yes and no. Yes, because she loves her. No, because she keeps checking her mum’s social media accounts for un-cool things. Apparently, she immediately informs her mother when a certain trend is not in vogue anymore. Talking to a journo about the subject, Courtney C said, “Coco gets really embarrassed by a lot of things I put on Instagram. Sometimes, I’ll find something on TikTok and put it on Instagram and she’ll say, ‘Mom, that is so over’.” Yep, believe her, it’s over, friend.

Published in Dawn, ICON, April 24th, 2022