Hot Pursuit

MAG’s favourite picks of the week

Glued to the Screen

Manto – Round two

Manto has come to television screens as a drama, so for all those who missed the amazing feature film while it had a run in the cinemas a couple of years back, they can now watch Sarmad Khoosat's biopic on the literary icon on their screens every week. Earning much acclaim for from audiences and critics locally as well as internationally, the film follows the life of and controversies surrounding Urdu short story writer Saadat Hasan Manto. The film also stars Sania Saeed, Saba Qamar and Arjumand Rahim.



Around Town

Mixing business with social cause

Taking part in a global CSR campaign Kilo of Kindness which focuses on assistance of underprivilidged section of the society, Mövenpick Hotel Karachi recently set-up a donation facility to encourage guests and people visiting the hotel to donate cash or learning supplies. The hotel kept a free scoop of Mövenpick ice cream as an incentive for those donated. The donations were collected internally from its employees as well as some of its corporate partners took part in the initiative.

“We cannot rate how one social cause is more important than the other, as they all are significant and require attention but we strongly feel that education is a driving force which can make futures and benefit the whole household,” said Mirza Mansoor, General Manager, Mövenpick Hotel Karachi. The supplies were donated to a charitable educational institute, The Street School.



The Right Note

Sibtain Khalid is an up-and-coming musician who started his career with singing and playing cover songs, adding his own twist to them. He is now writing and producing his own songs, and is currently working on his debut album. You may remember the young talent from his stint on Nescafé Basement’s third season in which he performed his original Sajna and collaborated on the cover of Allah Hoo. Now, Sibtain is back with a video of his newly arranged music for Sajna, sounding better than ever. The track also sees Leo twins, Sharoon and Haroon, who add a beautiful flavour of their own.



Treasure Trove

Say hello to Pakistan’s new favourite web comedians

The latest entertainment company to make waves on Facebook is a band of funny people who come together under the moniker 'Teeli'. They first gained popularity in June this year with the hilarious Darzi ki Marzi, a spoof on tailor tantrums during the Eid rush. Since then, the group has been slowly but steadily making itself known for scripted comedy that Pakistanis can easily relate to. With their latest video Disappointed Dads Helpline, the group puts a comical spin on desi dads' expectations of their sons. “Our mandate is simple: to create video content for Pakistan’s urban youth,” says Wali Tirmizi, Teeli's COO. With a team of five young talents in total, Teeli is set to launch a number of new shows in the near future, so look out!


NEWSBYTES

Are you ready to see Sonya Hussyn challenging patriarchy on TV?

Aisi Hai Tanhai will be the latest TV drama on Pakistani screens that hopes to spark off a different kind of drawing room discussion. Its leading lady Sonya Hussain shared, "I play the character of Pakeeza, she’s your average Karachi girl but due to some reasons, the world turns against her. I don’t want to give away too much, for I want my audience to see for themselves, but every Pakistani girl will find some aspect of Pakeeza in them. The story challenges patriarchy very differently. It’s fresh, subtle and definitely something to watch out for."

The actress wanted to do something "relevant and pertinent" after Nazo and this upcoming drama seemed to her like the perfect fit. "When I first read the script of Aisi Hai Tanhai, I instantly knew that this was a project I wanted to be a part of. It unabashedly highlights the cruel face of our society, where people, especially women are not considered human. It openly speaks of a subject that very much exists around us, but we choose to brush it under the carpet. I think it’s high time we speak up against hypocrisy," she explained. Sonya stars alongside Nadia Khan, Saba Hamid and Sami Khan.



Adnan Siddiqui signs a period drama

A new drama is in the works and it is inspired by a novel by famed Punjabi writer Amrita Pritam.

Gughi will be a period play set around 1946 starring Adnan Siddiqui and Hamza Firdous. The novel has been adapted for the small screen by Amna Mufti. "Nirmala is a young Hindu woman who lives a happy, comfortable life with her family. She is betrothed to a kind, wealthy young man, Taekchand. While on an outing, Nimo is kidnapped by a mysterious man, Rasheed," revealed Hamza of the plot. The cast of Gughi also includes Asma Abbas, Mohsin Gilani, Rashid Mehmood and Amar Khan.


Mahira Khan opens up about serious social issues

The issue of rape and consent is a serious one, and it should not be romanticised in films, to which Mahira Khan agrees. "We often criticise films for depicting issues like rape with an angle of love," says the actress, "But the subject is such, you can't actually go around it." There is "no nice way" of going about it, Mahira added. While speaking on the subject of harassment, the young star said, "Our ideas are so warped about this. If you feel something that happened [with you] wasn't right, then it is not right."

When someone spends their entire life in an environment where sexual harassment is normalised, their "idea of what's right and wrong also changes", she said. Mahira also said that films and morning shows are a great medium to talk about these issues. Mahira plays a rape survivor in her latest film, Verna, directed by Shoaib Mansoor, and starring Haroon Shahid, Zarrar Khan, Naimal Khawar and Rasheed Naz in main roles.


Where, what, when


Master the Art of French Cuisine

Join the chef at MasterClass Pakistan on Nov 20, and learn how to cook some amazing French cuisine classics at Master Class Kitchen Studio, Ground Floor, B-9, Gulshan e Iqbal Block-15, Karachi. To register, call: 02134822272 / 03314822272.



9th Lahore International Children's Film Festival 2017

The Little Art is ready to welcome you the 9th edition of Lahore International Children’s Film Festival 2017, celebrating the experience of global cinema for children in Pakistan, from Nov 20-25 at Cinepax Fortress Square Mall, Fortress Stadium, Lahore. For booking and other details, contact: 03324387626 / [email protected]



Programming Training

Whether you are a marketing guru or a computing geek, CODE Training Services, 2nd Floor-West Wing, Junaid Plaza, Near Stock Exchange Metro Station, Blue Area, Islamabad is giving you a chance to optimise and enhance your programming, graphic designing, SEO and MS Excel skills starting from Nov 21 with free orientation and trial class. To register, go to: www.code.org.pk/register

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