Category: Opinion
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Are we allergic to joy?
There is a poignant moment in the documentary ‘The Romantics’ where filmmaker Aditya Chopra reflects back on the 26/11 Mumbai attacks that shook the entire country. At the time, his production company had been gearing up for the release of his upcoming romantic comedy film ‘Rab Ne Banadi Jodi’. Many of his colleagues had urged…
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The collective effervescence of Shah Rukh Khan
‘Pathaan’ is a frustrating film because it does not want to make things too difficult but it also does not want to take the easy way out. It does not mind being silly but it certainly will not become stupid. Perhaps to resolve these contradictory impulses, it chooses to be a fan-service film, something that…
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Are actors responsible for educating their audiences?
Once again, the Pakistani entertainment industry is stirring up reminders of why people should stop viewing their content because even they don’t want to own up to the material they work on. Actor Danish Taimoor appeared on a celebrity talk show yesterday where he was questioned about his choice of dramas for the past few…
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Why are humiliation nikkah’s a relevant part of Pakistani dramas?
The year is 2023. The Pakistani entertainment industry is as terrified of a woman who exercises her own free will and independence, as it was in 1973. After encouraging the bitch and bechari trope, the gold digger, the women fighting over a man trope, here comes another interesting plot device to keep viewers entertained: humiliation…
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The misogynist backlash to Reham Khan speaks volumes about double standards regarding wide age-gap marriages
Celebrity public news is an unnecessary but amusing part of our lives. We abhor it but we love the small distraction it provides us from our daily lives. We hear headlines about a celebrity getting married, getting engaged, or promoting some diet tea product and move on. But there are a few times when a…
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Why are women still being pushed back from their right of public transport?
We’ve heard sleazy men behind anonymous accounts push back against this. We’ve seen boomers roll their eyes every time they see this happen. Now, recently, we’ve had to listen to the unsolicited opinion of Behroze Sabzwari on this issue. Can you guess what causes these men to go into frenzied anger? It’s the ability of…
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Ken Rosenthal lays bare Manfred’s thin skin
Calling a spade a spade is one of the cardinal virtues of journalism and is what all journalists are meant to do. The broader challenge, however, is when it comes to having the gall to speak up against those in the upper echelons of power and it is then when impartial journalism can congeal into…
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عورت ہو انسان نہیں
میری والدہ کی زندگی میں دو چیزیں ہیں جو پچھلے 16سال سے نہیں بدلیں ۔ ایک ان کا ٹی وی چینل جو کہ ہمیشہ ہم ٹی وی رہا ہے اور ایک میں بذاتِ خود جس کو نا چاہتے ہوئے بھی ان کو دیکھنا پڑ رہا ہے اور چونکہ میں نے اپنی والدہ کے آخری دم…
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Asif Ali rises to the occasion
When, on the last ball of the 18th over, Asif Ali refused to take a single, rather than adding a run to Pakistan’s score with the required run rate almost touching the 12-run mark, it was obvious that he was confident enough in his abilities to take his team over the line. Or so it…
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Pak vs Ind: Are you ready?
Everyone is sitting in the same room, some very close to the TV as if they can control things by sitting close to the screen. Some outside the lounge to avoid the visuals, responding only to the audio cues. Some trying to change fate by doing tasbeeh. And some holding a chappal permanently pose an…