What the Hell!

Spare a thought for Indian lyricist Javed Akhtar. His wife, Shabana Azmi, admitted a few years ago that they couldn’t get an apartment in Bombay, sorry Mumbai, because they are Muslims. In the industry that he works for, his Muslim colleagues Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan have been repeatedly told to go to Pakistan for being… Muslim. Aamir K has even been reprimanded for shooting Lal Singh Chaddha in Turkiye because Turkiye and Pakistan enjoy friendly relations. And, in his country, people are regularly lynched simply for eating (or even transporting) beef. So, when he says he’d “rather go to hell” than visit Pakistan, we guess he simply means he’d rather stay where he is.

The Jealousy Factor

There are very few artists who accept that they are jealous of a colleague, senior or contemporary. But Saba Hamid has no qualms about telling it like it is. Discussing the art of acting on a talk show, she said an actress that she’s a fan of and would like to copy is Shehnaz Sheikh (for Gen Z, Shehnaz S became extremely popular in the 1980s when she appeared in a drama series titled Ankahi). Saba H went on to point out that, when it comes to situational comedy and the timing required for it, there’s no one like Shehnaz S. “I’m actually jealous of her,” she claimed. That’s the kind of jealousy that makes people feel good.

Arooj at Albert

Multiple Grammy winner Pakistani artist Arooj Aftab is going places. The latest feather in her already well-decorated musical cap is… well, read it in her own Insta post: “Listen, you have to come to BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall with me [July 29]. Get tickets without thinking. We will present selected tunes, the good ones from [albums] Bird Under Water, Vulture Prince and Night Reign. The great Ibrahim Maalouf will be there with his own full set the same day. I am beyond crazed for this one, and so proud and ecstatic to share this iconic experience with you.” Arooj A, every Pakistani is beyond crazed. But some of us might have to think of flight prices and visas before getting tickets too!

Like Parents Like Kids

Pop star Justin Timberlake and actress Jessica Biel have two sons: Silas (10) and Phineas (4). Recently, an interviewer asked the children’s mum who the kids have taken after. She replied, “They are both of us combined, and their own beings in all the ways. I think my older one looks like me but is more like him and my younger one looks like him but is maybe more like me, you know? It’s a little back backwards like that.” Hmmm… That’s fair enough, Jessica B, as your hubby would say, What Goes Around…Comes Around!

Health Alert!

On May 15, vocalist par excellence Shakira had a concert at the MetLife Stadium outside of New York. A few days later, the New Jersey Department of Health announced that those who attended the gig may have been exposed to measles. According to the department, someone who is not a resident of New Jersey and was infected with the disease was at the concert. It “urged [individuals who were at the stadium] to be aware of the symptoms of this highly contagious virus.” Okay then, waka waka, eh eh, it’s time to be cautious.

Exit Deepika

There is a lot of buzz around a yet-to-be-shot film Spirit, starring Prabhas and Deepika Padukone, primarily because it will be directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga (of Animal fame). Now the news is that Deepika P is out of the project because she developed differences with the director on certain conditions [not] included in the contract. She wanted a six-hour work day and didn’t want the filming to exceed 100 days, after which she’d have demanded more moolah. And Sandeep R V didn’t like the way the actress’ team was trying to push for changes in the contract. Consequently, Deepika P has stepped out of the project. Now that’s the spirit, gal!

Published in Dawn, ICON, June 1st, 2025