Hareem Farooq has clearly been staying productive during quarantine, as the star recently revealed some exciting news about two new film projects underway from her end. The gorgeous award-winning actress and Pakistan’s youngest female producer revealed this news in a casual chit chat session on an Instagram live. According to Farooq, she is already working on these projects with her team and is planning to begin filming after quarantine comes to an end.
As Hareem shared with a live audience about her journey in the entertainment industry, she talked about how she has come a long way from a theater actress to now, as we call her, the leading face of the entertainment industry. We can see all the hard work that went into this journey from her body of work, and given the actress and producer is investing time and resources says a lot about her potential. We have seen her magic on-screen and in the producer’s chair with some of her previous blockbusters including Janaan, Parchi, and Heer Maan Ja.
In the live session, she also urged her fans to never give up on dreams. She quoted, “Ultimate failure is when you decide to give up.”
As the session ended with her motivating others to be kind and empathetic, Hareem Farooq’s live session brought us the great news of more exciting content from the young producer. We are still completely in the dark about any details on these new projects, and we are wondering what the star would be bringing to the big-screen next!
[Karachi,19th May, 2020] Ayesha Omar joins The Citizen Foundation Goodwill Ambassador program. Having endured a tough childhood with the loss of her father and seeing her mother’s dedication to her and her brother’s education, she grew up with the same dedication towards children’s betterment and aims to use her position to actively work with underprivileged students and children, to provide them with fair education.
Ayesha believes that education is truly powerful in helping individuals lift themselves out of a difficult life and make informed choices. She also believes that education is not a privilege but a right that every citizen should have access to, regardless of their financial situation. There are 22.8 million children who are out of school in Pakistan and the actress wants to use her voice to fil the gap.
The biggest and most exciting game show on the television today is Jeeto Pakistan Ramadan makes the game show even better but this time it’s not just a game show it’s an entire fantasy league.
Jeeto Pakistan League is going strong this Ramadan. The Game Show hosted by the dashing Fahad Mustafa in a well light neon hall. But due to the pandemic situation the crowds are not present.
The Jeeto Pakistan League has five teams one from each city. The celebrities are the captains to each team and are invited everyday with selected contestants on various games. Winners are rewards with cash prizes and gifts like the original gameshow theme.
The winning teams are rewarded points and scores are kept on the board. Peshawar Stallions are leading the point table till now bit tables can turn any minute.
Fahad Mustafa keeps the energy going despite the crowd is missing and proves what an entertainer he is. Accompanied by the team captains Humayun Saeed, Adnan Siddiqui, Sana Javed, Shaista Lodhi and Sarfaraz Ahmed.
Sana Javed captains Islamabad Dragons 🐉, Shaista Lodhi heads Peshawar Stallions, Humayun Saeed leads Karachi Lions, Adnan Siddiqui is the captain to Lahore Falcons and Sarfaraz Ahmed is the captain to Quetta Knights.
Little Ahmed Shah also with his mystery treasure box makes cute appearance in the show but everyone is always kept at a safe distance.
Jeeto Pakistan League hosts mini-games for TV viewers to win at home as well. The energy of the game is still the same and the ratings are off the charts.
Using the age-old phrase of ‘beauty with brains’ to describe the talented Yashma Gill won’t be wrong because the young actress belongs to the handful lot of actors who are intelligent, down to earth, and extremely beautiful. Ever since she started acting, critics and audiences were forced to take notice of the young upcoming starlet who was acting her heart out on our television screens.
Gill’s latest project is the comedy-drama Pyar Ke Sadqay that also stars Bilal Abbas Khan, Yumna Zaidi, and Atiqa Odho, among others. She portrays Shanzay, a confident, outspoken, stubborn, and sometimes headstrong girl who knows what she wants in life and doesn’t believe in settling for anything less than that. Shanzay isn’t good or bad; she’s somewhere in between. You either like her, or you don’t, and the credit goes to Gill for portraying the character with such ease.
In the latest episode of the show that aired last night, Shanzay gets married to Esa, her fiancé, who is toxic and awful in every way imaginable. She gets married to him despite knowing the kind of man he is. Later, she ends up confiding in her father about how getting married to Esa was a wrong decision on her part.
After realizing her marriage is nothing more than a sham in which her husband doesn’t love her, and she isn’t happy, Shanzay turns towards Abdullah, who she insulted for pursuing her in the first place. This happened just when Abdullah had started to open up towards Mahjabeen, but he was convinced by Sarwar to see Shanzay, and she made full use of that chance.
It will be fun to see what happens in the upcoming episodes and what Yashma does with Shanzay’s character. Right now, all we can say is that Shanzay has managed to direct all the attention towards herself, and we love it.
Gill has several remarkable performances that solidified her image as an artist who takes her craft seriously and doesn’t compromise on the quality of her work. She appeared in Qurban, Ghar Titli ka Par, Ab Dekh Khuda Kya Karta Hai, Piya Naam Ka Diya, and the blockbuster show ‘Alif’. Gill garnered rave reviews for her performances in each of these shows and was praised for playing different characters that challenged her as an artist.
Dramas in Pakistan have a lot of variety when it comes to the
concept. They are rightly touted to be the mirrors of the society we live in.
While the industry is catching up on social issues that society faces, it has
also been conscious of people with physical disabilities. There have been
instances when makers have not only dealt with the subject of disability with
sensitivity and compassion but also have been very instrumental in changing the
perception of the people and society as a whole towards them. 7th Sky
Entertainment’s latest endeavor ‘Khoob Seerat’ is a prime example. Directed by
Ali Akbar ‘Khoob Seerat’ features Kiran Haq, Agha Ali, Nimra Khan & Kamran
Jilani in pivotal roles.
Let’s divulge the gist of the story; ‘Khoob Seerat’ narrates the
story of sweet and innocent girl Dilkash (Kiran Haq). She is self-sacrificing
and struggles with a walking defect that reduces the chances of her marriage.
No one admires her qualities or tries to look into her beautiful soul;
resultantly, she faces rejection. Dilkash and her parents suffer badly from the
hypocrisy of society. Her best friend Mahira (Nimra Khan), is in love with
Samar (Agha Ali), the man Dilkash loves. Dilkash finds happiness and joy with
them while suffering silently. Her father finally fixes her wedding with his
brother’s son, who is also his business partner. Things further take an ugly
turn when her wedding is called off as the groom refuses to marry her due to
her limp defect. She is heartbroken but recovers from it soon.
Samar’s mother doesn’t approve of his relationship with Mahira.
Both their families lock horns, tragedy strikes, and Mahira is forced to get
married to Wajahat (Kamran Jilani). Samar attempts to commit suicide; he fails
and gets a new life. Dilkash helps Samar in recovering from his loss; he soon
finds a job and gets on track. Life isn’t a bed of roses for Dilkash as her
sister-in-law starts creating problems for her and doesn’t let go of any
opportunity to bring her down. She tries to portray her relationship with Samar
in a bad light and succeeds. Samar realizes the fact of how she stood by him
like a rock through thick and thin. He sends her a marriage proposal, which is
turned down by her father. The reason behind the refusal is Dilkash herself
because she feels Samar only loves Mahira and won’t be able to forget her
throughout his life. She tells Samar that we are friends and will continue to
be. It would be interesting to see how Dilkash deals with the situation; will
she find someone worthy enough to get married?
‘Khoob Seerat’ never fails to involve and entertain the viewers،; it contains enough good material to hold one’s attention. The emotional component is well balanced with a twist and tension-filled moments, and of course, some razor-sharp and punch-packed dialogue in dramatic sequences [penned by Shakeel Arsalan]. It’s the emotional journey of the protagonist that acts as a hook and lingers in your memory. On the whole, ‘Khoob Seerat’ is a gripping watch, leaving the viewers rooting for more. With excellent writing, great directions, and great performances, we are eagerly waiting as to what will happen next?
Reckitt Benckiser (RB), a global leader
in consumer health and hygiene, has appointed Kashan Hasan as the new Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) for its Pakistan business. Kashan will be spearheading
the health business with immediate effect. Kashan has been associated with RB
for the last 12 years, serving in various successful leadership roles across
the globe in Pakistan, UK, South Africa, Egypt and the Middle East. In his
most recent role, he was serving as the Regional Sales Director for the Hygiene
Home business for the MENA region.
This announcement comes as RB Pakistan
Limited evolves into the next stage of strategic development and accelerated
growth. In this new role, Kashan will be leading the Company towards expansion
within the country and strengthening its position in the market, while driving
the business through its purpose-led brands. He will also be the key leading
force behind RB Pakistan’s social vision and commitment of “Hoga Saaf Pakistan”
(powered by the Company’s leading brand, Dettol) for a cleaner and healthier
Pakistan.
Talking about his new role, Kashan
stated, “RB Pakistan is committed to contribute to Pakistan through our leading
health and hygiene brands for our consumers and the social impact we have
achieved by reaching millions across the country. Pakistan is a very important
market for RB with big potential for growth, I will be ensuring that we stay
ahead of the game and focus on providing innovative solutions for our consumers
to put health in their own hands, in true RB spirit.”
Kashan Hasan brings in over 18 years of leadership and management experience across various industries including consumer goods, consumer durables, consumer health, hygiene, home, food, and confectionery. As a Sales and Marketing professional he brings in a diverse experience in Sales, Trade Marketing, Key Account Management, and Customer and Consumer Marketing.
The finale of the 5th National Finance Olympiad was a joint collaboration of the Institute Of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan & Unilever Pakistan. The Grand Finale was conducted on December 19th, 2019, in Karachi.
ICAP In Collaboration with Unilever Pakistan Organize
NFO2019
The Chief Guest of the evening was Mr. Abdullah Hussain Haroon who is also a former Foreign Minister of Pakistan. President ICAP, Mr. Khalilullah Shaikh, extended his thanks to the organizers and congratulated them for being consistent in organizing NFO each year. This is the fifth time NFO proved itself as a successful platform for the finance professionals across Pakistan.
Mr. Khalilullah said, “With each passing year, the team has raised the benchmark for this event. I would like to congratulate the finalists of the grand finale who went through tough rounds to reach Finale. The competition is not about winning or losing, it’s about celebrating the talent of the industry. I believe this event also celebrates the role accountants are playing in this country. As an institute, we are committed to producing highly qualified professionals who can serve for the betterment of the business sector and community. I thank all the participants and Unilever for collaborating with us for bringing up this auspicious event”.
This year’s National Finance Olympiad 2019 saw the registration of 51 teams from top-notch organizations across Pakistan. For their selection, a 2-hour MCQ-based examination was held in Karachi, Lahore, and Dubai on December 12th, 2019.
Out of these 51, only 18 teams qualified for the Assessment & Simulation Round which happened at Karachi School of Business and Leadership (KSBL). From here only the top 6 teams were selected for the Grand Finale.
ICAP’s Professional
Accountants In Business (PAIB) Committee is the main team behind organizing
NFO. Their success can be measured from the fact that the event was attended by
the top management of renowned national and multinational organizations.
The Grand Finale of the NFO 2019 started off with the recitation of the Holy Quran. Then Mr. Khalilullah took to the stage and gave his opening remarks.
After that Mr. Aly Yusuf, CFO, Unilever Pakistan welcomed the audience and said “NFO 2019 has been
a great success. Since its inception, the participating teams have shown
exemplary performance and today we have here 6 final teams who stood out from
the rest. I wish all the teams the best for this finale and would also like to
congratulate ICAP for the success of NFO.”
The participating teams then introduced themselves. After which started the Debate Round. This round was judged by a panel of three judges; Mr. Naeem Akhtar Sheikh, Past President, ICAP, Mr. Arshad Saeed Hussain, Managing Director, Oxford University Press, and Mr. Hasan Azhar, Group CEO, HRSG.
The topics given for the debate included
– ‘Excessive use of technology has a positive
impact on our society’.
– ‘For 21st-century leadership positions, qualification criteria can be compromised against behavioral competencies’
– ‘Higher interest
rates policy is stabilizing Pakistan’s economy in the long run.’
Next up was the Buzzer Round, which analyzed the agility and
technical skills of the participants.
According to judges, EY Ford Rhodes
was declared the winner while Midas Safety and Heal Aid Foundation became the
1st and 2nd Runner Ups respectively.
EY Ford Rhodes walked away with a majestic Champions Trophy, Microsoft Surface Pro and shields for each of the three-team members.
HP Pavilion Laptop and shields were given to the 1st Runner Up team while the 2nd Runner Up received iPad and shields for all team members.
Technical partners
– A.F. Ferguson &
Co. and Deloitte Yousuf Adil
Learning
partner.
– Karachi School of Business and Leadership
(KSBL).
ICAP PAIB Organizing Committee and the Master of Ceremony; Mr. Zaid Kaliya were recognized.
The event was streamed Live on ICAP official Facebook Page:
To instill ownership amongst Pakistanis to keep themselves and their surroundings clean, ‘Hoga Saaf Pakistan’ (“HSP”), powered by Dettol, has launched a new Safai Anthem. The anthem envisions a Saaf Pakistan featuring all the HSP ‘Safai Champions’ which include Fahad Mustafa and Shaniera Akram as the prime champions, along with Waseem Badami and Iqrar ul Hasan. The anthem has been sung by Asim Azhar and Aima Baig with Shuja Haider’s composition.
“Music is an impactful way to mobilize the masses”, stated Humayun Farooq, Marketing Director Health of Reckitt Benckiser Pakistan Limited – the makers of Dettol.
“Hoga Saaf Pakistan is not just a social cause that a brand supports, it’s a social movement Dettol is leading to bring the conversation around cleanliness to the forefront.
In addition to the numerous hand-washing drives, public service messages, and TV shows, this anthem is yet another attempt to mobilize Pakistanis so they unite and take responsibility for a healthier, cleaner Pakistan!”
“Hoga Saaf Pakistan has taken the mantle of cleaning Pakistan and changing our attitude towards solid waste, which is growing at the rate of 2% annually, ending up on our streets eventually”, stated Mr Jerjees Seja, CEO ARY Digital Network.
“In partnership with Hoga Saaf Pakistan, ARY aims to inspire the citizens of Pakistan through this anthem to embrace the change and share our vision, so we can bring many people forward to play their responsibility in this noble cause.”
“Hoga Saaf Pakistan”, powered by Dettol, has been working towards driving a Saaf Pakistan through several TV shows, public service messages, clean-up, and handwashing drives as well as celebrity supporters.
The movement is also Dettol and ARY’s contribution to Prime Minister’s “Clean Green Pakistan” initiative launched in October last year.
Lahore: 3rd
December, 2019 – The Asian Federation of Advertising Associations (AFAA) has
bestowed its prestigious ‘Leadership Award’ to the founder and Chairman of
English Biscuit Manufacturers (EBM) – Mr. Khawar Masood Butt, during its
conference in Lahore. This accolade was presented in recognition of his
tremendous contributions to the marketing and advertising industry of Pakistan
as well as his vision and good governance resulting in EBM’s successful growth
over the years. The CEO & MD of EBM – Dr. Zeelaf Munir received this award
on behalf of Mr. Khawar Butt.
Khawar Masood
Butt has continued to make remarkable contributions to the nation’s cultural
and commercial progress. EBM has always generously supported entrepreneurship,
education, health, sports, arts and advertising endeavors thus reflecting his
passion for excellence as well as his ability to identify opportunity and
talent. He is also famous for creating the legendary character of Peek Freans
the Pied Piper, which to-date, continues to make a positive impact,
consequently making him one of the most inspirational entrepreneurs of today.
The Founder of
EBM expressed his gratitude to the stalwarts of the Advertising and marketing
world for acknowledging his efforts and vision that inspired EBM’s growth over
the years. He stated, “The development of marketing and advertising professions
has gained great momentum across the world, while the rapid evolution and
deployment of technologies have also revolutionized communications in Pakistan.
Amid all these changes, EBM remains committed towards staying at the forefront
of innovation and progress in Pakistan and keeping the country at par with
global standards of performance and quality.
While Mr. Butt
continues to nurture strong bonds within the business community, especially the
advertising & marketing sectors, he had also played a pivotal role in
supporting AdAsia conference, which was held in Pakistan in 1989. He is also
credited with being one of the first few advertisers for television and assisting
in the growth of some of Pakistan’s earliest TV channels. For Mr. Butt,
advertising has always held enormous power to spread socio-political awareness
among the masses, while also making the economy more sustainable.
During this
auspicious event, EBM’s vibrant new logo was also introduced to the audience,
while Dr. Zeelaf Munir highlighted the idea behind this change by stating,
“This fresh corporate-identity celebrates our brand-purpose: ‘nourishing lives,
hearts and communities’. The symbol combines three unique elements that form
the ‘Heart’ of our brand, with an optimistic sunrise that shows a dynamic,
engaging and distinct character of the enterprise and finally, a human touch
that promises a brighter future. It is EBM’s privilege to present its new
identity during this grand marketing endeavor.” She appreciated the organizers
for once again bringing back a global forum like AdAsia to Pakistan and said,
“EBM is committed to continue supporting any forum that helps to elevate
Pakistan’s image internationally”.
AdAsia is the
largest and most prestigious advertising congress in Asia, organized
bi-annually, since 1958, by the Asian Federation of Advertising Associations
(AFAA). The AdAsia 2019 was graced by the most distinguished personalities from
the global business community and speakers like; Randi Zuckerberg, Sir Martin
Sorrell, Lord William Hague, Richard Quest, Fernando Machado, Vange Kourentis,
Tom Goodwin and many more.
7th Sky Entertainment has once again given us an
intriguing drama that has all of us hooked to our screens. Starring Neelum
Muneer as Rida, and Imran Ashraf as Zeeshan, ‘Kahin Deep Jalay’ shows stunning
love chemistry between the two most loved actors of small screen, and how their
lives will get disrupted because of Rida’s sister in law, Shameela played by
Nazish Jahangir.
Kahin Deep Jalay is a phenomenal story about love, jealousy,
and trust. It truly represents the idea that those who are not happy for you are
not happy for themselves. Shameela has loving people around her, and she gets married
in a very rich family, yet her complexities have blinded her to the extent that
she thinks ill of everyone else. For her, she comes first and everything should
always be about her.
So far, 10 episodes have aired and each episode has progressed
towards the story plot at a very good pace, keeping the viewers’ interest. Rida
is the only sister of her three brothers who love her dearly. For such a loving
sister, comes a sister in law who is so jealous of the love Rida is receiving
that she starts playing the blame game, trying to prove Rida as an ill
charactered girl.
Shameela is so blinded by her thoughts of jealousy that she
shamefully confronts Rida, telling her to stop acting innocent and stop
flirting with boys. Shameela thinks Rida gets everyone’s attention because she
uses her beauty to woo everyone, but she fails to see that everyone loves her
because of her sweet nature.
The drama has thickened the plot by introducing another
antagonist, Farhan in episode 10 who has been sending messages about Rida on
her brother’s phone. Something tells us that Farhan is going to play a pivotal
role in the episodes to come and he may become the right hand of Shameela in
her evil plans.
Where all of this is happening in the drama, we have Zeeshan
who has fallen in love with Rida, sends a marriage proposal to her house, but
gets rejected.
We love how the story give us moments of relief through Zeeshan’s
dream about Rida where the two can be seen in love with each other. With love
in their eyes, the small romantic clips between Rida and Zeeshan are portrayed
beautifully and give us the much-needed timeout from the negativity spread by
Shameela.
Kahin Deep Jalay is at a very exciting turn as Zeeshan’s
proposal for Rida is getting another chance, and we are hoping to see the love
chemistry between the two.
Musawar Ali 