Sunidhi Boom

Nazia Hasan was one of the pioneers of pop music in South Asia — not just in Pakistan. Her influence has been beautifully illustrated by Indian playback singer Sunidhi Chohan in a TV commercial for a car, in which she sings Nazia H’s iconic track Boom Boom with a great deal of vocal oomph and creative flair. It is wonderful to realise how timeless classic songs are. Well done, Sunidhi C. May your voice keep booming! (Also, we hope that the makers of the advert and the car company got in touch with Nazia H’s family before using the song.)

Diet Fright

We agree with actress Hareem Farooq: crash diets are, or can be, unhealthy ways of shedding extra pounds of weight from your body. She said so in the context of her drama series Bismal, in which she’s playing the female protagonist. No arguing with that (though the current fad of medication-based fat reduction might be even more dangerous), but her next argument is weightier. She says we have all kinds of body types in society and this should be normalised. That’s actually a noble thought. But who’s going to convince the producers and advertising moguls who sell us one ideal body type?

Expressive Yasir

Check out actor Yasir Hussain’s commentary on his fellow actors who have become obsessed with botox injections and cosmetic procedures to look young. He posted a quote by supermodel Cindy Crawford saying that ageing is what happens if we’re lucky. “It means I’m alive,” she articulates. According to Yasir H, the quote was for all those Pakistan actors, “jin ke expressions Allah ko pyaray ho gaey aur paisa doctor ko” [who have lost their expressions and blow their money on doctors]. And what about those who could not express themselves even before their faces became immobile, hmmm?

Retired Hurt?

Fans of Indian actor Vikrant Massey, who can still be called young because he’s only 37 years of age, were shocked to know that he’s announced retirement from acting. His last two films will see the light of day next year. His social media message reads: “…As I move forward, I realise it’s time to recalibrate and go back home. As a husband, father and a son. And also as an actor.” Vikrant M’s last film Baarhwi Fail was a massive hit and earned him and the movie quite a few awards. Well, it’s his decision. Perhaps, he has realised that Bollywood doesn’t have enough meaningful roles to offer to actors. Perhaps he comes from an affluent family and doesn’t require too much money to sustain in life. Perhaps both assumptions are wrong, and there’s more to Vikrant M’s retirement than meets the eye.

The Mexico Move

Pop icon Britney Spears has had enough of it! She can’t bear the pain that the paparazzi inflict on her. So she has moved to Mexico. Yes, folks, this she said in an Instagram video: “It really kind of hurts my feelings that the paparazzi make my face look like I’m wearing like a white Jason mask. It doesn’t even look like me. They’ve always been incredibly cruel to me, the paparazzi and pictures and the way they’ve illustrated me to be in some of it.” Good strategy Britney S — no one recognises Jason masks in Mexico, right!

No Show Z

On December 3, Zayn Malik was about to get on to the stage at the O2 City Hall in Newcastle for a gig. His fans had already gathered at the venue. But minutes before his appearance, to the dismay of all those who’d bought tickets, it was announced that the show had been cancelled. Later, the pop singer provided the reason via social media: “I am so sorry to do this but my voice just isn’t there at all tonight and, without it, there’s no show. I’m truly sorry to let you down, especially at such short notice… I held on to hope until the very last moment. I’m hopeful, with some rest tonight, I’ll be back on stage tomorrow. My deepest apologies Newcastle, love you all.” Happens to the best of us, Zayn M.

That Side of Him

Hollywood hottie Scarlett Johansson and Saturday Night Live (SNL) regular Colin Jost have been happily married for four years now. What keeps their relationship going? Well, the actress has recently talked about it with reference to her hubby: “He’s got his naughty side. That’s why he keeps it interesting.” Explaining that, she mentioned a ‘ferryboat’ that Colin J had bought with fellow comedian Pete Davidson. “That’s the naughty part I was talking about.” Excuse us Scarlett J, isn’t that the fishy part?

Published in Dawn, Young World, December 15th, 2024