KARACHI: With each passing year, Pakistan brings countless surprises, and revelations which not only impact upcoming trends but cause a stir to questioning the sanity and logic of people within the entertainment industry.
2014 was full of such instances from news about a potential Junoon reunion to reports that Saad Haroon finished as runner-up in the first ever Laugh Factory Funniest Person in the World Competition. This year comprised of a lot.
This year saw several Pakistani actors make their Bollywood debuts with Fawad Khan being the lone one able to hold his own in his first Indian outing. Imran Abbas and Humaima Malick, however, did not deliver much to brag about, especially with their weak performances and the low box office collections of their movies.
With 2015 ready to be braced, it’s time to start looking forward to the New Year with the hope that our celebrities and members of the local industry learn from the mistakes made in 2014. We anticipate that the New Year brings more game-changing moments that elevate the status of our entertainment industry. Here are some of the most unforgettable moments of the year gone by.
Face-palm moments of the year:
1. Junoon Reunion
Salman Ahmed, founder of the sufi-rock band Junoon, had his own Kim Kardashian moment when he attempted to break the internet with the announcement that the band was going to reunite almost 11 years after their last album, Deewar. But as has been the story of Junoon, Ali Azmat refuted all that Salman Ahmed said. Looks like Junooni fans would have to wait a little longer to see their favorite band perform again.
2. Fakhr-e-Alam, as SBFC chairman
Fakhr-e-Alam has surely come a long way from asking everyone to Bhangra Pao and indulging in Pyaar Diyan Gallan. The former Pakistani almost-hip hop artist took his groove from the studios to the offices of the Sindh Board of Film Certification (SBFC). Despite that the Munda Pakistani must be appreciated for the daring decision to release the controversial Rangini MMS 2 in Sindh, a movie that had been banned across Pakistan.
3. Ayyan’s music video
It is very difficult to point out what was more painful, the fact that Ayyan made her singing debut this year or that she released two back-to-back videos. Her debut release You and I can be termed as an attempt by the Pakistani supermodel to enhance her skill set but clearly she has failed to do so and in the process has joined the ranks of Veena Malik and Mathira in singing stints gone bad. Ayyan, you beauty!
4. Humaima’s Raja Natwarlal
It is safe to say that Humaima Malick squandered all the good work that she had done in Pakistan by playing the lead in Raja Natwarlal. For an actor as talented as Humaima, she seemed to have selected the wrong film. One can only hope that her future endeavours across the border prove to be fruitful.
5. Imran Abbas’ Creature
If Humaima is an example of bad decision-making then Imran Abbas is one of reckless decision-making. The television actor seemed desperate for a takeoff in Bollywood after a failure to launch with Boss. It continues to bewilder us why an actor who professes to have been offered lead roles in blockbusters like Ram Leela and Aashiqui 2 made his Bollywood debut with a movie like Creature 3D.
6. Meera’s marriage proposal to IK
Even at his age, Imran Khan still has the ability to make hearts of many women skip a beat. But Meera topped that by making several heads turn when she said the she would be willing to marry the cricketer-turned-politician “if he ever asked” her to marry him. Meera had previously contested for a seat in the National Assembly opposite Imran Khan in the 2013 general elections.
7. When Komal went Washmallay
A season that was supposed to celebrate the Sound of the Nation saw a Balochi folk song being hijacked from under their noses. Courtesy Komal Rizvi. The singer’s return to Coke Studio was no less than a miracle and that too an unpleasant one. Another Balochi folk melody was ruined by the sheer brilliance of the singer who, since her comeback, hasn’t really delivered anything easy on the ears. Not seeing Komal in 8th season of Coke Studio is one of our New Year’s resolutions.
8. Dukhtar at the Oscars
Last year, Zinda Bhaag was scrutinised by several media outlets for having an India co-director, after it was chosen as Pakistan’s official entry to the Academy Awards. Surprisingly much less appealing film like Dukhtar was entered as Pakistan’s entry into the Oscar’s race even though the jury had the option of not sending any films at all.
9. LSA’s cup of tea
As the Pakistani film and entertainment industry head towards an upgrade the premier Pakistani awards show decided in favour of a downgrade. The Lux Style Awards, which are usually one of the marquee events of the entertainment industry were, literally, held over a cup of tea in an evening reception as compared to the grand awards dinner party that takes place annually.
10. Tonite with HSY
The success of Koffee with Karan seems to have inspired more talk show hosts in Pakistan then it has in India. One of the latest celebrities to jump onto that bandwagon is none other than Hassan Sheheryar Yasin (HSY). The fashion designer tries so hard to replicate the success of his Indian counterpart that all he succeeds in creating is a first copy of the Indian show. HSY should stick to choreographing cat walks.