Veena Malik is one of those rare celebrities that no matter how much you write about her, it’s never really enough. Maybe it’s because she hasn’t taken the Meera route to fame which means making hilarious grammatical errors nor Mathira’s road which meant becoming infamous for late night shenanigans and fading away after that. On the other hand, Veena used her signature sleaze not merely for cheap thrills and quick laughs but to carve her way into Bollywood. With her latest appearance in Bollywood being an item number called “Channo”, she has, in essence, climbed to the status of item girls Katrina Kaif and Malaika Aurora.

Perpetually caught in a controversy or another, the recent news about Malik slapping her cast member Vedita Pratap Singh while shooting a fight sequence for their film Mumbai 125km made the rounds. Although she vehemently denied it, we all know how dodgy her denials can be. And it’s some of these doings and denials that have made her what she is today. In a way, credit must be given to the lady herself for capitalising on her controversies and making her item number get noticed in such a competitive industry.

Even more interesting is the rumor that Nicole Kidman was supposed to feature in the item number “Channo” but when the deal couldn’t get finalized, Veena was the next option. This is something huge for the actor and her cult followers who have exponentially grown after the FHM photo shoot and her verbal bash with a religious cleric over her antics in “Bigg Boss”. People might disagree that featuring in an item number is not that stylish of a break into Bollywood but with all due respect to the public sentiment, a Pakistani actor dancing her way into the Indian film industry is actually a big deal.

Her recent item number also brings back the memories of her old days. She featured in the remake of the 1966 ghazal “Baray Bemurawwat Hein” in which she plays a classical dancer and a mother of one. From playing the concerned mother in the revamped version of Pakistani ghazals to hosting “Hum Sab Umeed Sae Hain”, and finally adding herself to the league of Munnis and Sheilas, Veena has come a long way. We have heard of people who have made it big because of sheer talent and hard-work but this is someone who has really made a career out of controversies.

Golden words:

“Don’t have enough words to express my feelings for some people. I wish I had more middle fingers!!!”

Veena Malik expressed her disgust on Twitter when she was accused of assaulting her co-star Vedita Pratap while shooting for her Bollywood film Mumbai 125km.

“I would never strip for any industry.”

Veena Malik after the release of the controversial FHM India shoot

“Why can’t a Pakistani woman dress up the way she wants to? Pakistani girls can’t wear bikinis — they have never asserted their right. I am the one who took up this initiative.”

Veena Malik explains the reason why she did a “bold shoot”.

84-year-old Mehdi Hassan has been ill for the last few years due to a serious lung condition thathas led to complications and breathing problems.

“He is still in the ICU and doctors are looking after him round the clock. All we can do now is pray for him and hope Allah gives him life,” said Hassan’s son, Asif Mehdi himself a singer.

The legendary singer, who was born into a family of traditional musicians at Luna village in Rajasthan in 1927 and the voice behind evergreen ghazals like Ab Ke Bichade and Patta Patta Boota Boota, had recently lost his voice due to his illness.

Asif said the doctors after analysing his condition put the ailing singer on a a ventilator. They conducted Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans and blood tests of the veteran singer.

Doctors said Hassan is suffering from chest and urine infection.

“He had trouble in breathing (on Tuesday). We immediately rushed him to the hospital. He is in ICU but there is no positive response from the doctors about his condition,” Arif said.

Hassan, who has been suffering from lung problems for the past twelve years, was on Tuesday night rushed to Karachi’s Agha Khan hospital’s ICU section.

Asif said that his father had been in very poor health for the last two years and the family had been feeding him through the tube because of his illness.

“We have been feeding him through tube for the past two years and for the past one month, he has even lost his voice, which mesmerized millions of his fans,” he added.

Breaking News! Three girls have died while a dozen were injured during a stampede that broke out in an Atif Aslam concert at Lahore’s Al-Hamra Cultural Complex.  Reports suggest that more people were accommodated at the venue than it’s maximum capacity.

It was confirmed by our sources that the stampede was caused by the news of a fake bomb.  Everyone rushed out to save their lives injuring others.

One of the attendees of the concert told various sources that management man-handled the rushing crowd which made the situation even worse.

Atif Aslam has released a statement on Facebook saying:

“Today’s incident has left me in a state of shock and dismay. I am deeply saddened by what transpired after mondays concert. My deepest condolences to the victims and their families for the terrible loss that they have suffered and I pray that Allah will help them through this ordeal.” – Atif Aslam

“Pakistanis really know how to party,” exclaims singer Janice Miller who recently moved to Lahore for an indefinite period from America. California-born Miller is an artist extraordinaire, who managed to make a career in desi music without being able to speak Urdu or any other subcontinental language. She has already performed twice in Pakistan for the non-profit organisation Development in Literacy.

The singer says that she developed an infatuation with desi music at a very early stage and discovered this love when her parents, who were musicians in their own right, moved from Bay Area, San Francisco to Ghana, West Africa in 1989. Her ardour triggered when she caught a glimpse of the Indian film Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves in a downtrodden theatre and from then onwards Miller would do whatever she had to get her hands on all the subcontinental music that she could find. “I would sit with some friends with Pakistani background and have them say Urdu words, which then I used to write down in English,” says Miller.

Later she moved back to America and became one of the most sought after cover artists, routinely covering the likes of Noor Jehan in 1992. Her first major concert was at a Pakistan Day Parade held in Manhattan, in which she performed alongside Muhammad Ali Shyhaki and The Benjamin Sisters. Over the years, she has performed duets with Sajjad Ali, Alamgir, Atif Aslam, Hadiqa Kiyani, Fakhre Alam, Abrarul Haq, Shehzad Roy and host of other local artists. In the past, Miller has also performed for Akshay Kumar, Juhi Chawla, Anu Malik, Shahrukh Khan as well.

Her close association with subcontinental music influenced her dogma and gradually, over the span of time, she became inclined towards Islam. Miller eventually converted to Islam in 1993. “I have always had extremely Islamic habits. The funny thing is that all religious texts are the same on some levels, I have never understood why people are fighting over religion,” says the singer. Her first visit to Pakistan dates back to 2005, when former president Pervez Musharraf invited Miller to Islamabad for an exclusive performance.

Filling the gaps and perceptual disparity between the East and West seems to be her purpose in life for now. At the PFDC L’ Oreal Bridal Couture Week held recently, she met with a producer who wants to work on an original Punjabi song.

Miller, who is known for traditional classical performances at concerts, will diverge from her signature style by adding a little bit of English in her album Sentimental Moments. The album could be categorised as an 80s RnB soul album. She intends to release this lyrical concoction of East and West internationally in 2012.

Currently she is in talks with the parties concerned for a performance in an event being held for the Prime Minister of Bangladesh next year.

Miller is hopeful that the transition to the Pakistani market will prove to be profitable for her career. “People don’t know what I bring to the table until they have attended my concerts, I have lived my dream for the last 10 years through my live performances,” says Miller. “I have always been afraid of the media and I’m a little camera shy and this was the only road block I had to overcome.”

Meesha shafi who is currently busy shooting in India for her new Hollywood flick is countered by her ex-band-mate  Farhad Humayun. Lahore court issued arrest warrants against Meesha Shafi and Mehmood Rehman on Monday for allegedly stealing equipment from Farhad’s studio.

According to Pakistan Today, Farhad, the founding member and drummer of the band Overload, had accused the two of stealing equipment from his studio. The couple confessed to the crime in court, the source added.

It is pertinent to mention that Meesha was the lead vocalist and Mehmood the lead guitarist of Farhad’s band, and the couple parted ways with the band last year due to creative and practical differences.

Surprise! We never thought this would happen in a hundred years. Salman Ahmed the Junooni was recently found jamming with his ex Vital Signs band member and lead vocalist Junaid Jamshed. They performed many songs including the famous “Dil Dil Pakistan” & Jazba Junoon”.

Rumors have it, The two friends and former band-mates will be performing in Karachi on the 25th of December at the Imran Khan PTI Jalsa.

Famous female Pakistani singer Hadiqa Kiyani is all geared up to launch her own beauty salon.

Hadiqa most famously known for hit song “Buhay Barian”, has also decided to set her own business in world of fashion.  She is set to launch her own beauty entity soon. Rumors are swirling that Hadiqa is working very hard to launch beauty salon within the next two months.

We wish Hadiqa the best in this new journey of business!

A row has erupted over images of Pakistani actress Veena Malik sporting the initials ISI on her arm, with FHM India insisting it is not fake.

It has caused a sensation in Pakistan for both the nudity and the initials of Pakistan’s controversial Inter-Services Intelligence spy agency.

Pakistani media have quoted a spokesman for Ms Malik as saying she never took part in such a photoshoot.

But FHM India’s editor told the BBC that nothing had been doctored.

“We have video footage of the shoot as well as emails from Veena about how she’s looking forward to the cover,” Kabeer Sharma told the BBC’s Nosheen Abbas in Islamabad.

“The idea to have ISI written on her arm was mine, and it was Veena’s idea to have it in block letters,” he added.

He said that the image was intended to be playful, saying that: “In India we joke about this… if anything goes wrong… we say the ISI must be behind this.”

The ISI has been in the headlines in recent months after senior US officials accused it of supporting militants based in Pakistan’s tribal areas who target Western troops in Afghanistan.

In September the most senior US military officer Adm Mike Mullen said that the Haqqani militant network “acts as a veritable arm of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence Agency”.

Pakistan has vehemently denied such allegations.
Pakistan outrage

Correspondents say that the image, which is the cover of the December issue of the Indian edition of the global men’s magazine, has caused a storm in Pakistan with many people expressing outrage over the nudity and the boldness of the photo.

Many Pakistanis on the micro-blogging site Twitter are also expressing bemusement at the image.

The Express Tribune newspaper in Pakistan said a representative of Ms Malik had denied she posed for the shoot.

“Veena knows her limits. I know we have done quite bold stuff/shoots, those which are available on our website, but she knows her parameters,” Sohail Rashid is quoted as saying.

FHM’s editor said he had never heard of the representative and added that Ms Malik had not got in touch to ask him to modify or remove the image.

The actress has been at the centre of controversy before.

She caused outrage among conservative circles in Pakistan for appearing on the Indian reality show Bigg Boss in 2010. She hit the headlines again in March this year by challenging the views of a Pakistani cleric on television.

Xulfi J Khan, also known as Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan, has tied the knots with Wajeeha Badar, commonly known as Jiya who is also a graduate of PIFD (formerly: PFDC), Lahore.

Xulfi, who was considered to be the backbone of Entity Paradigm [eP] back in the days, currently composes and plays for Call. This will be a love marriage since Xulfi has been dating the lady for a while. Jiya has also starred in Jal‘s “Ik Din Aye Ga” which was also directed by Xulfi and released back in 2006. Well, that explains that they have been dating for a while.

Another funny fact, as pointed out by a friend, is that the song “Dhadke Jiya” from the Bollywood’s “Aaloo Chat” was in fact dedicated to Jiya. If you can recall the lyrics, that’s how the song goes

Yehi duaaaaaa
Yunhi sadaaaaaa hoohooooo
Tere lyeeeee
Dharke Jiyaaa
Dharke Jiyaaa

Though the Nikkah Ceremony took place nearly 2 weeks ago, the Barat ceremony will take place on 1st of October. We wish the happy couple best of luck.

dewaana – mirza humza feat. mirza haider

arranged by: ayyaz sonu

special thanks: irtiza shafaat bokharee

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