Celebrities

Zoha Tauqeer says her mother’s happiness shaped her outlook on life

Rising actor Zoha Tauqeer has opened up about losing her father at a young age, supporting her mother’s decision to remarry, and learning to face life with optimism and self-awareness.

In a recent interview, the Aapa Shameem, Chaalbaaz and Zabt actor reflected on grief, family relationships and her journey in the entertainment industry.

Zoha revealed that she was only four years old when her father died of lung cancer. Despite her young age, she said she still remembers the affection they shared and recalled how he would keep her close even when he was in pain.

After his death, Zoha said her mother became the family’s main source of strength and worked hard to ensure the children did not feel their father’s absence. However, everyday experiences, such as filling out school forms and becoming more protective of her siblings, continued to remind her of the loss.

Speaking about her mother’s remarriage, Zoha said she and her siblings supported the decision because they understood that their mother deserved happiness. She added that her mother had also asked for their consent before getting married again.

Reflecting on personal growth, Zoha said people need to learn from their experiences and accept change with a positive attitude. According to her, failing to recognise and correct mistakes can cause people to repeat the same patterns in life.

Speaking about relationships, Zoha said transparency, honesty, simplicity and humour mattered most to her. “For me, the green flags are transparency, honesty, simplicity, and humour. It should be like friendship. Love isn’t give and take, it’s about doing things naturally,” she said.

Recalling her acting journey, Zoha said she landed her debut drama while she was still in college, fulfilling a dream she had spoken about since childhood. She admitted that adapting to the demanding pace of television was overwhelming at first but credited her co-stars with helping her settle into the industry.

Looking ahead, Zoha said she wanted to move beyond formulaic characters and pursue meaningful, story-driven roles. She named fellow actors Saba Qamar and Sajal Aly as her biggest inspirations.

On set, Zoha described herself as reserved, preferring to stay in her own space so as not to disrupt others’ rhythm. She also admitted she avoids watching herself on screen, relying instead on her director’s reactions to assess her performance. “I get very shy, I don’t look at myself on camera. I trust the director’s instructions and look at their expressions to know if I acted on point or what to improve next,” she said.

Summing up her outlook on life, Zoha said she believes optimism begins with intention. “If you think well and assume good from life, then only good things will come your way,” she concluded.

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Firdous Jamal Takes U-Turn on Shah Rukh Khan Statement

Firdous Jamal is a senior Pakistani television and film actor known for his dramas like Pyare Afzal, Khuda Aur Mohabbat, Waris, Manchalay Ka Sauda, Dehleez, Dhoop Deewar, Takmeel, Kaanch Kay Par, Anna, Nashaib, and many others. The senior actor often makes headlines for his controversial remarks about legendary actors.

Firdous Jamal recently appeared in an interview with the Click 10 Official YouTube channel, where he retracted his previous statement about Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan.

Firdous Jamal said, “I didn’t say anything against Shah Rukh Khan. I admire him; he’s a great actor and an extension of Dilip Kumar. Every actor has a school of thought. I belong to the Dilip Kumar school of thought. Actors like Shah Rukh Khan are different. Different actors take inspiration from different people, while I take inspiration from actors like Dilip Kumar, Muhammad Ali, Agha Talish, and Alauddin. An actor’s beginning and foundation involve learning from others. Man is a mimicry artist; from Adam till now, we have been copying and learning everything. It’s not a bad thing. Learning is a great skill; it’s not a negative thing. It’s the nature of man. Also, Mahira Khan is not my issue. Don’t make her my issue. Neither is she my wife nor a family member, so why are you dragging her into it? It’s good that people like her.”

Firdous Jamal had previously said that Shah Rukh Khan was not a good actor and that comparing the two did not make sense. He had criticized SRK’s pronunciation and diction and said that his physique was also not up to the mark. According to Firdous Jamal, Shah Rukh Khan is a far bigger star than he is an actor

Celebrities

Pakistani celebrities demand justice for toddler raped, murdered in Karachi

Pakistani celebrities have condemned the rape and murder of an 18-month-old child in Karachi’s Qayyumabad, calling for swift justice, stronger child protection measures and greater awareness of risks children may face from people within their homes and families.

From Frieha Altaf to Adnan Siddiqui and Sanam Baloch, several public figures shared messages of grief and outrage, urging authorities to ensure accountability while highlighting the need for increased vigilance to safeguard children.

Actor and host Frieha Altaf questioned the country’s unrelenting crime rate, saying “none of this is new news.” “I’m sick to my stomach. An 18-month-old child gets raped and murdered by a relative in Qayyumabad, Karachi. A truly heinous crime committed,” she wrote. She warned that many cases of child sexual abuse involve people known to the victim.

“Sadly, parents trust friends, neighbours, domestic staff with their young sons and daughters. The biggest percentage of child sexual abuse comes from people you know and trust! As a survivor of this abuse, and the goodwill ambassador of Sahil NGO, I urge all parents to take more care with such decisions. Also, if your child tells you of any such incident or inappropriate touching, please believe them. Children don’t lie!” she added.

Actor Adnan Siddiqui also shared his reaction on Instagram.

“How depraved have we become? An 18-month-old baby. Eighteen months. The accused is reportedly just 17. That doesn’t lessen the horror; it deepens it. Feeling disgusted and heartbroken. There are no words left. Only rage, grief and shame that we have come to this.”

He concluded by praying for “swift and uncompromising justice” for the child and strength for the grieving family.

PHOTO: adnansid1/Instagram

Screengrab: adnansid1/Instagram

Several other celebrities, including Aiman Khan, Mariyam Nafees, Ahsan Khan, Srha Asghar, Zhalay Sarhadi and Ayesha Omar, also shared messages expressing grief and demanding justice.

Celebrities

Rubina Ashraf Breaks Her Silence On The Reality Of Postpartum Depression

Rubina Ashraf is a veteran Pakistani television actress, director, and producer who has been a prominent figure in the entertainment industry since the 1980s. Her hit dramas include Pas-e-Aaina, Tapish, Kasak, Do Bol, Khuda Aur Muhabbat 3, Iqtidar, and others. She also directed the acclaimed serial Ruswai. In her personal life, Rubina is married to Tariq Mirza, and together they have two children: a son and a daughter, Nawal Tariq and Minna Tariq, who also followed in her mother’s footsteps and entered the showbiz industry as an actress.

Today, Rubina Ashraf was a guest on Good Morning Pakistan. During the show, she opened up about the reality of postpartum depression in women after pregnancy.

Talking about it, Rubina Ashraf said, “As a society and as a social setup, we need to understand that pregnancy, postpartum, and pregnancy blues are real. No one knew about these things because there was no concept of them. The story ran for years that it is the job of every woman to give birth to children and that it is something normal, no matter how difficult it was for them or how they individually dealt with it. But now, people need to understand that when a girl is pregnant, her skin, body, and everything else is changing. Despite the happiness, she can suffer from anxiety, which is very real. If she is not taken care of and looked after, she can go into a really bad state of depression. The support and compassion of a husband are important from pregnancy to postpartum because it is a difficult time for a woman. You need care because it can become impossible for you to manage multiple tasks during pregnancy.”