Films

Fawad, Mahira talk about the hopes and story behind Neelofar

The cast of the upcoming Pakistani romance Neelofar is buzzing with excitement—mixed with a little nervousness—as they prepare for the film’s release.

At a recent media junket, lead actors Mahira Khan and Fawad Khan, along with Behroze Sabzwari, Sarwat Gillani, Madiha Imam and Atiqa Odho, shared their hopes for how audiences will connect with the story.

“Sometimes in life, you get projects you’re happy to be even a small part of,” Mahira said. Fawad added, “I learned a lot from this film. I made many mistakes too, but I hope you’ll like it when you watch it.”

Veteran actor Behroze Sabzwari expressed his own joy: “My heart tells me I’m truly happy to be part of this film.” Madiha Imam and Atiqa Odho echoed that the project was made with a lot of love for the lead pair.

Written and directed by Ammar Rasool, Neelofar stars Fawad, Mahira and Madiha in central roles. Several cast members — Mahira, Fawad, Behroze and Atiqa — previously worked together in the hit drama Humsafar. The film is also co-produced by Fawad Khan and marks his third on-screen collaboration with Mahira after Humsafar and The Legend of Maula Jatt.

Behroze welcomed the film’s wider international release, joking that if a movie comes out only in Pakistan, “5% watch it, and even 2% of those watch it for free.”

Mahira admitted she feels a mix of excitement and anxiety. “There is happiness, and also a strange feeling. I don’t know what will happen with this movie. Destiny will decide,” she said. She praised the producer for bringing the team together and noted the strong chemistry among the cast. “We always have love and respect for each other.”

Set in modern Lahore, Neelofar follows Mansoor Ali Khan, a world-famous Urdu novelist returning home for a literary festival. There, he meets Neelofar — a blind woman who “sees” through sound, scent and silence. Their connection slowly transforms how he views life, love and art. The film explores gentle, old-school romance in a fast-paced digital age.

Mahira said most of her scenes were with Fawad, Behroze and Navid Shahzad. Reflecting on working with Fawad again, she said, “We changed as actors, but because we hadn’t worked together in so long, it was a lot of fun.”

Fawad described the film as “a very romantic story” about two people and the quiet world around them. He said the movie is close to his heart, calling it an “epic romantic film.” Both actors agreed they enjoy films with an old-school feel.

Fawad also discussed why production took so long, explaining that shooting stopped during Covid-19 out of safety concerns. “Many people lost their lives. It felt like the responsible thing to pause,” he said.

When asked if she expects any scene to go viral, Mahira laughed and said such things can’t be predicted. “If we knew, we would have made a video already. Trends are unpredictable.” She added that if scenes from Neelofar do become viral or inspire TikToks and reels, she would be thrilled.

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Zara Noor Abbas goes action mode in first ‘Sheroes: Gear Up’ look

Zara Noor Abbas unveils the official poster for *Gear Up*, her action-packed segment in the anthology *Sheroes*. Dressed in tactical gear and holding a gun, she plays a police officer—a role she calls challenging and inspiring. The teaser drops September 8.

She offered a little more insight into the story, describing it as “a story of courage under pressure” while suggesting that the poster is only an introduction to what is to come. “This is only the beginning,” she added, announcing that the Gear Up teaser will arrive on September 8.

Gear Up is one of three standalone stories that make up Sheroes, an anthology starring Abbas alongside Kinza Hashmi and Ushna Shah. The film was first previewed through its trailer in late August, introducing three women whose stories unfold independently while sharing the broader theme of women facing their own battles.

The film’s official description captures its premise succinctly: “Three women. Three worlds. Three stories that stand entirely on their own.”

Abbas’ segment appears to be the most overtly action-oriented of the three. In the trailer, her character is shown as a police officer, with scenes featuring high-speed car chases, a bomb-disposal sequence and her arriving at a police station on a motorbike.

The rollout of the individual stories began with Hashmi’s segment, Artist, which became the first of the three to receive its own teaser. Released last week, the teaser introduced Hashmi’s character alongside Nayyer Ejaz, Nazar Ul Hasan and Ahmad Hassan.

Rather than an action storyline, Artist appears to revolve around the world of art and forgery. Hashmi was also the first of the three leads to unveil her individual poster, with Artist marking her chapter in the anthology.

Abbas’ Gear Up is now following that rollout, with Shah’s segment expected to receive its own spotlight as the film moves closer to release.

Together, the three segments give Sheroes a structure that allows each lead to inhabit a distinctly different world while exploring their own challenges.

Sheroes is scheduled to premiere in cinemas across Pakistan on September 18.

Films

Sonya Hussyn celebrates ‘Deemak’ win, pays tribute to its ‘pillars’

Actor Sonya Hussyn has received the International Best Actor Achievement Award for her performance in Deemak, an accolade she described as particularly significant because it was presented on home soil at the Sunday Icon Awards.

Sharing a carousel of pictures from the ceremony on Instagram, Hussyn wrote, “Winning Best Actor internationally for Deemak was an extraordinary honour, but receiving this recognition at home feels especially close to my heart.”She dedicated the honour to the team behind the film, naming director Rafay Rashdi, producer Murad, and writer Abu Jinns, along with co-stars Samina Peerzada, Faysal Quraishi, Bushra Ansari, and cinematographer Rana Kamran. “This film would be nothing without you all,” she added.She thanked the Sunday Times and Sunday Icon Awards, urging the organisers to “keep celebrating art.” She also credited her styling team Ozi and designer Fahad Hussayn for making the evening “even more special” and “extraordinary.”

For her red-carpet look, Hussyn separately thanked designer Karishma Kewalramani, noting that “it takes a lot of effort to create something” with such intricate detail. She also thanked Saad Hassan for “managing everything so perfectly at the last minute”.

Hussyn’s caption also turned towards the people closest to her. She thanked her parents and siblings Moni, Salman and Saima, writing that “every achievement of mine begins with your love, prayers and support”.

She gave a special mention to her sister, actor Sana Hussyn, joking that Sana had “turned into a zombie towards the end of the night” after completing back-to-back shoots to attend the ceremony. She also thanked Rasikh Ismail Khan, whom she described as her “forever friend” and “father figure”, adding that she had “missed him so much at the ceremony”.

Hussyn also expressed gratitude to her partner Mansoor, whom she referred to by the nickname “Dazara Qarara”, for “always being by my side”. “This award is not the end of the journey; it is a reminder to keep telling stories that matter,” she wrote.

She concluded with a prayer: “May Allah protect our artists, our children, our talent and this beautiful country.”

The latest honour adds to a growing list of international recognition for Deemak. Hussyn previously won Best Supporting Actress at the inaugural Diamond Butterfly Award in Moscow in November.

The film, which also stars Quraishi, Peerzada, Ansari and Javed Sheikh, represented Pakistan among 34 entries from 17 countries at the event.

Deemak had also reportedly crossed Rs175 million at the domestic box office by that time.

Films

‘Mera Lyari’ put forward for oscar nomination race

Pakistani film Mera Lyari produced under the banner of the Sindh government, has entered the race for an Oscar nomination.

Sindh Senior Minister and Provincial Minister for Information, Transport, and Mass Transit Sharjeel Inam Memon chaired a meeting of the Information Department’s Film Board to review the development. Officials evaluated the progress of provincial film initiatives, active projects, future strategies, and partnerships with OTT streaming platforms.

The board confirmed the completion of the first phase of film projects managed by the Information Department.

Discussions are going on with national and international OTT platforms and institutions to secure screening, distribution, and promotional partnerships for the lineup.

“The inclusion of the film ‘Mera Lyari’ in the race for an Oscar nomination brings honour to Pakistan, particularly Sindh,” Memon stated during the meeting. “If the film secures an Oscar nomination, the outcome will mark a milestone and present the art, culture, and creativity of Sindh on the global stage.”

Memon added that the government aims to establish Sindh as a hub for filmmaking while offering local talent access to national and international opportunities.

Information Secretary Kashif Gulzar Sheikh, Director General Information Moez Pirzada, Director Films Hizbullah Memon and board members Waqas Rizvi, Salim Khan, Ehtesham Ansari, and Rab Nawaz attended the meeting alongside department officials.