The Aga Khan University Hospital continued its tradition of the annual ‘Pink Walk’ to raise awareness of Breast Cancer. The walk was organized at the AKUH’s Stadium Road Campus and was attended by hundreds of people, including AKUH staff, students, faculty, members of the general public and the media.
The walk is part of a month-long AKUH campaign, titled “Let’s Defeat Breast Cancer Together”, the purpose of which is to encourage early screening, diagnosis and treatment for the disease. It is estimated that one in every eight women is at a high risk of breast cancer. Research shows that the disease responds very well to treatment when caught and treated early. Awareness campaigns such as these bring focus to the issue, so more and more human lives can be saved.
After a spirited walk, led by a talented group of children playing in a flute band, Dr. Shahid Shafi, CEO of AKUH (Pakistan), spoke about the importance of holding such events to raise awareness about breast cancer. He said; “early diagnosis and timely detection play a vital role in curbing breast cancer, therefore it is important to be aware of the signs and symptoms of the disease for timely treatment”.
Dr. Abida Sattar, Section Head of Breast Surgery at AKUH, championed the multi-pronged cause of Breast Cancer awareness, screening, diagnosis and treatment and reiterated that early detection plays a vital role in timely treatment. She went on to add that breast cancer is a disease that is not limited to women, but can affect men as well. She also urged men to make sure the women in their lives get screened each year and immediately seek a specialist’s opinion in case of any symptoms.
Renowned celebrities, Osama Tahir, Zhalay Sarhadi and Umer Alam also pledged their support to the cause by leading the participants during the walk, which was held at the Sports and Rehabilitation Centre at the Hospital’s Stadium Road Campus.
While the Pink Walk was the highlight of the evening, the Hospital’s breast surgeons and other clinical leads leveraged this opportunity to interact and educate the attendees of the walk and the wider audience on the benefits of timely breast screening, diagnosis, and treatment.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month is celebrated internationally every October. AKUH dedicates the entire month to educating the public that early detection saves lives. In addition to encouraging women who are 40 years of age and above to get screening mammograms done every year, the Hospital also encourages men to support their mothers, sisters, wives, and daughters, to get screened and not ignore any symptoms.
The AKUH (Pakistan) has a robust Patient Welfare and Zakat programme. In 2021 alone, 950,000 patients received financial support worth PKR 3.7 billion, giving them access to AKUH services across our network, present in over 120 cities in Pakistan.
WB by Hemani officially launched their exclusive sports fragrances in a star-studded affair at The Forest Restaurant in uptown Karachi on the evening of 15th January 2022. Designed especially for sports aficionados and scented by the country’s top cricketers’ choice of fragrances, this exclusive collection takes inspiration from Hassan Ali, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan and Sana Mir who have set examples with their stellar performances, paving the way for future generations.
The launch event unveiled four exclusive exciting fragrances named after the public’s favorite cricket athletes, namely: Googly – Shadab Khan Edition, Bouncer – Hassan Ali Edition, Sixer – Imad Wasim Edition and Inspire – Sana Mir Edition.
Pakistan cricket team’s all-rounder Shadab Khan’s limited edition perfume encapsulates the outstanding ‘Googly’ bowling he is known for in the form of a fine fragrance. While Hassan Ali’s remarkable first-class ‘Bouncers’ have won him the title preserved in this special edition perfume. In appreciation of Imad Wasim, Pakistan’s most admired batsman known for scoring sixes, WB by Hemani has launched the special edition perfume ‘Sixer’ to celebrate his ultimate Cricketer Spirit. Last but not the least, in collaboration with Sana Mir, WB by Hemani launched an exclusive edition perfume ‘Inspire’ to inspire the star’s young fans across the country.
The WB by Hemani Sports Fragrances launch event featured all four exclusive fragrances on display with the sports, entertainment, and media industry present to support and cheer on the inclusion of sporty scents in the WB by Hemani fragrance range. Well-known faces such as Aijaz Aslam, Zhalay Sarhadi, Osama Tahir, Juvaria Abbasi, Yasir Nawaz, Sachal Afzal, Maha Tahirani, Amir Adnan, Nadia Hussain, Humayun Alamgir, Kanwar Arsalan, Tipu Sahrif, Jaweria Ali, Zarmeena Ikram, Obaid Sheikh, Sameeha Saeed, Adnan Shah Tipu, Naveed Raza, Junaid Akram, Zafar Abbas, and Shafaat Ali were present at the event, as well as Waseem Badami himself, who introduced the fragrance range and gave a few details regarding each scent and how it matched the sportsperson.
“For the love of cricket, we at Hemani have poured our hearts and souls into four exclusive special edition sports range fragrances in collaboration with Pakistan’s favorite cricketers Hassan Ali, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, and Sana Mir; and we hope that you will love these natural sporty fragrances as much as your beloved sport-stars”, commented Mustafa Hemani – CEO of Hemani Group, speaking on the occasion.
WB by Hemani’s natural, chemical and toxin-free fragrances not only provide a range of earthy, natural smelling products but also draw much-needed attention to the Pakistani sports community. Hemani has been long established as the leading herbal & natural company that carries forward their promise of authentic & naturally sourced products.
The 13th edition of Fashion Pakistan opened with a grand Winter Gala that set the stage for traditions of the Pakistani culture redefined by fashion in the 21st Century, followed by 8 fabulous trend shows.
The Fashion Pakistan Winter Gala’s Pink Carpet was a glittering affair with 6 of the most illustrious fashion designers and their muses dressed in their signature creations. The impressive repertory of Pink Carpet designers with their muses included Anoushey Ashraf and Anushka Qizilbash for Maheen Khan, Nausheen Shah for Delphi by Nida Tapal, Sona Memon, Fatima Hasan, and Alyana Shamsi for Farah Talib Aziz, Urshia Hussain for Boheme by Kanwal, and Ayesha Omar for The PinkTree Company and Shamaeel Ansari.
The star-studded Fashion Pakistan Winter Gala’s Pink Carpet hosted by Dino Ali and Anoushey Ashraf was graced by some noteworthy names of the fashion fraternity, including Amin Gulgee, Fahad Mirza, Deepak Perwani, Humayun Alamgir, Azfar Rehman, Zhalay Sarhadi, Asad Butt, Areeba Habib, Nusrat Hidayatullah, Neha Khan, Amal Qadri, Farah Essa, Ayla Adnan, Sarah Anees, and Maliha Rehman.
The show was opened by the doyenne of fashion in Pakistan, Maheen Khan in collaboration with Jafferjees with her couture collection true to her signature.
Following this was the couture collection ‘New Dawn’ by Zaaviay. The accessible women’s luxury brand brought to ramp the seamless transitions of nature, with silhouettes and techniques featuring complimenting elements highlighting the phenomenon of a new dawn.
The show then moved on to urbane bespoke menswear by the self-taught designer Sameer Sain in a collection fit for the modern man.
The fashion-forward label Hina Mirza made its catwalk debut with a collection comprising of high-street inspired winter casuals.
Aamna Aqeel and Bakhtawar Memon brought back funk and fashion to the runway with a lively collection with exaggerated details in vivid hues.
Showcasing for the first time, the contemporary menswear label Zohaib Jubileo hit the ramp with modern pieces.
This season’s finale was done by the celestial fashion label Arizai by Atiya that showed what spiritual fashion looks like.
Speaking on the occasion, Maheen Khan, the Chairperson – Fashion Pakistan Council said; “Fashion never sleeps and neither do we at Fashion Pakistan. I believe everyone deserves a chance to grow and to mature as a fashion designer, and we are here to do just that.”
The 13th edition of Fashion Pakistan featured Atiya Khan as Show Director, Rumaisa Reem Mamsa as Creative Director, Team Nabila as the official hair & makeup partners, with model co-ordination by Zinc Agency. Official photography by Nadir Toosy, while Mind Map Communications was a partner on both digital & press management.
The highly anticipated movie ‘Khel Khel Mein’ starring Sajal Aly and Bilal Abbas by Filmwala Pictures in media partnership with ARY Digital is the first Pakistani movie to be released nationwide in 2021 post-COVID, with a stellar cast and renowned director-producer duo, Nabeel Qureshi and Fizza Ali Meerza at the helm. While the movie is set to be released on 19th November 2021 in cinemas across the country, today marked the release of the movie’s trailer in a special launch event organized by Filmwala Pictures.
The trailer launch was held at the lush green gardens of Beach Luxury Hotel, Karachi and hosted by Zhalay Sarhadi saw most of the notables from the film, entertainment, and media industry in attendance, for a special screening of the movie trailer, followed by a Meet & Greet session with the cast, and a press conference for the media. Some noteworthy names among the guest list were Fahad Mustafa, Madeha Naqvi, Jerjees Seja, Saqib Malik, Nadeem Baig, Emraan Rajput, Ali Kureshi and Ehteshamuddin.
The plot of ‘Khel Khel Mein’ revolves around the air of mistrust after the fall of Dhaka. The film is a recap of the existing mindset and curiosity around the subject, which is interestingly knit into a journey of students exploring the history and making history by doing what is not obvious and expected. Instead following the path of mutual respect, love and peace for all. ‘Khel Khel Mein’ features veteran actor Marina Khan, who is part of the cast, with Sajal Aly and Bilal Abbas as lead characters. The film also stars Sheheryar Munawar, while the cast also includes notable names such as Javed Sheikh, Manzar Sehbai, Nazar Hussain, Naveed Raza, Irfan Motiwala, Zehra Nawab, and Samina Ahmed.
Producer of ‘Khel Khel Mein’ and CEO of Filmwala Productions, Fizza Ali Meerza shared her views at the trailer launch by saying that; “as a film-maker and a producer, I did not wait to take my film to the cinemas. So I urge and expect our audiences to do the same. Do not wait to return back to the cinemas, just get there”. Fizza Ali Meerza is known for her stellar productions, namely Na Maloom Afraad (2014), Actor in Law (2016), Na Maloom Afraad 2 (2017), and Load Wedding (2018), and has also recently won the Best International Feature film at the Rajasthan International Film Festival.
Replying to a question about the story, Fizza Ali Meerza said; “we like to do, what others don’t do, this is my way of contributing back to the society. With this story I feel that we would be contributing back to our region”. She further added by saying; “we should stop being shy, today when we can talk on most of the taboos, then why can’t, we speak about this topic?”
Nabeel Qureshi, Director of ‘Khel Khel Mein’ commented by saying that; “this movie ‘Khel Khel Mein’ is very different compared to all my other films. We shot it during the COVID times and it’s a product of a lot of thought, hard work, and love. I hope people will come watch the film with the same love we made it with”. Nabeel Qureshi has has several prestigious awards under his belt and is known as one of the founding pioneers of independent films in Pakistan.
Nabeel Qureshi, Director of ‘Khel Khel Mein’ commented by saying that; “this movie ‘Khel Khel Mein’ is very different compared to all my other films. We shot it during the COVID times and it’s a product of a lot of thought, hard work, and love. I hope people will come watch the film with the same love we made it with”. Nabeel Qureshi has several prestigious awards under his belt and is known as one of the founding pioneers of independent films in Pakistan.
Replying to a question, Nabeel Qureshi replied; “this movie ‘Khel Khel Mein’ has some elements of nostalgia to it, as our last movie Load Wedding was released three years back. Cinema is our livelihood and we cannot survive without it”.
When asked about the film he replied; “‘Khel Khel Mein’ is a lot different movie, a genre and new leading cast. This is first time I am venturing out without Fahad Mustafa. ‘Khel Khel Mein’ will bridge the gap between Pakistan & Bangladesh and I am hopeful that this will be a game changer within the region. We have worked very hard to keep a lot of things very organic, but you should understand that dialects are common and can give you a similar feel to them”.
Seasoned and veteran actor Manzar Sehbai shared his views by saying that; “a film must give some space to its viewers and this film ‘Khel Khel Mein’ has given too much choices to it viewers. This defiantly is a good try and I must congratulate Fizza and Nabeel for this film”.
Leading lady of ‘Khel Khel Mein’, Sajal Aly said; “it was always a dream for me to work with Nabeel Qureshi which is now fulfilled. ‘Khel Khel Mein’ is vastly different from my all previous projects and I enjoyed a lot doing it. I hope that audiences will also enjoy as much as we have”.
Leading man of ‘Khel Khel Mein’, Bilal Abbas shared his views by saying that; “my character in this movie is very simple, didn’t had to work much hard. For this film, its unique selling point will be its story-line. No one have touched a similar story for any film”.
Jaejees Seeja CEO ARY Digital Network said; “we haven’t stopped anywhere, we have progressed a lot and cinema is moving forward”.
Filmwala Pictures is Pakistan’s first independent production house to have gained a formidable reputation through its award-winning films, such as Na Maloom Afraad (2014), Actor in Law (2016), and Load Wedding (2018). By fusing entertainment with engaging social issues, Filmwala Pictures has not only generated positive dialogue within society but has also brought about social change by catalyzing the UN Women Pakistan began a campaign against Dowry in Pakistan. ‘Khel Khel Mein’ by Filmwala Pictures is presented by ARY Digital and all set to release on 19th November 2021 across cinemas nationwide. Watch the trailer of ‘Khel Khel Mein’ at the link below:
Zhalay Sarhadi has decided to show us more of her vocal chops with the latest musical show of 2021, Kashmir Beats!
Actor, host and influencer, Zhalay Sarhadi is one celebrity in Pakistan who is all about keeping it ‘real’, from her candid and insightful conversations with other members of the fraternity in Zhalay Talks, to her dynamic and thrilling performances in projects such as Jalaibee, Uraan and Raang Laga. Not only has Zhalay kept us thoroughly entertained with her hilarious TikTok videos, she has also spoken up about her own personal journey into the media world, sharing it all with fans and friends alike. Not one to be limited to one category, Zhalay has also sporadically lended her talents to the world of music, singing in the Dilpazeer Show, performing the OST for drama Eik Aur Sitam and in Mazaq Raat to name a few!
On her show, Zhalay often discusses issues in the industry such as body dysmorphia and self-esteem, as well as also exploring topics such as the pros and cons of living in a joint family system. The actress’ sense of humour and relatability quickly added to her popularity, and after quite a few successful episodes with celebrities such as Mansha Pasha, Osama Tahir, Ayesha Toor, Tapu Javeri, Anam Tanveer and Mushk Kaleem, to name a few, the Chalay Thay Saath actress has decided to further explore her vocal talents more professionally, showcasing her melodious skills once more on Kashmir Beats alongside colleagues and friends!
With the promo already released as we await the show’s airing in 3 days, Kashmir Cooking Oil’s musical venture is all about celebrities showing us their vast range of talents and a different side to them entirely! The ‘Dil Ki Lagi’ singer has already given fans a preview of her vocal prowess in previous performances but many are anticipating the artist focusing more on her singing career as well. Social Media is also playing a vital role with many of Zhalay’s fans and admirers eager for the airing of Kashmir Beats after seeing the fun-filled posts.
“Kashmir Beats is all about taking that positivity with us as we step into 2021, may we never forget to sing to the beat of our hearts, no matter what comes our way.”
Keeping in mind the lessons from 2020, Zhalay penned a heartfelt note on her social media platform, deciding to be hopeful about the New Year, and carry merriment, laughter, singing and dancing into 2021, starting it off on a positive note.
The show’s first season will also be featuring Adnan Siddiqui, Imran Abbas, Anoushay Abbasi, Hira Mani, Kinza Hashmi, Omer Shahzad, Zubab Rana, Zara Noor Abbas, Asad Siddiqui, Faysal Qureshi, Faryal Mahmood, Zarnish Khan and Shany Haider.
Friday 20th December 2019 marked the official launch of the white nicotine pouch brand ‘Velo Pakistan’. Held in the outskirts of Karachi city, the launch party was graced by the presence of the who’s who of Pakistani entertainment industry, all of whom looked ravishing.
Frieha Altaf posing with the face of ‘Velo Pakistan’ Sheheryar Munawar
The decor of the event included a thematically fitting blue carpet and a massive chair wall which also perfectly served as the photo wall. One could find a Glam-Booth inside where one could get a 180 degree photo gif shot, while doing all the funky poses one could think of.
When the party began, the cozy outdoors venue was full of people and grooving on the dance floor or conversing in the corners and also enjoying the Velo pouches.
The act of the night was an aerial hoop dance performance by Filipino performer named Faith. Everyone from Nadia Hussain to Frieha Altaf to the face of ‘Velo Pakistan’ Sheheryar Munawar watched in awe as Faith tangled, twirled and swirled her body in and around the hoop up in the air.
Models Gizem and Ipek on either side of Sheheryar Munawar
With the product’s signature cool and breezy color theme lighting the mood (in perfect sync with the chilly winter night) and the ambiance of the place as the DJ pumped out killer beats throughout the night, one would be pulled aside to an incredibly unique showcase: the brand name Velo carved in thick ice.
As the party continued till the wee hours, more renowned personalities showed up including models Abeer Rizvi, Abeera Habib, Zhalay Sarhadi, Hira Hussain, Emaad Irfani, and producer Sadia Jabbar.
Model Gizem, venue host Asad-ul-Haq, event manager Frieha Altaf & model Ipek.
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