Saturday 26 November 2016

I'm excited to work with Javed Sheikh and Samina Peerzada, says Armeena Khan



Armeena Khan fans, you're in luck!
Bin Roye isn't the only drama she'll be seen in. The actor has signed another TV serial, Rasm-e-Duniya, it was revealed in a press release earlier this month.
The drama will feature industry bigwigs Javed Sheikh, Samina Peerzada and Sami Khan, alongside Armeena Khan.
Armeena finally broke her silence about her return to TV, and said to Images, "I am very, very excited to be working with the likes of industry giants like Javed Sheikh who I have already worked with in Bin Roye, Samina Peerzada who I will be working with for the first time and of course my co-star Sami Khan. These are exciting names to be working with."
Having worked in a number of international projects, Armeena is proud to be back on Pakistani television.
"I am coming back to television after two years. My last serial was Karb, which did extremely well in Pakistan as well as UK. So it's an honour to be back on the television screen as it is essentially what makes the Pakistani industry what it is. Films are in their infancy but growing very fast, and I am proud to be working on both platforms," she added.
The ARY Digital serial is being produced by Abdullah Seja of iDream Entertainment, and will be directed by Roomi Insha. The writer is Imran Nazir.
Armeena already has her hands full at the moment with a number of future projects lined up which include upcoming Pakistani film, Yalghaar, British sci-fi film, The Achilles Protocol and another international feature film.

Wednesday 17 August 2016

Anushka is not getting married to Virat and wants people to stop talking about her love life


She's fierce on-screen and off and this time she wants people to lay off her equation with Virat Kohli. Marriage or no marriage, Anushka Sharma is done talking about her love life.
In an interview with DNA India, the Sultan actor was unapologetic in calling out the media for poorly handling her relationship with the Indian cricketer.
"I have nothing to say about it [getting back together with Kohli]," she says. "I don’t want to talk about my personal life. I feel the Indian media doesn’t have the maturity to deal with it. They can’t understand when we are open about our relationships. I was open about my relationship, I spoke about it and I thought that would be respected, but it’s not. People don’t know what to do with it. "
Considered one of Bollywood's most talented actors, Anushka Sharma is tired of having her work tossed in the sidelines as her relationship takes centre stage in the media.
"The focus is completely taken away from my work. While I was in this relationship, I was doing the best work of my life. I was getting appreciation for the films I was doing then, but suddenly, it’s only about my relationship! I think it happens more with girls. There is more to us than who you are dating, what you are wearing..." she complains.
And don't even get her started on marriage. "What the hell is this obsession about marriage? Why are you trying to make it seem like I am packing my bags and going away after I get married? This whole thing about marriage is like she doesn’t want to work after she gets married. Why?," asks Anushka.
"Nobody would dare ask my family about my marriage. My parents are very progressive, though they come from a small town. It’s all in our minds. Nobody would even dare to ask me when my brother is getting married. And if they do, my parents say, 'Unki life hai, jab unko karna hai woh karenge, humko kuch lena nahi hai unki shaadi se'," she adds.
"And asking for grandchildren is such a selfish motive for getting married. I don’t understand this fascination and obsession with people’s marriages. When Rani Mukerji got married, nobody knew," she points out.
Anushka may not want marriage at this point in her life, but she does plan on getting married and having children.
"I want to get married, of course. I would like to have a family. Even though I am an actor, I am a very simple and normal person and I have always maintained a simple life. I feel marriage will happen when it has to. I will get married when I am mentally ready for it. A marriage is not a joke. It’s not like ‘Oh shaadi hai toh karle!’ You have to be mentally ready to spend your life with another person. It’s not just about you, but about the other person also and then at that point you need to be ready to have a dual interest. Mentally, when I reach that stage, I will get married," she says.
And validating Anushka's stance of the Indian media being immature, the publication asked Anushka what her reaction would be if she were offered a film opposite Virat, to which she fittingly replies, "I don’t want to talk about it at all."
More power to you, Anushka!

Thursday 11 August 2016

Mah-i-Mir's failure steals the show at Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hai music launch

KARACHI: The director of upcoming film Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hai, Anjum Shahzad got visibly upset at the music launch of his film at a local hotel on Wednesday evening when during the question and answer session a couple of journalists asked him about the box office failure of his previous offeringMah-i-Mir.
He first responded by saying that they (makers) did not make the movie for cinema. When the journalist reasoned it was shown in cinemas, he retorted that it was done so to check your intelligence and found out that we hadn’t become that intelligent to watch a film like that.
He said watching Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hai would make them realise that life’s beautiful. The journalist rebutted that many often trailers made movie projects looked good to which the director replied he should attend the premiere of the film and would get all the answers to his questions.
When another media person began his question, Shahzad requested him to talk about the new film and would hold a separate press conference for Mah-i-Mir. He said the film’s cast included Feroz Khan, Sajal Ali, Jibrael, Shafqat Cheema, Nayyar Aijaz, Rashid Farooqui and Alyy Khan. He said the concept of the story was original and had no similarities with any of the other films (Actor-in-Law as mentioned by the media man). He said Abdul Khaliq had written the script four years back, and the shooting for the project began last year in October. He said it’s an emotional roller-coaster.
Lead actress on the film Sajal Ali said she had worked both in Indian and Pakistani films and found out that there was not much difference between the two. Except, she said, technically Pakistani films needed to improve. Alluding to her late arrival for the music launch, she said in India too traffic jams caused actors to arrive late at events.
On the question of releasing the film on Eid-ul Azha, when two other Pakistani films will also be screened, Shahzad said if you’re a cinema lover, you should watch all three of the Pakistani movies.
Talking about the film’s music, Shahzad said songs were made to support the story and help it move forward.
With regard to the cultural aspect of the story, the producer of Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hai, Rafiq Ahmed Chaudhry said it’s a pure Pakistani film.
Shedding light on the title of the project, Shahzad said it’s a family drama in which the story revolved around a couple. “When they’re together, life is beautiful, when they’re separated, life’s not beautiful.”
Earlier, the trailer for the film was shown and three songs from the soundtrack were played. The audience particularly liked the one played by the band called Soch.

Did you know? Fawad and Deepika went on a secret vacation in Barcelona

No, they weren't alone. Fawad's best friend in B-Town, Karan Johar, was part of the secret getaway.
According to The Asian Age, after the IIFA ceremony in Madrid, the trio flew to Barcelona for a break.
"After everyone attended a film function award in Madrid, Karan, Deepika and Fawad took off for a fun vacation to Barcelona for a few days," a source told the publication.
We wonder what's cooking between these three. An upcoming KJo production, perhaps? It could happen, but we can only guess for now.
While there's no question about Fawad and KJo's bond, Fawad and Deepika, on the other hand, have recently sprouted a new friendship, one which we can't stop gushing over.
At the IIFA this year, Fawad Khan had the Bollywood actor swooning over him, she even went down on one knee for the Pakistani charmer.


And the pair was next seen on the runway together as showstoppers for Manish Malhotra at the Indian Couture Week 2016.


We'd be lying if we said we didn't want to see the couple together on-screen.

Sunday 31 July 2016

Anushka Sharma talks about having worked with all the three Khans

Anushka Sharma has made a place for herself in the industry even after being an outsider. She debuted with Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi opposite Shah Rukh Kha, then did PK opposite Aamir Khan and is fresh from the release of Sultan with Salman Khan. She's one of the very few actresses to have worked with the three Khans, and with such grace.


When asked about it, Anushka said, "I have never really thought about all these things happening to me. I never thought about 'I'll get to work with all the three Khans'. It really wasn't something that ever occurred to me in my mind. But I feel humbled and happy... The contributions that I have had in the films is what makes it special for me."


She also feels fortunate for having worked with the three Khans because it is because of them and their fan following that her work has been able to reach out to so many people. "Their reach is phenomenal and because of their reach and their fan following, my work gets through to so many other people... So I feel happy, humbled and loved by the people for the appreciation I am getting for Aarfa's character (in Sultan)," she said.

Dishoom takes a decent start at the box-office

With over 3000 screens in its kitty, Dishoom starring Varun Dhawan, John Abraham and Jacqueline Fernandez has opened to a  good occupancy of 30 to 50 percent. The film is high on action, drama, cricket, comedy... the works. Rather obviously, this widely promoted film has opened better in the single screen circuit. From today's early trend reports, it'll pick up by evening and will have a fruitful weekend as well.


With Sultan (Rs. 300 crore and still counting) narrowed down to lesser screens and shows, there isn't any direct competition to Dishoom. And while John Abraham may have had a couple of glitches at the box-office recently, Varun Dhawan's ticket window hold is getting stronger by the day.


As far as day one is concerned, anything between  Rs. 10 to  Rs: 15 crore looks bankable.


Watch this space for more updates on the on-goings at the box-office.

Lux Style Awards 2016 nominations are out — did your favourite star make the cut?

Nominees for the LUX Style Awards 2016 have been announced and for many designers, directors, musicians and stars, it's going to be a very joyous Eid.
The nominations list sees a mix of the usual suspects and some young'uns vying for the coveted awards. Will this well-balanced mix of nominees ensure that merit is rewarded? We hope so.
Here's the complete list of nominees:

FASHION


Model of the Year (Female)

  • Amna Babar
  • Fouzia Aman
  • Nooray Bhatti
  • Rabia Butt
  • Sadaf Kanwal

Model of the Year (Male)

  • Aimal Khan
  • Hasnain Lehri
  • Jahan -e- Khalid
  • Shahzad Noor
  • Waleed Khaild

Fashion Photographer

  • Abdullah Harris
  • Ayaz Anis
  • Guddu Shani
  • Rizwan ul Haq
  • Shahbaz Shazi

Best Hair and Make-up Artist

  • Hannan Siddique
  • Nabila
  • Omayr Waqar
  • Raana Khan
  • Shammal Qureshi for Toni & Guy (North Pakistan)

Achievement in Fashion Design - Luxury Pret

  • Mahgul
  • Misha Lakhani
  • Muse
  • Sania Maskatiya
  • Shamaeel Ansari

Achievement in Fashion Design - Pret

  • Coco by Zara Shahjahan
  • Daaman
  • Generation
  • Sana Safinaz
  • Sapphire

Achievement in Fashion Design - Bridal

  • Ali Xeeshan
  • Elan
  • Faraz Manan
  • Shehla Chatoor
  • The House of Kamiar Rokni

Achievement in Fashion Design - Lawn

  • Elan
  • Faraz Manan
  • Sana Safinaz
  • Sania Maskatiya
  • Zara Shahjahan

Best Menswear Designer

  • Ahmed Bham
  • Amir Adnan
  • Hassan Sheheryar Yasin
  • Nauman Arfeen
  • Omar Farooq for Republic

Best Emerging Talent

  • Alee Hasan (Photography)
  • Ammara Khan (Designer)
  • Anum Malik (Model)
  • Hira Shah (Model)
  • Zara Abid (Model)

FILM


Best Film

  • Jawani Phir Nai Aani - Six Sigma Productions & ARY Films
  • Manto - GEO A & B Productions
  • Moor - Azad Films Co & Mandviwalla Entertainment
  • Shah - Logo Films & Media
  • Wrong No. - YNH Films & ARY Films

Best Film Actress

  • Mahira Khan for Bin Roye
  • Mehwish Hayat for Jawani Phir Nahi Aani
  • Samia Mumtaz for Moor
  • Sania Saeed for Manto
  • Sohai Abro for Wrong No

Best Film Actor

  • Adnan Sarwar for Shah
  • Ahmed Ali Butt for Jawani Phir Nahi Aani
  • Hameed Sheikh for Moor
  • Humayun Saeed for Jawani Phir Nahi Aani
  • Sarmad Sultan Khoosat for Manto

Best Film Director

  • Adnan Sarwar for Shah
  • Jamshed Mehmood Raza for Moor
  • Momina Duraid & Shahzad Kashmiri for Bin Roye
  • Nadeem baig for Jawani Phir Nahi Aani
  • Sarmad Sultan Khoosat for Manto

Best Supporting Actress

  • Armeena Rana Khan for Bin Roye
  • Ayesha Khan for Jawani Phir Nahi Aani
  • Nimra Bucha for Manto
  • Sarwat Gillani for Jawani Phir Nahi Aani
  • Sohai Ali Abro for Jawani Phir Nahi Aani

Best Supporting Actor

  • Ali Safina for Jalaibee
  • Javed Sheikh for Wrong No.
  • Shaz Khan for Moor
  • Wasay Chaudhry for Jawani Phir Nahi Aani
  • Yasir Hussain for Karachi se Lahore

Best Singer (Male) - Film

  • Ali Noor & Ali Humza OST Karachi Se Lahore
  • Ali Sethi for Aah Ko Chahiye OST Manto
  • Javed Bashir for Talabgaar OST Moor
  • Rahat Fateh Ali Khan for Teray Bina Jeena OST Bin Roye
  • Rahim Shah for Gul Bashri OST Moor

Best Singer (Female) - Film

  • Abida Parveen for Maula OST Bin Roye
  • Zeb Bangesh for Kya Hoga OST Manto
  • Meesha Shafi for Eva OST Moor
  • Harshdeep Kaur for Ballay Ballay OST Bin Roye
  • Zarrish for Rabbi Ralli OST Dekh Magar Pyar Sey

MUSIC


Album of the Year

  • Bahadur Yaar Jung by E Sharp
  • Begum Gul Bakaoli Sarfarosh by Noori
  • Ismail ka Urdu Sheher by Zohaib Kazi
  • Saturday Night Killing Machine by Adil Omar and Talal Qureshi
  • Till the End of Time by Natasha Humera Ejaz

Song of the Year

  • Jogiya by Javed Bashir
  • Rockstar Romeo by Ali Zafar
  • Sarak Sarak by Mai Dhai Band
  • Shakar Wandaan by Asrar Shah
  • Tamasha by Khumariyaan

Best Music Video Director

  • Adil Omar for Nighat & Paras by Adil Omar & Talal Qureshi
  • Kamal Khan for Wake Up/Jaago by Zohaib Kazi
  • Nadir Shehzad Khan for Baaghi by Sikandar Ka Mandar
  • Natasha Humera Ejaz & Shahrukh Khurshid for Khwab by Natasha Humera Ejaz
  • Salman Noorani for Mariam by Mooroo

Best Emerging Talent

  • Ali Suhail
  • Mehdi Maloof
  • Slow Spin
  • SomeWhatSuper
  • The Tamashbeens

TELEVISION


Best TV Play

  • Diyar-e-Dil
  • Mohabbat Aag Si
  • Muqaddas
  • Rung Lagaa
  • Sadqay Tumhare

Best TV Actor

  • Adnan Malik for Sadqay Tumharay
  • Faisal Qureshi for Rang Laga
  • Noman Ejaz for Zinda Dargor
  • Noor Hassan for Muqaddas
  • Osman Khalid Butt for Diyar-e-Dil

Best TV Actress

  • Iffat Umer in Mohabbat Aag Si
  • Mahirah Khan for Sadqay Tumharay
  • Maya Ali for Diyar-e-Dil
  • Saima Noor in Rang Laga
  • Sajjal Ali for Khuda Dekh Raha Hai

Best TV Director

  • Aamir Yousuf for Aap ki Kaneez
  • Anjum Shahzad for Rang Laga
  • Ehteshamuddin for Sadqay Tumhare
  • Haseeb Hassan for Diyar-e-Dil
  • Sabiha Sumar for Khuda Dekh Raha Hai

Best TV Writer

  • Adeel Razzaq for Muqaddas
  • Farhat Ishtiaq for Diyar-e-Dil
  • Imran Nazir for Muhabbat Aag Si
  • Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar for Sadqay Tumhare
  • Sana Fahad for Rang Laga

Best Original Soundtrack

  • Alvida by Shafqat Amanat Ali
  • Diyar-e-Dil by Zeb Bangash and Momin Durrani
  • Dusri Biwi by Ahmad Jahanzeb
  • Mohabbat Aag Si by Shafqat Salamat Ali & Beena Khan
  • Mol by Bushra Bilal

Mahira Khan wins Best Actress at the Lux Style Awards (according to you)

This week, we ran our annual Lux Style Awards poll to find out who our readers are rooting for.
After 1016 responses, we wanted to see if our views were shared by all. Did the usual suspects win, or did the audience surprise us? Read on to find out.

FILM


Best Film



Audience Choice: Manto
Images’ Choice: Shah

With 39.3% of the votes, Manto was the audience choice film of 2015. However, our vote is with Shah. It may have earned the lowest votes in our poll, but the film was a clear favourite. It was out of the box and moved away from the clichéd films that have inundated our box office.

Best Film Director



Audience Choice: Sarmad Khoosat for Manto
Images' Choice: Jami for Moor

Sweeping the votes again, Sarmad Khoosat won 39% of the votes for Manto.Our choice? Jami for Moor. His direction brought out the characters while also showing the beauty of Balochistan.

Best Film Actress



Audience Choice: Mahira Khan for Bin Roye
Images’ Choice: Sania Saeed for Manto

We don’t doubt Mahira’s performance, but we believe the winner should be Sania Saeed for Manto, it takes effort to play the role of a restrained wife, and not only did she essay the role effortlessly, but she was outclass in the film.

Best Film Actor



Audience Choice: Sarmad Khoosat for Manto
Images’ Choice: Adnan Sarwar for Shah

Sarmad Khoosat has won hearts abroad and in Pakistan for his acting inManto and our poll result showed nothing less; he won a landslide victory in the Best Film Actor category with a whopping 49.5% votes.
But our vote's with Adnan Sarwar. Why? Simply because he was a nobody and suddenly charted on top with a great film and spellbinding performance. Brownie points: He learned how to box and was quite convincing in the role too.

Best Supporting Actress



Audience Choice: Nimra Bucha for Manto
Images’ Choice: Nimra Bucha for Manto
Nimra Bucha has won with 26.9% majority, and we agree with our readers! Nimra Bucha is well-deserving for the award, her performance as Manto’s alter-ego was subtle yet there.

Best Supporting Actor



Audience Choice: Javed Sheikh for Wrong No.
Images' Choice: Shaz Khan for Moor and Yasir Hussain for Karachi Se Lahore
With majority of the votes (28.4%), Javed Sheikh won for Wrong No. But Shaz Khan and Yasir Hussain both brought their A-game in their respective films; Shaz, who adapted the Pashtun accent with perfect ease, and Yasir Hussain who made his debut with Karachi Se Lahore was impressive, to say the least.

Best Singer (Female) Film



Audience Choice: Abida Parveen for 'Maula Maula' OST Bin Roye
Images' Choice: Zarrish for 'Rabbi Rali' OST Karachi Se Lahore
While Abida Parveen was the clear winner in the audience poll, raking in an amazing 44.9% of the votes, we feel that newcomer Zarrish deserves a shout-out for a her sureshot mehndi hit, which is soft and not too overbearing. All-in-all, her vocals are pleasing to the ear.

Best Singer (Male) Film



Audience Choice: Rahat Fateh Ali Khan for 'Tere Bina Jeena' OST Bin Roye
Images' Choice: Ali Sethi for 'Aah Ko Chahiye' OST Manto
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan won majority of the votes, 55.4% for Tere Bina JeenaOST Bin Roye, but Ali Sethi for Aah Ko Chahiye OST Manto was also a clear favourite. His soothing voice was melancholic and heart-wrenching and definitely tugged at the heartstrings. Gave us the feels.

TELEVISION


Best TV Play



Audience Choice: Diyar-e-Dil
Images’ Choice: Diyar-e-Dil

Diyar-e-Dil was hands-down the winner of this category. With a whopping 64.1% of respondents voting for last year’s hit TV drama, we don't need further proof that the serial truly captured the imagination of TV viewers.
Set in Skardu and Lahore, the drama featured an ensemble cast that includes Osman Khalid Butt, Maya Ali, Mikaal Zulfiqar, Sanam Saeed, Ali Rehman Khan, Hareem Farooq, Behroze Sabzwari and Abid Ali. The drama follows the aftermath of a runaway groom (Mikaal) ditching his betrothed (Hareem) for his true love (Sanam). He is banished from the family, but reunites with them decades later when his daughter's (Maya) marriage is arranged with the son (Osman) of his ex-fiance.
The audience stayed with the show even after ridiculous plot events like Wali kidnapping his new wife Faarah, and similar inanities.

Best Actor



Audience Choice: Osman Khalid Butt for Diyar-e-Dil
Images' Choice: Faysal Quraishi for Rang Laaga

44.6% of viewers chose Osman Khalid Butt for his portrayal of Diyar-e-Dil’sWali, the dutiful grandchild of the family. He’s strong-headed but kind, and it helps that he’s cute too, we guess.
However, another actor who caught our eye was Faysal Quraishi, who succeeds in humanising a two-timer, or rather, a man with a second secret wife. He is neither evil nor angelic and credit is due to Quraishi for striking that balance. Not that the actor needs pacification, but after the LSA upset last year, this would be a nice way to make it up to him.

Best Actress



Audience Choice: Maya Ali for Diyar-e-Dil
Images' Choice: Iffat Omer for Mohabbat Aag Si

40.1% voted for Maya Ali, who plays the feisty Faarah in Diyar-e-Dil. The young woman has a mind of her own. By refusing to bow down to the dictates of family customs, she keeps things interesting (and the plot moving). but we think her performance was too heavy on the crying for her to win this accolade.
An LSA-worthy performance is more along the lines of Iffat Omer's inMohabbat Aag Si, in which the former model eschews glamour for the role of an older woman, one who is evil and manipulative. Iffat plays the revered Aapa Jee in the drama serial who is hailed as almost saintly, but quietly connives to keep her brother and sister-in-law childless. She'll go down in the books as one of the memorable villains of recent times.

Best TV Director



Audience Choice: Haseeb Hasan for Diyar-e-Dil
Images' Choice: Sabiha Sumar for Khuda Dekh Raha Hai

The audience may want to hand all the awards to Diyar-e-Dil (61.6% votes for Haseeb Hasan), but we feel Sabiha Sumar had something extra special to offer in Khuda Dekh Raha Hai. While it's a love story, the TV serial is also framed as an expose of the often spurious practice of istakhara (prophetic dreams).

Best TV Writer



Audience Choice: Farhat Ishtiaq for Diyar-e-Dil
Images' Choice: Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar for Sadqay Tumhare

The audience (54.2%) picked Farhat Ishtiaq for... you guessed it, Diyar-e-Dil.
But we feel Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar's autobiographical Sadqay Tumharewas a storytelling feat. We see plenty of tales of the repercussions of a zaalim samaaj on a romance, but this one offered something different. Not only did it brazenly (for Pakistani standards) put front and centre an older woman who is unabashed about her desires, it also touched on the many ways women's lives are shaped by factors kept out of their control.

Best OST



Audience Choice: Diyar-e-Dil
Images' Choice: Alvida
The category seals the Diyar-e-Dil’s sweep in the audience choice category. 54.4% voted for its title track sung by Zeb Bangash and Momin Durrani, but Shafqat Amanat Ali also deserves some appreciation for the soul-stirringAlvida.

MUSIC


Album of the Year



Audience Choice: Begum Gul Bakaoli Sarfarosh by Noori
Images' Choice: Begum Gul Bakaoli Sarfarosh by Noori/Ismail Ka Urdu Sheher by Zohaib Kazi

Hate to say it but this time it’s a tie between Noori and Zohaib Kazi.
Normally we would have flat out said Noori but this year’s music nominations have been interestingly inclusive of all Pakistani musicians, giving Noori a run for their money. Begum Gul Bakaoli Sarfarosh and Ismail Ka Urdu Sheherpresent very interesting concepts and storylines that trace through the album. Interestingly, all albums nominated in this category are concept albums. But when it comes to the music itself, we’d vote for Zohaib Kazi simply because of the experimentation this album presents: Less formula music, more creativity that has our vote.

Song of the Year



Audience Choice: Shakar Wandaan by Asrar
Images' Choice: Shakar Wandaan by Asrar

Two words: Shakar Wandaan. The song that had even Anwar Maqsood dancing in a vine video. This song in a way took over Pakistan be it mehndis or parties, this song played everywhere in 2015 and truly was song of the year. We’d like to see it win, although Tamasha by Khumaariyan could be a really close runner up.

Best Music Video Director:



Audience Choice: Salman Noorani for Mariam by Mooroo
Images' Choice: Salman Noorani for Mariam by Mooroo

The thing with music videos is, we loved them immensely back when music channels were still a thing.
Boy, did we see some insanely creative videos come out back then. So when we saw Mooroo’s Mariam directed by Salman Noorani, we felt it could win, it should. It reminded us of a time when a lot of effort used to go into making these 3-4 videos. This stop-motion brilliance is the kind of direction for music videos we haven’t seen in Pakistan since a long time.

Best Emerging Talent



Audience Choice: Ali Suhail
Images' Choice: We're on the fence.
The fact that only one musician in this category is a woman was an eye-opener. But as emerging talent goes, this is a really tough one for us to decide.
There are two ways we can go about this: popularity versus musicianship. Does the artist win because they released a few singles that were a major crowd-pleaser? Or do they win based on their dedication to the art, meaning, putting out new music constantly and focusing on the art of creating new songs.
As far as popularity goes, SomeWhatSuper took over social media by storm when they dropped their first single and really ‘emerged’ on the music map. That being said, Slowspin and Ali Suhail would make great runners up based solely on the fact that they have released more albums and EPs than the rest of the nominees in this category.

FASHION


Model of the Year (Female)



Audience Choice: Sadaf Kanwal
Images' Choice: Amna Babar

32.1% of the viewers thought Sadaf Kanwal was the correct choice, while Rabia Butt was a relatively close second clocking in 24.3% of the votes.
While we love Kanwal for her killer jaw, eyebrows for days and enviable figure (she won last year for Best Emerging Talent too!), we must admit we were rooting for our girl, Amna Babar.
She's the definition of an 'It' girl and chic in all the right ways and even though she's slightly shorter than the other contenders, she has a presence on the ramp which makes her versatile still. More power to you, Amo B!

Model of the Year (Male)



Audience Choice: Shahzad Noor
Images' Choice: Hasnain Lehri

Shahzad Noor looks like your decent boy next door so it's understandable why 43.9% of the audience loves him. While he's definitely got the talent to deserve the love, we're not so sure he can hold his own in a crowd and stand out.
On the other hand, we're digging Hasnain Lehri's bad boy persona, well-groomed facial hair and cow eyelashes. This pretty boy with a twist came in second with just 21.6% of the votes.

Best Fashion Photographer



Audience Choice: Rizwan-ul-Haq
Images' Choice: Abdullah Haris
This was a close call: Rizwan-ul-Haq, Guddu Shani and Abdullah Haris got 26.5%, 24.5% and 20.6% votes, respectively. Clearly, the reigning king of photography is still an audience favourite.
However, we've had our eye on Haris since he broke into the scene some odd seven years ago. His shoots for Pepe Jeans, Ali Xeeshan and Ammar Belal have kept us intrigued and we think it's high time he got the recognition he deserves.

Best Hair and Make-up Artist



Audience Choice: Nabila
Images' Choice: Omayr Waqar
It's hardly surprising that makeup maestro Nabila got 48.9% of the votes. After all, Nabila is the queen of the jungle for a reason: she knows what she's doing and she's trained her team like her life depends on it.
Nevertheless, the extremely talented Omayr Waqar, who garnered 13.8% of the total votes is our pick for the best hair and make-up artist. He's fast becoming a jetsetter, travelling to exotic locations with brands like Elan to shoot elaborate campaigns. He knows how to tame those brows and highlight even non-existent cheekbones like nobody's business and is quick on his way to the top.

Achievement in Fashion Design - Luxury Pret



Audience Choice: Sania Maskatiya
Images' Choice: Misha Lakhani

Sania Maskatiya's quirky digital prints have made her an audience favourite, collecting 43.1% of the total votes, with Misha Lakhani coming in second at 20.8%.
That being said, our pick is Misha as she keeps pushing the envelope and introducing new cuts and designs to her collections. Her basic yet luxe, bold designs should earn her the accolade; here's hoping this year is Misha's year.

Achievement in Fashion Design - Pret



Audience Choice: Sana Safinaz
Images' Choice: Generation

Sana Safinaz managed to get 36.7% of the votes whereas 25% went to Sapphire. Our pick is neither of the two though: we're gunning for Generation to walk away with the award.
The design house, which was funded in 1983, has come a long way since inception; they've managed to keep up with the times, stay fresh and innovative and the label's got something to offer everyone.

Achievement in Fashion Design - Bridal



Audience Choice: Elan
Images' Choice: Elan

Khadija Shah's Elan burst onto the fashion circuit in 2011 and quickly became every bride's first choice for her big day. The fashion powerhouse that creates opulent wedding wear 24.2% of the audience votes, followed closely by Ali Xeeshan (23.1%) and Faraz Manan (21.8%). With it's intricately detailed and luxurious designs and tasteful body-conscious silhouettes, Elan's a big win for us and the readers!
Interestingly, while Shehla Chatoor just officially ventured into the bridal fashion arena, she, too, managed to get 21.4% votes. Perhaps she's well on her way to dethrone Elan next year?

Achievement in Fashion Design - Lawn



Audience Choice: Sana Safinaz
Images' Choice: Elan

Few things excite Pakistani women as much as lawn season and while Sana Safinaz has a loyal fan following not to be messed with (their exhibition is where lawn catfights started), we think the relatively new kid on the block, Elan's lawn is ready to give it some serious competition.
The brand's successful seasonal unstitched printed fabric collection was first launched in 2012 and has quickly become a summer must-have.

Best Menswear Designer



Audience Choice: HSY
Images' Choice: Omar Farooq for Republic

While we appreciate HSY's artistry and so do you guys (he had 30% of the total votes), we feel Omar Farooq's label, Republic has been hitting all the right notes lately.
If the current moment in Pakistani menswear can be defined by the ease and fluency with which it oscillates between high fashion and street, tailored and utterly casual, then the credit for that goes to Omar Farooq.
If you aren't already wearing it, you probably should be, and will soon. If it's good enough for Fawad Khan, it's good enough for us.

Best Emerging Talent



Audience Choice: Anam Malik
Images' Choice: Anam Malik
We're going with the audience here. The fresh-faced model Anam Malik racked up 30% of the votes and has had us buzzing since she modelled for Fahad Hussayn couture and the quirky brand, NineLines. Well on her way to the top, we're sure this Lahore model will be categorized as a supermodel in no time.