Mehwish Hayat set to make TV comeback
The announcement of the actor's return to dramas has delighted her fans. "She's amazing on screen, gives every role her all," commented a user. "OMG, my favourite onscreen pair will be starring together. I'm super excited!" gushed another.
Mehwish last starred in Dil Lagi opposite Humayun Saeed in 2016. In the show, Mehwish played Anmol, who falls into a clash with Humayun's Mohid over an eviction notice. However, affection begins to bloom between the two not long after.
In addition, Mehwish has starred in a number of films, including Nabeel Qureshi's debut Na Maloom Afraad and Nadeem Baig's Punjab Nahi Jaungi, cementing herself as a frequent face on the big screen. The Pakistani star even made her Hollywood debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe series Ms Marvel, which also had Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy on board as a director.
As of late, the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz recipient starred in the music video for Indian rapper Yo Yo Honey Singh's song Jatt Mehkma. The music video begins with well-to-do individuals and pairs entering a lavish gathering and quickly mingling until their attention is drawn to the hosts descending the stairs - Mehwish and the rapper. The announcement of the collaboration was made in a cheeky behind-the-scenes video, in which the two were dressed in their rich attire from the music video.
However, it seems that this is as close to Bollywood as Mehwish will get, as in June last year, she explained why she prefers not to work in the neighbouring industry. "I received many offers from Bollywood, but I declined all of them," she revealed in a podcast.
"I have countless opportunities here in Pakistan. I have been part of the revival of Pakistani cinema and some of its biggest and most successful films. I have received immense respect and love in my country," she added. "After gaining so much recognition and success in my own country, I felt that I should not accept offers from Bollywood. I enjoy my work here in Pakistan. People come to watch my films with their families, and that is a great achievement."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
5 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Anthony Mackie welcomes Robert Downey Jr.'s MCU return as Doctor Doom
Robert Downey Jr.'s return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been confirmed, but not as Iron Man—this time, he's stepping into the villainous role of Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday. The shocking twist has sparked major buzz, and co-star Anthony Mackie has now weighed in. Mackie, who now leads the Avengers as Captain America following the events of Captain America: Brave New World, addressed the casting in a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight. He described Downey Jr. as "an integral part" of his early Marvel career and expressed excitement about working with him again. "You know, the fun part is Robert Downey Jr. was such an integral part of the beginning of my career at Marvel," Mackie said. "It's great to have him back and continue the legacy he built with the MCU." Mackie and Downey Jr. previously shared screen time in films like Avengers: Age of Ultron and Captain America: Civil War, though their characters rarely interacted directly. Now, with Mackie's Captain America assembling a new Avengers team, the stakes are higher than ever—especially as they face off against Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom. Downey's cryptic 'New mask, same task' line during his villain reveal hints at a thematic continuation of Iron Man's legacy through Doom. The movie is set to release on December 18, 2026, and marks the first time Downey Jr. and Mackie will reunite onscreen since Avengers: Endgame. As anticipation builds for Avengers: Doomsday, fans are eager to see how this new chapter reshapes the MCU's power dynamics.
Express Tribune
7 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Analogue superhero in Pakistan
Maulana Bijlighar was quite the character – he got the name because the mosque he led was close to a Grid Station in former NWFP. But this evocative name was not the cause of his renown. A firebrand conservative, his speeches would often be passed around, sort of like the more recently deceased Khadim Hussain Rizvi's, except he didn't use the kind of base and colourful language Rizvi employed as extensively. Maulana Bijlighar was the equivalent of a right wing stand up comedian who was also a cleric, his sermons would have the whole audience roaring with laughter as he spinned yarns and told stories to make his point. Everything had a killer punchline. One of his best jokes was an off the cuff remark. He wanted to ban wrestling on TV. His objection wasn't really Islamic in nature, he was afraid if the women of Pakistan saw these sculpted and beautiful men in the prime of their lives, "tu phir in hattay kattay ko dekhney ke baad humarein auratein kya hum se khush rahengein?" Wrestling was big in the world back then — and even Maulana Bijlighar was referencing it to make a point, despite claiming not to own a TV. Top tier wrestling wasn't terrestrially transmitted, more often than not you watched it on VHS. And it was the VCR that was the conduit to Hulk Hogan. We didn't realise at the time because we were too enamoured by the physical prowess on display, but Hulk Hogan was a cartoon character aimed at children, one that adults loved too. Popeye had his spinach, and the wrestlers their steroids. Like Michael Jordan, he was the singular character that launched a sport from regional to national and international consciousness. The adults who loved wrestling of that era simply fell for the ease in which the good vs evil was framed – not realising the bad guys in wrestling were cartoons too, like the Iron Sheik. For a lot of us, the illusion of wrestling first unravelled when we understood the athleticism of WWF wrestling was real, but the battles were not. Matches were choreographed with results determined long in advance in a script outlining the beefs that we would be choosing sides in. Others amongst us only learned wrestling was fake the first time we got into a fight. You can't do a piledriver unless your opponent lets you. Also, some learned of the reality of wrestling when we saw PTV's Olympics coverage and discovered The Ultimate Warrior wasn't competing, and no Suplex moves were to be seen. Learning in Pakistan the nature of the spectacle of wrestling was a construct that must have the equivalent of Western kids finding out Santa did not, in fact, exist. But Hulkamania in Pakistan wasn't as widespread as it was in the US because access to wrestling was different then. His era was for the Pakistani boomer, Gen X and the earliest millennials who owned VCRs. Millennials "proper" came to wrestling when satellite and cable were common, and at that time it was the age of the Undertaker, Kane, The Rock, and others. Hulk is recognised even today by the youth – but more for his iconography. For Boomers and Gen Xers, he wasn't just known; he meant something to them. Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth, who was part of the panel that sentenced the former dictator General Pervez Musharraf to death for treason, feigned ignorance of the controversy his judgment had caused – the PTI government at the time made noises about wanting to disbar him as unfit for office. When asked about this he said he had no knowledge of the furor because he only ever watched wrestling on TV. There is no information on this, but I imagine he could have been a Hulkster. To today's kids, the best way of understanding who Hulk Hogan was to an entire generation of Pakistani's back then is that he was the analogue superhero before the development of CGI in a MCU that was the World Wrestling Federation. My cousins Ali and Ano would visit in the summers, and it would mean months of tag team wrestling matches with me and my brother – trying to catch the illusive magic of the screen. Seeing the feeds of my friends on Facebook, it looks like it was a common thread to many childhoods. Maybe because we were young, or that the world was different then, it was not incongruous to us when we saw Hulk Hogan coming to the ring with his theme music blaring Rick Derringer's Real American: "I am a real American, Fight for the rights of every man." These lyrics sounded to us what a real Pakistani was as well as kids. These were the same days when Rambo was helping the Afghan Mujahidin in the third installment of the film series, dedicated to "the gallant people of Afghanistan" in the credits. I think the fault lines, and real motivations of American policy are clearer to the young now – it wasn't that black and white while we were getting F-16's and partnered in the Cold War. It's interesting now that Hulk Hogan has passed on the heels of Ozzy Osbourne – another youth fixture – the heartfelt condolence has come from those who moved on from Wrestling, their memories of Hulk Hogan fixed in time, polished further by memory. Their remembrances capture the innocence of youth, a longing for that simplicity. But there is another group, one that may not have kept up with wrestling but did keep up with the news about it. Sentiments have always been subject to attack from new information, and adulation can crater with it. For Hulk Hogan, life happened after the ring. Or we noticed more of his life. Hulk Hogan's corny and agreeable persona started to unravel as his politics became known, as his family fell apart and the background to his sordid sex tape came to light, and ultimately, his racism revealed. It was as if Tom from Tom and Jerry had his own "me too" allegations. Hulk wasn't the lovable figure being cartoonish anymore, neither was he forgivable for being buffoonish. As his persona was revealed, he started to come across as very insincere, like a cynical actor who thought very little of his audience. In the backdrop of Gaza, and Hulk's MAGA politics, there is remembrance of one side of his fanbase in Pakistan who knew about his current life that is more muted and circumspect. It's as if he polluted the memories of their long-gone childhood in later years. And this is perhaps one of the markers of the current age, few separate the art from the artist. Fasi Zaka is a cultural commentator and an RJ.
Express Tribune
9 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Exhibit showcases new media art
The Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) is hosting Seeing, (Seen): Reframing the Moving Image in Pakistan, a groundbreaking exhibition bringing together artists from Pakistan and the UK to explore the transformative potential of the moving image as a medium of resistance, disruption and reimagination. Seeing, (Seen) engages with themes of memory, identity, and temporality, positioning the moving image as a fluid, uncontained force in contemporary visual culture. It contributes to the evolving discourse on new media and experimental art within Pakistan's unique cultural context. The exhibition features works by prominent Pakistani artists Abdul Hadi, Farida Batool, Kaiser Irfan, Mahnoor Ali Shah, M4HK, Rabeeha Adnan and Ujala Khan, alongside UK-based artist duo John Wood and Paul Harrison, with additional selections from the British Council Art Collection. A dynamic public programme will run throughout the exhibition, including artist talks, panel discussions, workshops, lectures and presentations focused on film, media, identity, and perception. Curated by Islamabad based curator and designer Sarah Rajper, the exhibition reframes film, video and new media as powerful tools for questioning how we see, sense and experience the world. The exhibition is the culmination of Rajper's participation in the prestigious Art Exchange: Moving Image curatorial fellowship - a year-long international programme, supported by the British Council and organised by LUX (UK) and Art South Asia Project. The fellowship included opportunities for mentorship, critical exchange and research visits to major UK institutions such as Tate Modern, Somerset House, Barbican Centre and the British Film Institute. The exhibition opens with a public reception on 30 July 2025, from 4.00pm to 8.00pm, featuring the Artist Panel Discussion from 6.00pm to 7.00pm, and will remain on view until 8 August 2025. Daily viewing hours are 10.00am to 4.00pm (closed Saturdays) at PNCA, Islamabad. Organised in partnership with the Lahore Digital Arts Festival and PNCA, this cross-cultural showcase offers audiences a chance to engage with boundary-pushing work at the intersection of art, technology and social commentary.
