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Pakistani, Indian artists team up to celebrate South Asia heritage

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2 years ago

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Born in Saudi Arabia and based in Pakistan, singer-songwriter Rutaba Yakub is among the most promising artists of this decade. She went national with her selection in Nescafe Basement followed by Pepsi Battle of the Bands. Rutaba and her music group, Roots, didn’t win the top prize in the competitive PBOTB but did find a loyal audience.

2022 seems to be the year where Rutaba will go all-out. A sign of this can be seen in the number of songs she has dropped. Among them is a collaboration with Indian artist Abhilasha Sinha for a song called “Nazar/Surma”. 

The song was deliberately released last month as part of celebrating South Asian Heritage month. The two artists never met but knew full well that music transcends borders and employed technology. The music video is surprisingly strong with a clear idea driving it. The sonic side fits well into Rutaba’s growing discography and is full of synth, electro, and dancehall vibes.

She seems open to trying new things as has become apparent with releases such as “Anay Wala Kal/Ghubaray”, “Dair-e-ufuq”, and “Nazar/Surma”.

Talking to Instep Today, Rutaba explained her Indo-Pak collaborative song ‘Nazar/Surma’ and how it came about.

“The story behind ‘Nazar/Surma’ is a discussion on what we would be like or how we would behave and live our lives if we knew no one was watching us, no one was judging us or have expectations.” 

Social media’s many, many platforms, biometrics, metadata, drones watching/attacking from the sky above, the militarization of space and CCTV cameras define the very basics of modern times. 

Big Brother is always watching. 

Rutaba isn’t just talking about Big Brother, though. As she explains, our behaviour, our surroundings and the people around us affect us in unfathomable and overt ways. 

“Everything we do is kind of reactionary and sometimes it’s very hard to lose yourself in it and realize that you’re not really this person. If there were no external factors, you’d be someone completely different.” 

The narrative Rutaba is talking about can be found within the lyricism of the song.

The Urdu lines that start off the song may sound overwhelming to those who suffer from a case of weak Urdu. But its meaning, according to Rutaba, is based on a similar thought process. 

“For no reason, without us asking, it’s so regular for people to give us either their opinion or their critique.” She’s right there. As for the collaboration with Indian artist Abhilasha Sinha for ‘Nazar/Surma’, Rutaba expressed how both artists are fond of each other’s music. 

“She really understood the narrative of the song (‘Nazar/Surma’) and she wrote her verse for it, reiterating the same question(s) but in a different way. But she’s also building up the story to say that we will break free and find the freedom to be our own selves. We’re sharper and we will thrive.” 

The music video’s narrative is a split screen as it begins with childhood videos of both the artists respectively. “We were sharing our home videos with each other and realized the similarity in each other’s childhood. Even though we are borders apart, there are so many similarities. 

We are South Asians so the birthdays and vacations were similar. And, because of South Asian Heritage Month, in August, we feel we should try to share those similarities instead of focusing on the differences.” Rutaba, through her music, is challenging the typical side of music and deliberately taking risks. But in her own fashion. 

“To be honest, I’m completely alright with being an artist who has one specific sound and who’s not experimenting all the time and doing different things with every song.”

Rutaba Yakub describes herself as a collaborative artist and ‘Nazar/Surma’ is simply the latest example. The music video reflects the ideology of the song and though experimental and risky, it is introspective and therefore sounds very cool. With a debut music album called nostalgia @ the keryana store in the pipeline, Rutaba has the confidence and the talent to reach greater heights. This is her third release from said album. She previously released an EP called S**t I’ll Never Finish (2020).

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Aryan Khan’s Netflix debut web series is announced by Shah Rukh Khan.

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The premiere web series of Aryan Khan, Shah Rukh Khan’s firstborn son, will be available for streaming on Netflix India starting next year, the streaming service formally announced on social media Tuesday night.

Aryan is the director and creator of the untitled “one-of-a-kind series” about Bollywood, which is produced by SRK’s wife Gauri Khan. “Explore Bollywood like never before… on Netflix,” they stated.

For the series, Red Chillies Entertainment, owned by Khan, collaborates with Netflix.

The “multi-genre” show is said to be set against the backdrop of the glamorous film industry and “promises an unabashed, entertaining ride through the adventures of a charming, ambitious outsider navigating the glitzy yet tricky world of Bollywood,” though cast details are still unknown.

“We are thrilled to present this new series with Netflix that offers a refreshing look into the glamorous cinematic world and what it takes to succeed as an outsider,” the “Jawan” actor said in reference to the production.

“The team at Red Chillies Entertainment, along with Aryan and numerous enthusiastic minds, have brought this unique story to life.” “This one will be full of heart, hustle, and entertainment,” he continued.

Monika Shergill, the programming head for Netflix India, said, “Aryan takes a bold and dynamic approach to directing and has produced something genuinely unique and incredibly entertaining.” “We can’t wait for our members to watch it because it builds on our shared passion for outstanding storytelling and new voices.”

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Aamir Khan declared his retirement from the film industry.

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Aamir Khan, a prominent actor and director with over 35 years of service in Bollywood, revealed that he nearly withdrew from his work a few years ago, but his family persuaded him to reconsider this choice.

In a recent joint interview with his former spouse Kiran Rao, Khan stated, “I resolved to resign prior to Laal Singh Chadha.” I was undergoing a personal journey.

“As the Covid pandemic waned, I abruptly recognised that I have devoted the majority of my adult life, from the age of 18 to the present, entirely to cinema and films.” Consequently, I perceived that I had not sufficiently supported my connections with my children, siblings, and family. Regardless of whether it was Kiran or Reena during my marriage to them. He articulated that he believed he had not sufficiently supported these individuals. I experienced significant shame and was dissatisfied with my actions. Having completed numerous films over the past 35 years, I can now concentrate on my family.

The ‘Taare Zameen Par’ actor recalled the moment he informed his family of the news. He remembered, “I gathered my family and expressed my desire to abandon my film career to spend time with all of you.” My reaction was not due to any disappointment with the film.

“Junaid and Ira, his elder children from his first wife Reena Dutta, persuaded me to continue.” Junaid enquired, ‘Why must you oscillate between extremes?’ There exists an intermediary space in which one can reside. They elucidated that to me, and I returned. Khan disclosed that no one was aware of his resignation, ultimately stating, “No tangible outcome resulted from it.” It was merely my individual path.

Aamir Khan will next appear in the self-produced film ‘Sitaare Zameen Par’, alongside Genelia Deshmukh and Darsheel Safary. The spiritual successor to ‘Taare Zameen Par’ (2007) is set for theatrical release on December 25.

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Pink is Yumna Zaidi’s favorite color.

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2 weeks ago

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After proving herself in a number of roles, Pakistani actress Yumna Zaidi is rightfully considered a household name in Hollywood.

The “Zara Yaad Kar” starlet enthusiastically shared new images on Instagram. She wears something pink in the clips. Their distinctive posing style is one of the images’ strongest qualities.

The photographs all have their own unique style. “The Waris Shah’s Heer” is the title of the book she is seen carrying in one of the clicks.

She captioned the photo with: “Today’s wellness was Pink.”

Many gushed fans shared their thoughts in the comments area after being utterly enchanted. A user gushed, calling it “Gorgeous.” Along with the starlet’s compliments, another user dropped a slew of emojis.

Yumna has amassed more than 9.4 million Instagram followers as a result of her steadfast dedication to her career.

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