Pakistani star Sanam Saeed to make her debut appearance at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival 2026, marking a big milestone for Pakistan’s entertainment industry at the world stage.

The Cannes Film Festival’s 79th edition will take place from May 12 to 23, 2026, in the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes.

Sanam’s involvement will not be limited to red carpet appearances, as she has been named as one of the inaugural honorees of Us Studios’ “South Asian Women Excellence in Cinema & Global Art” project, which aims to recognise the contributions of women in cinema and creative arts across South Asia.

Before coming to Cannes Sanam said that she will pay respect to famous Pakistani film hero Shamim Ara, who left a lasting impact on the film industry of the country.

Her life did not follow the traditional pattern of rise, fall and fade. It was something exceptional – ascension, dominance, reinvention, legacy,” Sanam said in a video posted on her official Instagram account.

She also talked about the legacy of Shamim Ara, who she said “quietly broke the biggest boundaries, opening doors for women behind the camera.”

Several other Pakistani celebs too lauded the announcement, congratulating Sanam on her success and expressing delight, including Mahira Khan. Maya Ali also praised Sanam for paying tribute to Shamim Ara. Kinza Hashmi and other stars also congratulated and showed their support.

Zara Noor Abbas, Ghana Ali, Nadia Hussain and Hareem Farooq among others also praised Sanam before her debut at Cannes.

Ushna Shah has pleased her followers by revealing that she is anticipating her first child with her husband, Hamza Amin.

The Pakistani actor announced the joyful news in an emotional Instagram post on Friday, disclosing that the couple is anticipating the arrival of a new family member.

Ushna shared a series of photographs showcasing her baby belly, announcing that the couple would soon be “three,” which elicited a flood of happy responses from fans, fellow actors, and entertainment industry professionals.

Incorporating humour into her announcement, Ushna captioned her post: “So much for abs this summer,” conveying both enthusiasm and appreciation as she begins her path into parenting.

The actress, renowned for her roles in Pakistani television series, wed Hamza Amin in 2023.

Following the announcement, social media has been inundated with heartfelt wishes and prayers for the couple’s expansion.

Esteemed film director and producer Syed Noor has characterised the casting of TikToker Jannat Mirza in his picture as a “disaster,” asserting that the endeavour did not succeed in attracting spectators to cinemas.

A segment from Syed Noor’s recent interview is spreading on social media, in which he was queried about the tendency of casting persons who attain celebrity through sites like as Instagram, predicated on their follower count.

Jannat Mirza intends to initiate a commercial venture in Japan.

In response to the inquiry, Syed Noor stated that the inclusion of Jannat Mirza in his film was ultimately a failure. He asserted that although the picture was produced with considerable effort, audiences failed to attend screenings in cinemas.

The filmmaker remarked that many might believe they can already view such personalities on TikTok, rendering theatre attendance unnecessary.

Syed Noor stated that historically, films possessed distinct audiences, and individuals anxiously anticipated the releases of their favoured stars. He observed that the circumstances have evolved, and people no longer anticipate a specific actor’s picture before seeing it.