Twitter Buffet is served: Careem and 'rishta aunty'
Your weekly Twitter Buffet has happenings that you might have missed over the week
(By Abdullah Ejaz) – It is Saturday and we have your weekly buffet ready to be served piping hot exactly how you like it!
On the menu this week, we have top court’s Panama case hearings, Shoaib Malik’s #PakistanZindabad campaign, Sushant Singh Rajput’s romance with space, Saif Ali Khan’s open letter and Kangana’s reply, Armeena Khan’s heartwarming proposal, Zakir Naik’s passport revoked, ‘Chester’s no more’ and Careem’s rishta aunty among other developments.
Shoaib Malik and #PakistanZindabad campaign
Malik who must have graciously endured digs for his alleged ‘conflicted’ identity has led an online campaign this independence season.
He wrote on Twitter: “#PakistanZindabad is our movement to showcase Pakistan w a world record iA August 14, @ 19:47”.
“So here’s an idea; what if we all tweet once per day on something great about Pakistan, it could be a picture, or a quote, a moment, about history, achievements, records, a fact, anything that we love our country more for – using #PakistanZindabad – for at least 40 days. Why 40? the current record for the longest trend is 39 days smth hours,” reads a statement on the matter.
— Shoaib Malik (@realshoaibmalik) July 16, 2017
Saif Ali Khan’s open letter on nepotism row
Post-IIFA Bollywood glow was strongly dulled by nepotism controversy that followed.
On the big night, the hosting duo, Saif and Karan Johar were joined by Varun Dhawan who had come onstage to collect his award for best actor in comic role for Dishoom.
The dapper trio chanted ‘nepotism rocks’ after Saif instigated his colleagues by rhetorically asking if Dhawan had won the award because his father is a famed director. Dhawan, son of ‘Partner’ director David Dhawan responded that Saif was in the industry and hosting IIFA because of his mother, adored yesteryear actress Sharmila Tagore.
To which KJo added that he was there because of his father, producer and director late Yash Johar. The trio together then chanted ‘nepotism rocks’ in allegedly all-fun-no-offence remark but received flak after the show on social media and in cinema and audience circles.
In a letter published in DNA, he made it clear that he doesn’t owe an explanation or apology to anyone (but Kangana) and that the issue was over. He maintained that the chant was banter and nothing more than that. He wrote, “It was not supposed to be a big deal, but I realised at some point, that it might have offended Kangana (Ranaut). I called her and apologised personally.”
— MissMalini (@MissMalini) July 21, 2017
Kangana writes back!
“Saif, in your letter you mentioned that, “I apologised to Kangana, and I don’t owe anyone any explanation, and this issue is over.,” indianexpress.com quoted Rangoon actress.
The letter reads: “Nepotism is a practice where people tend to act upon temperamental human emotions, rather than intellectual tendencies. Businesses that are run by human emotions and not by great value-systems, might gain superficial profits. However, they cannot be truly productive and tap into the true potential of a nation of more than 1.3 billion people.”
A chant at IIFA has snowballed into a big controversy and the fact is that it is sad to see stars confronting one another.
The first ever apology on the issue came from Varun Dhawan. He wrote on Twitter:
However, amongst so much being said about nepotism, we love Ranbir’s take on it. He is not apologetic of what he has inherited and his genes.
Star kids have easier access to opportunities, he says, but after that, they have to deliver box office hits or attain critics’ appraisal or whatever it is that gives their career longevity because the well goes only this deep for them.
— TOI Entertainment (@TOIEntertain) July 22, 2017
Zakir Naik’s passport revoked
Mr. Naik (brother [I] hope that answers the question) had his passport revoked on terror charges by India this week.
The televangelist was earlier accused of funding terror outfits and has since been living in self-imposed exile in Saudi Arabia. The 51-year-old president of Mumbai-based Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) who is followed globally and funded by millions around the world is yet to prove his innocence.
— Murtaza Ali Shah (@MurtazaGeoNews) July 18, 2017
Yalghaar’s Armeena Khan gets engaged!
Showbiz entertainer posted a picture on social media this week showing her bae going down on one knee and getting up a happy man.
The couple was on Cuba beach for their special moment.
She stated: "I am so, so happy today. Nothing and no one can bring me down. I will reveal his name and everything to you guys in due course. Back to England now as we speak. Thank you guys for so much love, I am so overwhelmed. Oh, and this was my look. By the way, don t believe everything you read ;)”
— Armeena Khan (@ArmeenaRK) July 20, 2017
Chester is gone…
Chester Bennington of Linkin Park is no more.
The LA-based band with Bennington its lead vocalist blew the charts away in 2000 with their debut album ‘Hybrid Theory’ and second one was no different in terms of music gold, ‘Meteora’.
The singer dear to fans across the world is survived by six children with two wives, a relationship with Elka Brand while one of the children is adopted. Here’s to 41 years of Chester and over 16 years of music…
World s largest kidneys removed from Dubai patient s body
The record was attained, after months of verifying the data by the Guinness World Record, which concluded that one of the kidneys removed, was in fact the largest in the world with the weight of 4.25kg and 34 × 17 cm in diameter.
Dr Bagheri who led the surgery, removed Mr Saeed’s kidneys during a five-hour surgery on October 11, 2016 due to polycystic kidney disease.
— GuinnessWorldRecords (@GWR) July 21, 2017
Top court reserves Panama Papers verdict
Is the issue that dates back by a year since Panama leak surfaced, and has pushed the government in turmoil nearing its conclusive end?
Supreme court reserved its verdict in Panama Papers case after a week-long hearings on daily basis and according to spokesperson for an opposition party, verdict is likely to be delivered this week.
The verdict is to see whether Prime Minister of Pakistan is righteous and honest, as per the constitution, to lead the state or his disqualification is the way forward.
— Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) July 22, 2017
Defiant fashion model wears dress that angers conservative Saudi
A defiant Saudi fashion model wore a skirt coupled with a black top for a video that she posted on Snapchat calling for conservative country to punish her for violating strict dress code.
Saudi authorities exercise flogging of ‘subjects’ for violating conservative laws of the kingdom.
Fashion model named Khulood posted a video that showed her walking through narrow streets of Ushaiqer village donning a dress that is unacceptable in Saudi society, sparking a nationwide outrage.
— (@Binjamaan_) July 16, 2017
Taxi-hailing service Careem introduces bizarre Rishta aunty service
Turns out Uber competitor Careem would do anything to race ahead of online taxi-hailing services. A brilliant mind popped somewhere in Careem headquarters and what came out was not decent.
A two-day service was launched in the metropolitans using which locals could get rishtas after registering their requirements with an aunty seated next to the driver.
Oh Careem... Get it together!
— Trending in Pakistan (@trendinpak) July 18, 2017
