THE GRAPEVINE

Swiss Misses

Television host Nida Yasir and her husband, director Yasir Nawaz, were vacationing in Switzerland, from where they uploaded images of the trip on their YouTube channel. It resulted in a series of harsh comments from netizens who thought it was hypocritical of them to be holidaying in Europe after performing haj earlier. To this the duo responded that they were in Switzerland to observe the beauty that the Almighty has created. We can only say trust social media to bring together the most whacked out commentary and unnecessary responses from all concerned.
The Qamar Trap

What happened to playwright Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar recently is well documented now. We’re referring, of course, to his alleged honey-trapping, kidnapping, and being assaulted and held for ransom. Almost everyone known on social media either made fun of him or tried to make him understand that he is stewing in his own juices. While we condemn criminal acts and torture of any person under the sun, Khalil Q should also realise that his overly self-righteous and judgemental opinions on certain matters have earned him a large number of detractors. That’s never a good thing for anyone associated with showbiz. And let’s not even get into his absurd explanations for how he got into the incident.
Tabu Subjects

Finally, Tabu has revealed why she and Shah Rukh Khan have never worked together in a film. In an interview, the A-list Bollywood star said, “I was offered numerous films with Shah Rukh Khan, but I declined. I believe Shah Rukh also turns down many projects.” By this she meant, she wanted writers and filmmakers to “craft roles that suit me.” Well, in that case, she wouldn’t have had any problem with SRK, because his acting doesn’t require crafting a role for him. It just involves a stretching out of the arms and a bit of stammer.
Man To Man

Do you know why Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor-Khan’s marriage is a whopping success? No? We shall tell you. It’s because of actress Rani Mukerjee’s advice that she gave to Saif A K when he had started going out with Kareena K. According to him, the advice was: “Just behave like you are in a relationship with a man. She meant, don’t get into the gender of it. Treat it like equals, like you’ve got two heroes in the house, two people working, and then you will have no problems. And I think she is absolutely right.” Hmmm… wonder, what advice Kareena K got and from whom.
Childless and Mindless

The Republican vice president nominee in the US, Senator J. D. Vance, has given a nasty statement about “childless cat ladies.” He is quoted to have said that childless women should have no direct stake in political decision-making. Obviously, this hasn’t gone down well with most people in the US, including the Friends star Jennifer Anniston. The actress retorted: “Mr Vance, I pray that your daughter is fortunate enough to bear children of her own one day.” Oh, #MeowToo, Jennifer A!
Well Paid

A new list of the highest paid actresses in India has surfaced and is doing the rounds on mainstream media and cyberspace. According to it, the two most handsomely paid female Bollywood actors are Deepika Padukone and Alia Bhatt. Deepika P charges between 15 crore rupees and 20 crore rupees per movie project and Alia B, 15 crore rupees. Wow! This is super impressive. Equally impressive are the husbands of the two stars, Ranveer Singh and Ranbir Kapoor. The boys married well!
Published in Dawn, August 4th, 2024