Latest news with #ExcuseMe
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
'Our bond broke at the time'
Ali Abbas recently discussed how he dealt with his father and veteran actor Waseem Abbas's second marriage to co-star Saba Hamid. Making an appearance on Excuse Me with Ahmad Ali Butt, Ali talked about the challenges of taking care of his siblings and feeling anger towards his father. Reflecting on his difficult childhood years, Ali revealed, "When he(my father) got married again, our bond broke. I was around eleven or twelve at the time, and I was very upset." "Being the eldest, I had to look after two sisters and a brother. I realised that I had to become a parent to my siblings, as my father would no longer be investing time in us, and my mother was going through depression," he added. Ali's father married fellow actor Saba Hamid in 1993. At the time, Saba was already divorced and had two kids, Meesha and Faris Shafi. The actor was worried at the time that this marriage would make him preoccupied with his new family. Despite the anger he felt, Ali realised that he needed to be mature about the situation. "I am the one who always chooses to be part of the solution, not the problem." he said. "I knew I had to take care of my siblings. I also developed a rift with my father. However, I eventually realised that the biggest victim in this situation was my father, who was also suffering because of this separation." He shared some thoughts about how parents usually deal with problems. "I've come to see that the men at that time did not share their problems. They were really strong that way. Because they didn't really open up, it was difficult for us to understand what they were going through." Ali further said, "My father had already married and it was done now. Meanwhile, he is the one who is caught up between all of it. He is the one who is not at peace. As a son, I realised, it is my duty to listen to him, that is the least I can do." All was not doomed. Ali shared how he began working to repair their relationship, "I read somewhere that if someone is going through something, just let them talk about their problems. You can't fix them. But they will feel that half their worries are gone only by listening to them.I then began talking to him, and he started sharing his problems with me." Things are better for the two of them now. Ali said, "Since then, I've developed a bond with him."
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Ali Abbas healed a fractured relationship with father
Ali Abbas recently discussed how he dealt with his father and veteran actor Waseem Abbas's second marriage to co-star Saba Hamid. Making an appearance on Excuse Me with Ahmad Ali Butt, Ali talked about the challenges of taking care of his siblings and feeling anger towards his father. Reflecting on his difficult childhood years, Ali revealed, 'When he(my father) got married again, our bond broke. I was around eleven or twelve at the time, and I was very upset.' 'Being the eldest, I had to look after two sisters and a brother. I realised that I had to become a parent to my siblings, as my father would no longer be investing time in us, and my mother was going through depression,' he added. Ali's father married fellow actor Saba Hamid in 1993. At the time, Saba was already divorced and had two kids, Meesha and Faris Shafi. The actor was worried at the time that this marriage would make him preoccupied with his new family. Despite the anger he felt, Ali realised that he needed to be mature about the situation. 'I am the one who always chooses to be part of the solution, not the problem.' he said. 'I knew I had to take care of my siblings. I also developed a rift with my father. However, I eventually realised that the biggest victim in this situation was my father, who was also suffering because of this separation." He shared some thoughts about how parents usually deal with problems. 'I've come to see that the men at that time did not share their problems. They were really strong that way. Because they didn't really open up, it was difficult for us to understand what they were going through.' Ali further said, 'My father had already married and it was done now. Meanwhile, he is the one who is caught up between all of it. He is the one who is not at peace. As a son, I realised, it is my duty to listen to him, that is the least I can do.' All was not doomed. Ali shared how he began working to repair their relationship, 'I read somewhere that if someone is going through something, just let them talk about their problems. You can't fix them. But they will feel that half their worries are gone only by listening to them.I then began talking to him, and he started sharing his problems with me.' Things are better for the two of them now. Ali said, 'Since then, I've developed a bond with him.'
Express Tribune
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Why does the internet think Khushhal Khan is a red flag?
Heartthrob Khushhal Khan recently appeared on Ahmad Ali Butt's podcast Excuse Me, and spoke candidly about everything from his love for boxing to his thoughts on masculinity. But one particular comment stole the spotlight and got the internet talking. When asked about his romantic life, Khushhal replied, "I'm not a flirt. There is no such thing. When my mother approves, only then will it happen. Alhamdulillah." Some fans found his answer sweet and respectful. One comment read, "As a mom watching, I feel you're a good son raised with good values." But others had a field day. "So he's one of those guys who dates around and then gets an arranged marriage approved by mommy," wrote an X user. Another critic labelled him a "red flag," saying, "A man who cannot make his own life decisions is not worth it." Despite the virtual backlash, arranged marriages remain a common and culturally respected practice in Pakistan. Khushhal's comments reflect a deep bond with his family, especially his mother, and it's not surprising that he'd want her blessing for such a major decision. When Butt asked what keeps him grounded amid his rising fame, Khushhal answered, "My family, they definitely keep me grounded," adding warmly, "My mother has more nerves of steel than any man I know." On positive masculinity The conversation took an even more thoughtful turn when Khushhal discussed masculinity. He proudly said, "Pathan," referencing the strong, respectful men he grew up around in Nowshera. "I'm talking about the real Pathans, the way they treat their women, the way they respect them, the way they treat their children, the way they stand up, the way they are always at the front," he said, noting these were the qualities he admired and wanted to live by. The star also opened up about his love for boxing, describing it as something that gives him discipline, focus, and resilience. When asked if he worried that boxing might ruin his looks, something often important for an actor, Khushhal just laughed. "I understand the concern, but there's just a fire inside me that I have to satiate." He stressed the importance of sports in promoting a positive image of Pakistan and shared admiration for javelin star Arshad Nadeem, praising him for choosing to stay in Pakistan despite the difficulties. Talking about his journey in the entertainment industry, Khushhal touched on the hypocrisy and gatekeeping he faced along the way. When Butt brought up how production companies try to "control" actors because they believe they "launched" them, Khushhal didn't hesitate. "I don't, I just move on," he said. "Nobody launched anybody. Allah has made the way for them, so they should be happy about that. If I do that for someone, I'll be grateful for that opportunity." Despite the memes and backlash, the full interview paints a much fuller picture. Between the jokes and the viral tweets, Khushhal's honesty, humility, and grounded energy stood out, offering a much-needed glimpse of positive masculinity and the quiet strength of women behind the scenes.
Hindustan Times
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Yuddhakaanda Chapter 2 director Pavan Bhat: I realized the importance of writing with this film
Yuddhakaanda Chapter 2, the latest Kannada courtroom drama, is now out on OTT after a fairly successful theatrical run. Produced by leading man Krishna Ajai Rao, who was hitherto widely known for his romantic hero image, the film was only the second directorial of Pavan Bhat, who'd made Cutting Shop earlier. During the pre-release promotions, Pavan was conspicuously absent, letting Ajai take the lead. 'I'm not a very known face, so even though I am the writer and director of the film, it made better sense to speak after the film speaks for itself. Then there's more value to what I have to say,' says Pavan, now that the film is streaming on Amazon Prime Video. Stream Krishna Ajai Rao's films like Excuse Me, Krishnan Love Story, Krishna Leela and more with OTTplay Premium For the most part, Yuddhakaanda Chapter 2 is grounded in its depiction of legal procedures, but does have its share of cinematic drama and heroism, with the latter bit likely to divide audiences. Pavan's target audience, though, seems to have loved it, especially the melodrama in the climax. 'As a writer and filmmaker, my aim is not to cater to a 'target audience'; I want everyone to enjoy my work, irrespective of their socio-economic standing, city they live in, etc. But then, no film is perfect and there's always scope for improvement,' he says. The melodrama in the climax, is, presumably, for cinematic effect, but if Pavan had refrained from doing that and stuck to a more realistic approach, would the impact have been different? 'Honestly, that's a difficult question to answer. If I'd shot two versions and then chosen only one, I'd have clarity about why I stuck with this version. But now that I have shot and released only one version, in which Ajai's character has a dramatic monologue (and looks like he's holding a sudarshana chakra) that may not seem fit for a courtroom; going by the response to the film, there are people saying it gave them goosebumps,' says the filmmaker. Yuddhakaanda Chapter 2 being his maiden attempt at a courtroom drama, what have been Pavan's learning's from the feedback he's got? 'It was a great learning. I realized how important writing is. In this script, nothing was changed once we went on floors. On the set, we just executed what was on paper. The kind of writing and the result it gave because of the honesty that the team had towards the written word was very good,' says Pavan. The director, who worked with his brother on his debut film, adds that Yuddhakaanda was also about how to work with seasoned artistes. 'I had stalwarts like Prakash Belawadi and TS Nagabharana on set and seeing how they surrender to a director, especially, one as new as me, was unbelievable," he says.
Hindustan Times
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Ramya: As an actor, I have not really pushed the envelope
In her film career spanning a little more than a decade, Kannada actress Ramya did roles that she says were nothing like her. She didn't understand the roles she was playing and had a problem with most of them. As an educated, opinionated and financially independent woman, she'd do roles that were a complete opposite – homely, next-door-girl, who's waiting for the hero to rescue her. Miss seeing Ramya onscreen? Tune in to OTTplay Premium and stream Excuse Me, Ranga SSLC, Arasu and more In a candid chat with model Shubra Aiyappa on the podcast Flip the Script with Shubra, Ramya admits to having been in a constant dilemma, because she wanted to be satisfied with her work and be able to leave a legacy or a mark and have other women look up to her, while also changing the perspective of women in cinema. 'I've asked directors why I was expected to slit my wrists if the hero said no to me; 'My life goes on', I said. They'd agree with me but ask me to follow what's in the script,' she said, adding that she then chose to focus on her costumes in her films. The actress, who was rechristened Ramya for the screen by late Dr Rajkumar's wife Parvathamma, adds that despite all her success in the Kannada film industry, where she was considered the numero uno at one point, a good role still evades her. 'One door that is yet to open for me is a really good role that I actually want to do. In my entire career, I had to choose the best from what was there. Ironically, the film industry is quite superstitious. If your first film does really well, then there's no stopping you,' says Ramya. She adds that irrespective of one's good looks, talent or family background, if that debut film does not take off, there are no takers for an actor. She cites the example of her failed launch in Telugu, which was the remake of her Kannada film debut Abhi. Called Abhimanyu, the Kalyan Ram-led film was a flop and that was the end of Ramya's Tollywood journey. After a brief hiatus, when she took a plunge into active poltics, Ramya has been trying to make a comeback in cinema, but has found that the roles she is being offered are exactly what she did 20 years ago. 'I'm really looking forward to doing something I have not done; something that I really resonate with. I have not really had a challenge in films. I haven't really pushed the envelope when it comes to films,' she added. Since announcing her desire to return to cinema, Ramya has turned to film production, and has made one film, Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye. She then said she'd be a part of Dhananjaya's gangster drama Uttarakaanda and even attended the film's muhurtha, but when it eventually took off, she decided not to do it after all.
