With the fifth and final season of The Boys approaching, Eric Kripke has something special in store for fans of his work.
Soldier Boy actor Jensen Ackles recently teased his reunion with Supernatural co-stars Jared Padalecki and Misha Collins ahead of the Prime Video series’ concluding episodes, for which their characters have not yet been revealed.
“We see each other more often than you would think — honestly, at least once a month,” he told People after they starred in Kripke’s CW series for 15 seasons from 2005 to 2020.
Ackles added, “It was weird. It was like inviting my friends over to somebody else’s house for dinner. I was like, ‘Listen, guys, don’t make me look bad. I got to stay here.’ They were amazing. I can’t wait to talk more about it because it was quite an experience.”
After Kripke expressed his desire to work with Padalecki on the concluding season of The Boys, the actor told Deadline he’s in. “The answer is yes,” he said last June.
Jensen Ackles as Soldier Boy on ‘The Boys’ (Jasper Savage/Amazon/Courtesy Everett Collection)
“We have talked [about a role]. As a matter of fact, we talked today,” added Padalecki. “I think at this point in my acting life, I only want to work on projects that I really care about or with people that I really care about, and obviously Eric and I are indelibly connected forever.”
After Ackles joined the series as Soldier Boy during Season 3, his and Padalecki’s Supernatural onscreen dad Jeffrey Dean Morgan appeared as Joe Kessler via Billy Butcher’s hallucination in Season 4.
This week, Kripke bid farewell to The Boys set as he wrapped the finale. “It’s bittersweet, but my primary feeling is gratitude,” he wrote in part. “We have the best cast, the best crew, the most fun story to write, and something that is impossible to predict: the right timing. You wait your whole career to have maybe two of those things, if you’re lucky. We got all of them.”
The final season of The Boys, premiering in 2026, comes after Season 4 topped the Nielsen streaming scores for the first time, setting multiple records for Prime Video.
he title of this book, Towards the Pebbled Shore, is borrowed from a Shakespearean sonnet that explores the destructive nature of time and the fragility of human existence. The phrase provides a powerful metaphor for the swift and inevitable progression of life towards its final destination. Does the author, in selecting this title, suggest an intensified awareness of mortality? Possibly, he does. Yet the resonance of this image lies equally in its quiet alignment with the book’s thematic core.
Comprising 52 essays and columns on subjects ranging from world and Eastern classics to Urdu literature, poetry, language and history, the book may appear at first to be a wide-ranging collection. However, beneath this diversity lies a discernible thread: the assertion that while the waves of time may erode all living things, they cannot extinguish the enduring power of the creative imagination.
The world’s literary classics, the book argues, serve not merely as reflections of their age but as fortresses of thought, standing firm against the passage of time, not unlike a rugged shore resisting the sea. Particular emphasis is placed on the classical languages, Greek, Latin, Arabic, Persian and Sanskrit, as the foundation of global literary heritage. While Urdu may not traditionally be classified among these classical tongues, the book posits that it has produced its own canon of timeless works.
Syed Noman-ul Haq, a renowned and esteemed scholar and author, has consistently focused on great literary works from around the globe, with a particular emphasis on Islamic literature. In his examination of the Sanskrit classic Panchatantra and its translations into various world languages, including Pehlevi, Persian and Arabic as Kalila wa Damna, he posits that the realm of creativity transcends the dichotomy of East and West, operating under its own unique logic and grammar. He recognises that nation-states have established not only geographical boundaries but also ideological, cultural and artistic divisions. Haq asserts that nature did not create nation-states; instead, it was humanity that did so. He appears to hold the belief that the domain of creative imagination is inherently shared among all people. This perspective implies that cross-cultural exchanges are a natural occurrence. Seeking inspiration, knowledge and insights from others and engaging in collective cultural endeavours is a fundamental aspect of human nature. Consequently, Haq presents a compelling interpretation of modernity as well. He contends that “modernity is a convergence, a convergence in which many individuals and civilisations have engaged, despite its European origins. Throughout this historical journey, the Arabo-Islamic world has played a significant role. Indeed, it is impossible to recount the intellectual or literary history of the Greeks or the Latin West without referencing Arabic sources.” This understanding of modernity is not only historically accurate but also epistemologically valid. However, it is important to highlight that it was the Latin West that drew extensively from Arabic sources. The case of Modern West is a bit different.
Haq presents numerous historical facts that support his perspective on modernity. Although the book under review is a compilation of short essays and columns, primarily published in Dawn’s Books and Authors magazine, Haq’s well-integrated vision is evident throughout the text. He argues that world classics such as Alf Laila wa Laila (One Thousand and One Nights), Rasa’il Ikhwan al-Safa (Epistles of the brethren of Purity), Hayy Ibn Yaqzan, Kalila wa Damna, among others, played a significant role in the development of modernity. He asserts that the historical influence of Hayy Ibn Yaqzan on global intellectual culture was substantial, stating, “We hear its echoes throughout Europe.” Hayy not only captivated Dutch philosopher Spinoza but also inspired Daniel Defoe in the creation of Robinson Crusoe, which is set on an island reminiscent of Hayy, as well as Rudyard Kipling in writing The Jungle Book. Haq notes that historians have traced the philosophical influence of Hayy, particularly its concept of the human mind as a tabula rasa, on the ideas of Voltaire and Karl Marx. Similarly, Haq speculates that Cervantes’s Don Quixote could be interpreted as an ‘Arabic tale.’ He references the author’s assertion, found in the first chapter of Book II, where Cervantes recounts the discovery of an Arabic text in Toledo that describes Don Quixote as a work by an Arabic historian named Cide Hemet, a corruption of Saiyid Hamid. However, most critics interpret this part of the novel as a fictional device, instead of taking it as an incontestable historical fact. The popular interpretation notwithstanding, Haq concludes that “…Don Quixote is imbued with the concerns, struggles, fate and psychological dislocation of the Muslims (and Jews) of former Al-Andalus.”
He does not conclude his argument there. He continues to express the view that this, the greatest Spanish novel, often described as picaresque, is significantly shaped by the Arabic tradition of Maqamat, particularly Maqamat-i-Hariri,- by an Eleventh Century Muslim scholar of Basra, whose works have been imitated by Spanish Christians since the late 12th Century, several years prior to Cervantes. According to Haq, “Arabic maqama is an episodic story of the adventures of a likeable rogue who travels from place to place and in a corrupt society lives by his wits.”
In addition to the Arabic influence on the evolution of Western intellectual culture, Haq references other Eastern sources, including the Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh, the Sanskrit Panchatantra and the Persian Shahnama of Firdausi. These literary classics from the East served as a catalyst for the Western imagination. The crucial point to consider is that the journey of Eastern thought and intellect towards the West occurred at a significant moment in history, during the initial phase of Western modernity. The concept of Western modernity did not emerge in a singular historical event. It experienced numerous stages, although by the 20th Century, it had turned into a petrified narrative, prompting substantial criticism from post-modernists. Since the 19th Century, Western imperial powers have sought to construct a singular notion of modernity, erasing non-Western cultural influences and intertwining it with colonialism. Therefore, it is not unexpected that modernity has been perceived as a Western cultural and intellectual phenomenon since the 19th Century, portraying non-Western cultures as the Other, entities to be subdued, exploited, misrepresented and ultimately compelled to imitate Western modernity blindly, lest they fail to exist as nations.
One needs to understand that during the initial phase of Western modernity, the exchange of cultural ideas was largely disinterested, driven by an instinct for intellectual survival and cultural blossoming. However, in the era of colonial expansion, cultural transmission evolved into a deliberate interplay of exclusion and inclusion, appropriation and exploitation, as well as a calculated erasure or brazen denial of previous cultural influences.
Cross-cultural transmission is now viewed as an integral aspect of power dynamics. Each text embodies a specific national-political power, or at least political significance, beyond its mere literary or intellectual importance. This perspective on cultural transmission is notably advanced by post-colonial authors. They argue that colonialism established the dichotomies of East and West as part of its imperial-hegemonic strategy, rather than for the sake of comprehending the world. Although Haq refrains from utilising a post-colonial framework, he appears to acknowledge the intentional erasure of Eastern cultural impact on Western Enlightenment. In his discussion of aljamiado in Spain, he expresses dissatisfaction with the historical narratives we receive, which he describes as prefabricated grand narratives that obscure facts, consigning them to obscurity. Haq aims to reclaim these historical truths from the ghettos of history.
Very few individuals are aware of aljamiado in Spain. Historically significant, aljamiado refers to texts composed in the Spanish language using Arabic script. According to Haq, the majority of aljamiado emerged during a period when there was a complete blackout of Arabic writing in Spain. In fact, the creation of aljamiado represented an act of defiance by Spanish Muslims who were subjected to coercive baptism following the Reconquista of Muslim Spain. This was not merely a political act of defiance, but also a cultural one. The point to be emphasised is that Muslims in Europe created a truly hybrid culture, evident in the case of aljamiado as well. Aljamiado texts were linguistically Spanish, scripturally Arabic, and thematically Islamic. It can be asserted that Muslims in Spain during the 15th and 16th Centuries, in their fear of extinction, composed aljamiado as a means of survival and recovery of their cultural self.
Haq’s writings, including his Urdu translation of Kitab al Tawasin, aim to reclaim the lost Self of Islamic/ Islamicate/ Muslim culture, which he asserts has played a crucial role in cultural synthesis. The pursuit of recovering this lost cultural identity appears to have deeply influenced Haq’s writing. This may explain why Muslim Spain continues to resonate with him, much like it did with Allama Iqbal, his most admired figure in the modern Islamic world, who, through his poetry, kept the spirit of the golden era of Islam alive. He passionately references intellectuals and writers from Muslim Spain, such as Ibn Tufayl, Ibn Rushd and Mu’tamid, a poet-prince of the Abbasid dynasty, who pioneered prison poetry, known as habsiyat in Urdu, during the 11th Century. Interestingly, Mas’ud Sa’d Salman of Lahore also created similar poetry while imprisoned in the same century. For Haq, Muslim Spain symbolises his vision of modernity and cross-cultural exchange. As previously noted, he perceives modernity as a convergence of various cultural and intellectual currents, of which Muslim Spain is a prime example. Even after its decline, the Iberian Muslim community, particularly through aljamiado, maintained this spirit of cross-cultural transmission. Thus, the bloodshed of 1492 represented a significant setback not only for Muslims of Spain but also for the entirety of human composite culture.
It is important to emphasise also that his endeavour to recover the lost Muslim identity does not prevent him from valuing the monumental literary achievements of the Latin and Modern West, as well as Sanskrit literature. This is how he has cultivated a persistent appreciation for the aesthetic enjoyment found in literary texts.
In Haq, one can see an impeccable fusion of literary scholarship and aesthetics. His pronounced inclination towards literary scholarship drives him to explore history – primarily literary history, though occasionally political as well. However, his aesthetic sensibility compels him to focus on articulating the ‘pleasure principles’ of a text rather than delving into the multiple meanings that are intertwined with the transience of history or the psychological composition of the author. He is of the view that poetry possesses its own grammar and logic, its own beats and rhythms. This implies that the logic and grammar of poetry take precedence over parole (Saussure’s terminology for speech acts, in contrast to langue, which refers to a set of grammatical rules). We know that grammar is largely fixed, while parole or the meaning of the text, is fluid and remains open to interpretation. Haq emphasises the stability of poetic grammar over the fleeting nature of meanings. In his literary philosophy, the manner in which something is expressed takes precedence over the content itself. By adopting this approach, he appears to permit poetry to forge its own reality, thereby altering conventional perceptions of reality. This also suggests that the aesthetics of poetry acquire a characteristic of metaphysics. In his remarkable essay titled Ghalib’s Metaphorical Sport, he posits that Ghalib’s poetry transforms concrete reality into metaphor, subsequently regarding metaphor as concrete reality, and extracts further metaphor from it. He suggests that reality engenders metaphor, and metaphor as reality gives rise to new metaphors. Can we infer from this that poetry may contain an infinite Derridean sequence of metaphors, or is there a ‘reality principle’ at work in poetry that inhibits the emergence of a labyrinth?
This aesthetic process establishes a sovereign, metaphysical realm. This realm not only transcends concrete reality but also extends beyond history. I contend that concrete reality and history, although mediated through language initially and then through poetic metaphors, remain essential, as a ‘reality principle’- albeit not absolute – references. Even the highest forms of aesthetics do not relinquish the sensual dimensions of human experience that are rooted in history. This minor disagreement aside, the book is a genuinely scholarly work. Besides erudite discussion about world and Islamic classics, the book contains a brilliant evaluation of Urdu poets like Ghalib, Iqbal, Faiz, Fraz, Nasir and Iftikhar Arif. The breadth, magnitude and profundity of Haq’s expertise in the world’s classical languages and their monumental works are unparalleled. This book is essential reading for students and connoisseurs of world literature.
The reviewer is a Lahore-based Urdu critic and fiction writer. He is also the current Head of Publications at the Gurmani Centre, LUMS. Majmooa Nasir Abbas Nayyar is his most recent publication
Starring: Jenna Davis, Ivanna Sakhno, Violet McGraw, Jemaine Clement and Allison Williams
Directed by: Gerard Johnstone
t was in 2023, during a perfect storm of cultural obsession over both Artificial Intelligence (ChatGPT had just launched) and plastic dolls (Greta Gerwig’s Barbie was released the same year), that M3GAN — the artificially intelligent robot doll who went on a pop-music-soundtracked killing spree was launched on an unsuspecting-but-instantly-willing public. This Chucky-esque chick with a peculiar penchant for genuinely killer dance-moves became a viral sensation: a robot doll who slayed, in every sense of the word. Sensing a cultural moment, the canny producers at horror specialists Blumhouse wasted no time in speeding to market a top-to-bottom hardware and software update, and happily, 2.0 is just as ridiculously entertaining as the prototype.
Nearly the entire creative team from the first film have returned, including writer-director Gerard Johnstone, Allison Williams as M3GAN’s regretful co-creator Gemma, Violet McGraw as Gemma’s niece Cady, and Amie Donald as M3GAN herself, with Jenna Davis providing her cutesy/ curdling voice.
“We are following Terminator 2 rules here: if AMELIA is the cold, ruthless, unstoppable T-1000, then M3GAN is the T-800 who can take her on — the fan-favourite baddie gone good — with Williams’ Gemma as the tech-sceptical Sarah Connor-type, who must learn to love her former foe. Because if a M3GAN can learn the value of human life, maybe we can too?”
But things are different now. While the first film at least gestured towards horror in its comedy, that pretence has now been merrily abandoned. It begins almost like a James Bond (or, indeed, Austin Powers) film, with a very ’90s action-sci-fi prologue introducing us to the new tech in town. M3GAN now has a fearsome new rival in militarised fembot AMELIA (played by Ukrainian actor Ivanna Sakhno), which in the grand tradition of sci-fi acronyms stands for “Autonomous Military Engagement Logistics and Infiltration Android”: an automaton capable of punching a man’s head clean off. And wouldn’t you know it, she’s gone rogue.
That’s where M3GAN — thought to have been destroyed after the deadly events of the last film — re-enters the fray, now taking multiple forms, from cloud-based AI to wearable tech to a toy “plastic Teletubby”. We are following Terminator 2 rules here: if AMELIA is the cold, ruthless,unstoppable T-1000, then M3-GAN is the T-800 who can take her on — the fan-favourite baddie gone good — with Williams’ Gemma as the tech- sceptical Sarah Connor-type, who must learn to love her former foe. Because if a M3GAN can learn the value of human life, maybe we can too?
All of that works reasonably well, though Johnstone’s script sometimes throws a little too much plot at the wall, taking a long walk through some chewy exposition to get to the good stuff. While there’s some interesting and cogent takes on tech addiction and the unregulated power of Silicon Valley, the narrative is far more convoluted than it needs to. But when it lets loose and amps up the camp, we hit more 1s than 0s. There are glorious allusions to Steven Seagal’s Above The Law and Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers; a gleeful supporting turn from Jemaine Clement as a despicably sleazy tech baron; and the most deranged, out-of-nowhere musical number this side of Beetlejuice.
There are potential quibbles to be had about plausibility and coherence — Gemma’s professed Ludditism seems to be very easily swayed, if not entirely and instantly abandoned — but when you’re watching two plastic dolls neck-snap their way through the world, life is good. We can’t wait for the next system upgrade.
– Courtesy: Empireonline.com
Rating system: *Not on your life * ½ If you really must waste your time ** Hardly worth the bother ** ½ Okay for a slow afternoon only *** Good enough for a look see *** ½ Recommended viewing **** Don’t miss it **** ½ Almost perfect ***** Perfection
uring Milan Fashion Week, it was clear Dunhill was celebrating its unapologetic British roots. Creative Director Simon Holloway drew inspiration from regal wardrobes and the rock legends he considered aristocrats who carried with them a degree of irreverent glamour. The result? A collection that was as much garden party as backstage pass.
“British style is never just about the suit; it’s about how you wear it and what you wear with it,” said Holloway, citing the influences of King Charles III in his bachelor days and the eccentric elegance of Bryan Ferry (frontman for the 1970s highly successful British band Roxy Music).
The show took place in the private garden of Milan’s Museo Poldi Pezzoli, and was at once intimate and expansive. The models strode down the runway with borzois and weimaraners—the aristocratic-looking dog breeds that nodded to the British noble theme and added visual interest to the overall presentation and memorability. The fitted silhouettes were relaxed and complemented with loose layers and muted colours—creams, olives and browns—with hints of red and yellow. From tattersall check-lined coats (inspired by Tattersall’s horse market in London) to linen suits in pastel colours and silk-cotton blends that were hand-finished, the pieces from Dunhill conveyed relaxed luxury. The accessories also took cues from the casual: leather trainers, Panama hats, and the re-introduction of the classic Davies driving shoe that made the collection practical too. “It’s not about stiffness—it’s about precision with personality,” Holloway said. In a season in which fashion is all about looking forward, Dunhill reminded us that looking backward—as long as you do it with purpose and flair—can be just as edgy. – Images: Courtesy of Dunhill
Know What You Did Last Summer, slated for release later this month, is not a re-release of the same film, which caught the attention of critics and viewers (particularly teenagers) in 1997. Are you as excited as we are? The nineties generation certainly is. As fans of the original film or slasher cinema get excited for its return, here’s what we know about the upcoming film.
The title is not exactly a misnomer for several reasons. For one thing, out of the franchise, the only film that had the audience hooked was the first film. The second film was a forgettable affair. And the less said about the one-season series from Amazon, the better. This idea to make a series without the original actors was so banal that even the streaming audience couldn’t stomach it. A second season never happened.
However, after many wrongs, discussions began for a film with a new story featuring a cast comprising some of the original actors as well as newer ones.
The major original cast members from the 1997 film were actors Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, and Freddie Prinze Jr.
When negotiations began, it seemed improbable that anyone from the 1997 film would appear in the upcoming film, given that the film was announced in early 2023, but two out of the four actors confirmed their involvement in December 2024.
According to Enterta inment Weekly, Jennifer Love Hewitt confirmed that she would reprise her role in an Instagram post. She wrote, “It’s never too late to go back. Julie James is returning. I know what you will be doing next summer!”
The other actor who also agreed to reprise his role was Freddie Prinze Jr., who first said no but eventually agreed to return for the upcoming 2025 film.
In an interview, the actor confirmed that, while his character would be playing a key role, the film will be led by younger actors.
The actor said, “Ray has a bar that he runs. It’s kind of where he’s at in his life now. He’s not the active fisherman that he thought he was going to be. He’s managing and owning a spot of his own and trying to keep it afloat.”
He continued, “I think what [director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson and I] both brought to Ray was a lot more vulnerability in this movie. When the s*** hits the fan again, so to speak, you kind of see how these characters absorbed all that trauma from the first two movies, and now they’re a sponge getting squeezed, and you get to see what comes out. And the amount of vulnerability we were able to put in there, I thought, was really honest and just organic. Nothing felt forced or fake or something that was a note from somebody that didn’t need to be given a note.”
Director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson told EW, “Their relationship is a key part of the film’s emotional arc. It’s about both Ray and Julie finding catharsis through helping the younger cast in this film. I think they both have a lot of emotional stuff that they’ve kind of put band-aids on, and those band-aids are ripped off by our younger cast, and this movie is definitely about them. Each of them has a person in the younger cast that they are connected to, and it is about them helping all five of these kids move through this.”
However, actor Sarah Michelle Gellar (wife of Freddie Prinze Jr.) was clear from the start that she would not return because she died in the first film. The director of this film did her best to get Sarah Michelle Gellar to appear in the film, but it didn’t work (because this isn’t Buffy the Vampire Slayer where she keeps dying and keeps coming back!).
“I tried, okay? I harassed her! But she is dead,” Robinson said. “I tried to pitch some crazy ideas too. I was like, ‘What if it’s like you weren’t dead and you’re actually alive, but in hiding?’ And Sarah’s like, ‘I was on ice. I was the most dead a person could be. You can see my frozen body.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, but what if?’ And she said, ‘I am dead. I am Sarah Dead Gellar.’”
I Know What You Did Last Summer will not be led by Jennifer Love Hewitt or Freddie Prinze Jr., though. A cast of younger actors will lead the film.
Madelyn Cline (Outer Banks), Chase Sui Wonders (The Studio), Jonah Hauer-King (The Little Mermaid), Tyriq Withers (Atlanta), and Sarah Pidgeon (The Wilds) will make up the ensemble cast along with veteran actor Austin Nichols (One Tree Hill, Ray Donovan). And there you have it. I Know What You Did Last Summer is being released on July 18 in Pakistan in select cinemas, so watch out!
What is it about: Lahore Arts Council joins hands with Ajoka Theatre for a theatre workshop that is suitable for both aspiring actors and budding artistes.
Rafay Rashdi is recognised for his innovative work in film and television, where he seamlessly weaves diverse narratives while keeping audiences engaged. His ability to combine substance with style has helped him carve out a distinctive space in Pakistan’s expansive media landscape.
He holds an undergraduate degree in Commerce and Information Technology from Ryerson University in Canada. A postgraduate degree in Business Systems Analysis and Design from City, University of London has further shaped his cinematic perspective. His journey in media has seen both notable successes and inevitable challenges.
In his latest directorial effort, Deemak, Rafay explores themes of trauma, mental health, and family—all under the broader umbrella of horror. Although he initially announced a project titled Yakin, production delays led him to fully commit to the genre he’s most passionate about.
A proud inductee of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 411 of Motion Pictures and
Television in Toronto, Rafay has also contributed significantly to Canadian media—particularly through his advocacy for the Princess Margaret Cancer Research fundraising programme.
He served as producer and hospitality manager for the inaugural Pakistan International Film Festival, which featured over 50 films and attracted filmmakers from the USA, Southeast Asia, and India. He also played a key role on the managing committee for the festival’s Women’s Edition 2021. His podcast Behind The Curtain with Rafay Rashdi holds the distinction of being the first Pakistani podcast to appear on Amazon Prime Video.
Rafay’s past works include Jamun Ka Darakht (Java the Plum Tree)—an exceptional film that won 15 international festival awards and was screened at the Oscar-qualifying South Asian Tasveer Film Festival. While some projects found greater success than others, his work consistently engages with pressing social themes. Collaboration has played a central role in Rafay’s growth as a filmmaker—especially his two-year partnership with author Ayesha Muzaffar to adapt her book Jinnistan into a psychological thriller.
The resulting script probes
familial bonds—mother/son, husband/wife, and daughter-in-law/mother-in-law—while exploring societal issues like domestic abuse.
In an exclusive conversation with Instep, just before travelling to China for Deemak’s screening at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Film Festival from July 3 to 7—Rafay opened up about the film’s concept and production journey.
With Deemak, he is pushing creative boundaries and achieving remarkable box office success.
Instep: What is the core concept behind Deemak, and what motivated you to set the film during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Rafay Rashdi (RR): Deemak draws inspiration from the displacement of jinn following the earthquake in Harnai, Balochistan. The idea of jinn seeking refuge in a human household fascinated me—it allowed for an exploration of possession while remaining grounded in cultural lore. To ensure relevance, I placed the narrative during the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought global mental health struggles to the forefront. It was important to depict how these invisible challenges ripple through families.
Instep: How did your collaboration with writer Ayesha Muzaffar come about?
RR: Working with Ayesha felt incredibly intuitive. I connected deeply with her book Jinnistan, and our collaboration transformed it into a story that blends intimate relationships with bro-ader societal critique.
Instep: Can you tell us about the themes explored?
RR: Certainly. The film addresses family relationships while highlighting sensitive issues like domestic abuse. We aimed to handle these subjects with authenticity and care, ensuring that the supernatural components complemented rather than overshadowed the emotional core.
Director Rafay Rashdi Takes Pakistani Horror to New Heights with Deemak
Filmmakers have a duty to respect both their message and their audience. Cinema-going can be expensive, so we must ensure that films are thought-provoking yet engaging. While festival films can embrace gravity, mainstream releases benefit from accessible storytelling.
Instep: How has the audience responded to diverse content in Pakistani cinema?
RR: Audiences in Pakistan are becoming more open to genre diversity, especially with the rise of digital platforms. They value good storytelling, but the execution must resonate with their lived realities and cultural context.
Instep: Your film has been selected for competition at the SCO Film Festival. What are your thoughts on this opportunity?
A file photo of Sabrina Carpenter performing at the Grammy Awards earlier this year
Sabrina Carpenter brought her signature sugary pop sound to a crowd of 65,000 at London’s BST Festival on Saturday night.
The 26-year-old has built a brand around sexual confidence and racy lyrics, which were noticeably toned down as the US singer embraced a more family friendly show in London’s Hyde Park.
At one point a graphic flashed up on screen advising “parental discretion” as Carpenter launched into album track Bed Chem. She ditched her usual sexually suggestive performance on song Juno and instead used a cannon to fire t-shirts into the crowd.
Despite these changes she was still at her best, storming through a 17-song tracklist that comprised her biggest hits, charming the crowd with her Hollywood smile and incredibly bouncy hair.
Getty Images
Carpenter broke UK chart records in 2024 after becoming the first artist in 71 years to spend 20 weeks at the top of the singles chart
Carpenter writes music for women of the dating app generation and her songs are filled with the type of anecdotes you’ve heard over Friday night drinks with the girls – from the anger over not getting closure to the fear of a man embarrassing you when they meet all your friends.
Perhaps that is what makes her so relatable. She’s a talented singer and dancer who shot to fame on the Disney Channel, but she could also so easily be your mate who brings over ice cream when you’re going through a break-up.
Her ability to switch from a sassy upbeat dance number to a vulnerable, acoustic solo performance is also impressive.
She’s an accomplished performer for someone whose breakout hit, Espresso, is little over a year old. But much to the surprise of many, she’s been in this game for a very long time.
The Pennsylvania-born star began posting videos of herself on YouTube at the age of 10 and came third in a competition to find the next Miley Cyrus a year later.
After starring in a few small acting roles, the singer became a bona fide Disney star in 2013 when she was cast in TV series Girl Meets World.
She began releasing music the following year and has released six albums to date, but has only recently received global recognition.
Carpenter became the first female artist to hold both the number one and number two positions on the UK singles chart for three consecutive weeks in 2024 and she also became the first artist in 71 years to spend 20 weeks at the top of the charts with Espresso.
Carpenter performed the first of two sold out shows at London Hyde Park’s BST Festival
From watching her live, it appears she’s been waiting patiently for this moment for quite some time, to perform on the biggest stages around the world and to thousands of fans – something she references a few times between songs.
She told the crowd she was “so, so grateful” that the audience had chosen to spend their Saturday evening with her, gushing that “London is so fun and there’s so much to do here”.
Much of the cheekiness she has built her brand on was weaved in throughout her performance, including 1950s style infomercials advertising sprays that erase no-good men from your life and mattresses that are perfect for “activities”.
But aside from a racy rendition of Bed Chem and a snippet of Pony by Ginuine (one for the Magic Mike fans) the show was more PG than expected.
Perhaps it was due to the large volume of young children stood in the crowd amongst us Gen Zs and millennials.
Or perhaps the pop princess needs a break from making headlines.
The first was back in March, when her Brit Awards opening performance was criticised for being too racy for pre-watershed television.
Media watchdog Ofcom received more than 800 complaints, with the majority relating to Carpenter’s choreography with dancers dressed in Beefeater outfits.
Then in June this year she was once again under fire for sharing artwork for her new album, Man’s Best Friend, which showed her on her hands and knees in a short dress whilst an anonymous man in a suit grabbed her hair.
Carpenter then revealed alternative artwork she said was “approved by God” and shows her holding the arm of a suited man.
Criticism for the original artwork came from charities including Glasgow Women’s Aid which supports victims of domestic abuse. It said Carpenter’s album cover was “regressive” and “promotes an element of violence and control”.
Heather Binning of Women’s Rights Network, also told the BBC that violence against women should “never be used as satire”.
But what Saturday’s performance showed is that Carpenter is a true professional, someone who can easily adapt both her style and setlist to cater to different audiences.
She ended the show perfectly, taking to a crane that panned across the huge mass of people, thrilling fans and giving them the opportunity for a close-up video to post on their social media.
“Damn nobody showed up,” she joked, adding: “London thank you so much for having us tonight, this has to be one of the biggest shows I’ve played in my entire life.”
She wrapped up with Espresso, marking the end of the show by downing some in martini-form from a crystal glass.
There were a few mutters from the crowd, who perhaps were expecting a special guest or two, but it was clear from the offset that this would be a defining moment in the popstar’s career and one where she only wants the spotlight on her.
Scarlett Johansson, Ryan Reynolds past resurfaces amid Blake vs Justin
Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Reynolds are back in the news years after their quiet divorce, as the actor’s current wife Blake Lively deals with a legal fight with her co-star Justin Baldoni.
While Ryan and Lively are now seen as one of Hollywood’s most stable couples, some fans are revisiting his past with Johansson.
The two actors were once married, though their time together was short and mostly kept away from the spotlight.
The Jurassic World actress and the Deadpool & Wolverine actor began dating in 2007, not long after Reynolds ended his engagement to singer Alanis Morissette.
And by May 2008, the former couple were engaged and later held a private wedding ceremony in Vancouver Canada.
But the marriage did not last as work kept them away too often and that became too much to handle.
However, Scarlett was the one who ended things in 2010 and their divorce was finalised in 2011.
Years later, the actress said that she was only 23 and Ryan was 31 at the time and did not really know what marriage meant back then.
An insider revealed at that time: “They are being very civil about it. The big problem with their relationship is the distance. They spent a lot of time apart when they are working… She’s been unhappy for a while.”
Scarlett and Ryan are back in the buzz as Blake Lively sues Justin Baldoni. She claims he entered her trailer while she was topless and crossed the line during a kiss scene in their film It Ends With Us.
Justin then hit back with a lawsuit against both Blake and Ryan, claiming their team tried to ruin his name and demanded 400 million dollars in damages.
The legal fight is still far from over and for now, all eyes are on how this battle will play out.
