Suhail Ali Asghar, a veteran actor who was a force to be reckoned with on television, and later in films, passed away in Lahore after a prolonged illness. After undergoing gastric surgery, his health declined, followed by his untimely departure on Saturday, November 14. His funeral will be held on Sunday in Karachi at Bahria Town.

Born in Lahore and beginning his career with radio, Suhail went on to starring in theatre, a medium of challenge for even the most versatile of actors. But Suhail Ali Asghar honed his acting skills on the centerstage. Going on to star in television dramas, he became an accomplished actor, finding success in a slew of dramas including Laag, Piyas, Chand Girhan and Kajal Ghar.

In the early 2000s, he also starred in cinematic projects, albeit sporadically. His performance, irrespective of the film’s rise or fall, remained commanding.

Since the news of his death was confirmed, several members of the acting community have spoken via social media about what a loss his death is and will remain. Among them were names such as Ahsan Khan, Rabia Butt and Sana Javed. He is also the father of singer-songwriter, producer, lyricist and guitarist Muhammad Ali Suhail who is well-known for his solo work as well as with others including Sikandar Ka Mandar, Takatak, Natasha Noorani and Natasha Humera Ejaz. The great actor will always be remembered – not just for his work – but his magnanimity in letting others rise - by simply sharing the same space as him. May he rest in peace.

The Donkey King heads to China

Writer and director Aziz Jindani’s animated film, The Donkey King hit cinemas across Pakistan in October 2018 and had a great run at the box office. The political satire broke previous box office records made by other animated films in Pakistan, grossing Rs. 24.75 crores after running in the cinemas for 25 weeks. After releasing in theatres in various countries, including South Korea, Colombia, Spain, Russia, Greece, Turkey, Peru, Ecuador, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Taiwan, the good news is that The Donkey King has recently released in China.

According to Aziz Jindani, this is a great achievement for a Pakistani animated film which is reaching newer audiences and receiving appreciation. “We are ecstatic to see our film receive global appreciation across countries. The theatrical release in China is the final frontier in this journey. We hope that this unlocks the door for release of more Pakistani films in China in future,” he shared.

The Donkey King follows the life of a donkey, Mangu, who, by some stroke of luck, becomes king. However, when he realizes what ruling an entire kingdom as well as being powerful entails, he gives his best shot. The Donkey King features voiceover artists Jan Rambo as the protagonist Jan Mangu (the donkey), Ismail Tara as Pehalwan Chacha, Hina Dilpazeer as Miss Fitna, Ghulam Mohiuddin as Badshah Khan and Jawed Sheikh as Changu (Mangu’s father), among others.

Released under the banner of Geo Films, the animated film has also been dubbed in English and released on Amazon Prime for viewers in the UK and US.

Teaser of Wajahat Rauf’s Parde Mein Rehne Do released

With theatres open and Khel Khel Mein being the first Pakistani movie to be released in cinemas across the country on November 19, 2021, more films are gearing up to hit theatres in the coming days. Recently, the teaser of Wajahat Rauf’s upcoming film Parde Mein Rehne Do starring Ali Rehman Khan and Hania Aamir in lead roles, was released.

The one-minute teaser, which gives away most of the plot, opens to a wedding sequence with the groom sitting on a horse while his friends and family dance to the beat of the dhol. Suddenly the clip shows Jawed Sheikh screaming to keep the volume down and making some inappropriate remarks surrounding wedding nights. Next we see Ali Rehman waking up from a nap while Hania Aamir is running across the beach. The teaser is confusing and t­­here seems no connection between its scenes. Moreover, there is a song where the two leads are struggling to dance on the not-so-great choreography wearing horrible outfits. The rest of the video clip has nothing new to offer and shows the lovers being separated by circumstances and then rekindling their love for each other.

Rauf’s fourth cinematic venture, which has been written by Mohsin Ali, also features Jawed Sheikh, Noor ul Hassan, Sadia Faisal and Saifee Hasan amongst others. In an earlier interview the filmmaker shared that the movie is a romantic comedy with a social message. While the teaser didn’t impress us, we hope Parde Mein Rehne Do has more to offer.