Opinions

The Mother: A devastating family drama about being unseen

There are no villains in Usama Khan’s “The Mother”, only a slow suffocating absence. Absence of attention, of purpose, of...

Beyond the Call: How to Kill Your Dreams

Beyond the Call is an anti-motivational tale about choosing a steady pay-check over passion. Teeli’s four-part corporate...

Kuttay (Rated 18+): Theatre That Bites Back

I thought of walking out of Kuttay: The Ones Who Don’t Bite at several points, a few people actually did. Not because the...

Who gets to be a Pakistani drama critic?

“Culture Critic” has always felt like a misnomer to me. The word suggests someone hovering at the edges, judging from a distance,...

Men Age Into Legends. Women Age Into Punchlines

Ageism and misogyny do not announce themselves as villains. They arrive smiling, joking, framed as banter. This week, we saw two such incidents, one in a victorious Olympic locker room and the other on a television set in Pakistan. Both revealed the same ingrained reflex – to trivialize and denigrate

ARY Opinions

Musaddiq Malek: A Director Who Understands Women

The last decade has been a good one for the Pakistani drama scene, with new actors gracing our screens to new channels emerging that have completely revolutionized both drama production and drama viewership. And in this haze of novelty a bright young director has emerged. Musaddiq Malek, an alumnus of...

Opinions

Young Pakistani Actors We Are Obsessing Over in 2025

From breakout performances in dramas to viral social media moments, these young actors are shaping the future of our screens. Whether they’re actors, singers, or influencers, they’re bringing something new to the table and catching the eyes of fans everywhere. In this list, we’re introducing you...

Opinions

This Pakistani Artist Has Designed for Hermès

From luxury hotel lobbies to high-end boutiques, Nosheen Iqbal’s art has quietly woven itself into some of the most recognizable spaces in the U.S. Her signature fiber artistry has landed in spaces like Hermès, Marriott, Starbucks, and DoubleTree. Her embroidered skyline installation graces downtown...

Opinions

We All Really Need to Talk About PECA

On January 27, 2025, amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) were approved by Senate Standing Committee on Interior. Why should this matter to you? Because these changes threaten the way we get our news. If passed, they give the government the power to control what information we...

Opinions

Mastering the Attention Economy: The Sejas’ Formula for Media Dominance

In an era where attention spans are shrinking and content is abundant, capturing—and keeping—an audience has become a science. Few understand this better than Jerjees Seja, CEO of ARY Digital Network and his brother, Abdullah Seja, COO of iDream Entertainment. With a track record of producing some of...

Opinions

The Interviewers Everyone Should Be Watching Now

Our attention span has gone to tatters and so has the quality of the content we consume. Consumers on digital platforms are clicking on funny, snarky and low-quality content on a daily basis. When an interviewer makes low IQ comebacks reel ‘views’ quadruple in mere seconds. In the rat race to go viral,...

Opinions

Anatomy of a Pakistani Drama Villain

If you’ve ever spent multiple lazy evenings glued to primetime dramas, you’ve undoubtedly come across: the villain. These characters are the true lifeblood of our television screens, spinning webs of deceit and sprinkling chaos like it’s glitter. So, what makes a perfect South Asian villain? Let’s dive...

Opinions

I Joined TikTok So You Don’t Have To: The Wild World of BrownTok

TikTok is a fever dream, but BrownTok? That’s a whole other level. It’s chaotic, heartwarming, problematic, hilarious—and at times, profoundly eye-opening. This corner of the app is where brown people Desis, Arabs, North Africans, and anyone with melanin and trauma from being asked “But where are you...

Opinions

Where's the South Asian Sci-Fi on Screen? The Future is Waiting

Why is South Asian sci-fi still trapped in the shadows? We’ve got the stories, the characters, the sheer creative chaos yet when you think of futuristic worlds, you’re still probably imagining white dudes in spandex saving the day. South Asia’s been bending reality long before we started getting our...

Hollywood Opinions

Watching Wicked in Pakistan: When Fantasy is more Real than Reality

Wicked: Part One (2024) may seem like an escapist fantasy but the film’s themes— fascist governments, power, and and social justice—are strikingly relevant to Pakistan’s own political circus. In a country where authority, corruption, and misinformation rule, the Broadway adaptation serves as a...

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Men Age Into Legends. Women Age Into Punchlines

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