THE GRAPEVINE

The Gold Medalist

Indeed, it was the proudest moment for all of Pakistan when Arshad Nadeem won the gold medal for javelin and broke the Olympic record at the recently concluded Paris Olympics. After a long, long time (four decades, to be precise) all of us have got something to genuinely be happy about in Olympic sports. It has united all Pakistanis. The super-hyped media coverage after the athlete returned to the country was understandable. However, we feel it’s time anchors for TV and YouTube channels prepare a decent set of questions beforehand. It will spare some of them the embarrassment of coming across as unfit for their job.
A Nation’s Dilemma

We know that we have been writing quite a bit about playwright Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar. Can we help it, though? He is constantly in the news. Now, after all the hoopla about the honey trap and video leak episodes, he has come out with a startling new statement (the man doesn’t know when to stay quiet, does he?). He says the nation won’t ever find anyone like him. Wait, what? Wait! And… wait! Okay, he may well be right about that. But then again, is anyone actively looking?
Seized!

Actor Rajpal Yadav is in a spot of bother. The Central Bank of India has sealed a part of his property in native Shahjahanpur, UP, after he failed to repay a loan he had taken for his production house Shree Naurang Godavari Entertainment Ltd. At the time of the sealing, Rajpal Y owed the bank a hefty 11 crore. It goes to show the poor economic condition that Rajpal Y is in these days. A decade or so ago, he was one of the busiest comedians in the Indian film industry. Now he’s a loan ranger.
Get Well Soon

Not too many days after her resolve regarding revitalising the MeToo movement, Aima Baig suffered, according to the singer herself, a “mini-heart attack.” No, she didn’t put it down to her intentions about the movement; rather she said it’s her “overwhelming schedule and lack of proper rest” that caused the cardiac problems. We wish her well and hope that she recovers swiftly and completely. Artists are a special lot and may they remain safe from such lack of rest.
Reason, No Reason

Sofia Vergara and her second husband, Joe Manganiello, recently got divorced after nine years of marriage. The reason the Modern Family star gave for the split was that she didn’t want to be an “old mom” (she’s 52). But Joe M has denied that, calling it “not true.” To which Sofia V responded: “At the end of the day, you never even know if that’s what he said for real. I’ve read a lot of things that I’ve [allegedly] said that I’m like, ‘Huh?’ What am I gonna do, call him? I don’t know if he even said that.” Well, glad that’s been cleared up.
King’s Watch

A few weeks ago, king of Bollywood Shah Rukh Khan received the Pardo alla Carriera award at the Locarno Film Festival, for his outstanding achievements in cinema. Interestingly, what stood out during his appearance at the glitzy affair was the Patek Philippe wristwatch that he was wearing. Apparently it’s valued at $71,000. Instead of his signature outstretched arms style, he kept folding his arms in a way that the watch became prominent. Experts should keep watching his career as, slowly but surely, his acting is taking a back seat to accessories.
Published in Dawn, ICON, August 25th, 2024