Of Glitz and Glitches
By Zoha Liaquat | Newsliners | Published 6 years ago
The second instalment of the International Pakistan Prestige Awards took place in London, with the who’s who of Pakistan’s entertainment circle in attendance. The awards, bigger and better this year around, aimed to celebrate the various Pakistani artists who made their mark in film and television in the country’s budding media industry.
Lollywood’s favourite celebrity couples, Syra and Shehroze Sabzwari, and Urwa and Farhan Saeed, brought the romance quotient up with their charming performances. Shiraz Uppal crooned some of his popular songs, and much to the audience’s delight beloved reel couple Humayun Saeed and Mehwish Hayat broke into an impromptu serenade on stage after winning both, jury and audience choice awards for their movie Punjab Nahi Jaungi.
Critically acclaimed TV show, Baaghi, based on the life of slain social media celeb Qandeel Baloch was the jury’s choice for best serial, while it was Ahad Raza Mir and Sajal Ali’s medical drama Yaqeen ka Safar that bagged the popularity award. The two actors also continued their winning streak with a best TV couple award in their kitty for the third time in a row.Ayesha Omar and Sonya Hussain won big in the style categories. A lifetime achievement award was presented to Sultana Siddiqui, president HUM network, for her unparalleled contribution to the revival of Pakistan’s TV industry.
An otherwise smooth sail, the event saw a glitch in the form of the Pakistani High Commissioner’s painfully awkward speech. The camera panned the confused faces of the audience and the presenters as they tried to make sense of the commissioner’s incoherent words.
A journalism graduate, Zoha's core areas of interest include human and gender rights issues, alongside which she also writes about gender representation in the media and its impact on society.