Pakistan’s defence tech breakthrough: PM Shehbaz

Pakistani television dramas tend to follow familiar patterns. Family feuds, romantic misunderstandings, domestic conflicts. Shaandaar, the new crime thriller airing on Express Entertainment, has made a deliberate choice to go somewhere different, and the early response suggests audiences are ready for exactly that. The 16-episode drama, directed by Wajahat Rauf, draws inspiration from several real-life roadside killing cases that have sparked public debate and outrage in Pakistan. It is not a dramatisation of any single incident. Instead, the story brings together elements from different cases involving violence, privilege and the kind of power that can sometimes make consequences disappear. The question it keeps returning to is one that many Pakistanis have asked in real life: what happens when the powerful believe they are beyond accountability? For Ahsan Afzal Khan, who plays the central character Salar, the project offered something rare. “A script picked by Mr Wajahat Rauf already gives you the impression that something different is coming,” he told The Express Tribune. He described the opportunity to work in this genre as one of the main reasons he signed on. “There are very few such stories. We were getting a chance to do something different, a crime thriller genre.” Salar is not easy to like. He is privileged, arrogant and narcissistic. He looks down on others and misuses his influence. But Khan was careful to distinguish between understanding a character and excusing one. “I hope people relate to the human side of Salar, but not to his entire personality,” he said. He also pushed back on the idea that characters can be neatly sorted into good and bad. “No negative character is a bad person, and no positive character is a good person. We are all layered somewhere.” His explanation for how someone becomes Salar is rooted in how they were raised and what they absorbed along the way. “Did we face bullying? What did we face? All of that is incorporated into your mind. You are reacting as a defence mechanism.” Beneath the arrogance, there is a human being shaped by something. But those origins do not erase the damage. The drama is designed to move quickly. Khan described it as “fast-paced, gritty and dark,” but said the tone is not relentlessly heavy. “There is a light mood too, then slowly it gets darker and darker. There are social messages and a lot of things.” He said he watches the episodes with his family and finds himself wanting to see the next one. “It keeps you interested. It is not dragged.” That pace appears to be connecting with a younger audience. “Teenagers and Gen Z are enjoying this drama a lot,” Khan said. He also noted that viewers who usually prefer international content have expressed interest in the series, which says something about how far Shaandaar’s tone and subject matter depart from what Pakistani television typically offers. The ensemble cast includes Shamoon Abbasi, Shahzad Sheikh, Areeka Haq, Ali Dayan, Laila Wasti and Ahsan Afzal Khan. Together they inhabit a world where privilege and power create consequences that ordinary people cannot escape, and where the same actions carry very different costs depending on who commits them. It is a world many Pakistani viewers will recognise without needing it explained.

Hollywood star Brad Pitt has spoken publicly for the first time about several of his children choosing to remove “Pitt” from their surnames, saying he understands their decision as the family continues to deal with the fallout of his long-running split from ex-wife Angelina Jolie. His remarks came after weeks of renewed attention surrounding the legal name changes of several of the couple’s children. The issue resurfaced after Vivienne Jolie-Pitt, 18, filed a petition in Los Angeles County Superior Court to legally change her name to Vivienne Marcheline Jolie, citing “personal” reasons. She joins siblings Shiloh, Zahara and Maddox, who have either legally dropped or publicly stopped using the Pitt surname in recent years. According to reports, Pitt addressed the matter during a recent press interaction, acknowledging his children’s choice and expressing support despite the emotional toll it has taken on him. “I understand,” Pitt said when asked about the surname changes. He added, “And if they don’t want it, neither do I.” The Oscar-winning actor continued, “I want them to know that I stand with them as they bravely turn the page on the hell I put them through.” The remarks marked the first time Pitt has publicly commented on the issue since multiple children moved to distance themselves from his surname. Sources present at the event said the actor appeared emotional while discussing the situation. Pitt reportedly admitted it was painful to realise that some of his children no longer wished to be associated with his name. Reflecting on their decision, he said, “So when they decide that being associated with me is just an unacceptable way to live the rest of their lives.” Despite his disappointment, Pitt stressed that he respected their choice. “That’s what being a dad’s all about,” he said, adding that he offered his “100%” support to Shiloh, Zahara, Maddox and Vivienne as they move forward with their decisions. Pitt and Jolie finalised their divorce in December 2024, ending years of legal proceedings that began after Jolie filed for divorce in 2016. Since then, reports have consistently described a strained relationship between Pitt and several of the couple’s six children. The family rift has often been linked to an alleged altercation aboard a private plane in 2016, after which Jolie initiated divorce proceedings. While the actor had largely remained silent on the matter, reports suggested he had intentionally kept his distance from the public discussion to avoid escalating tensions within the family. On the same day his comments emerged, Pitt was photographed spending time with his girlfriend, Ines de Ramon, in Carmel Highlands, California. The couple, who have reportedly been together since November 2022, appeared relaxed during the outing despite continued public interest in Pitt’s relationship with his children. The surname changes continue to attract widespread attention, reflecting the ongoing estrangement within one of Hollywood’s most closely watched families. Pitt’s latest remarks suggest he is choosing acceptance over confrontation as his children make deeply personal decisions about their identities.