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#ShareThe Load – Ariel India’s Latest Campaign Challenges the Gender Stereotypes

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Ariel India is breaking the stereotypes associated with gender role and household chores with te second installment of its campaign #ShareTheLoad. Beautifully shot, the latest TVC questions the norms passed from one generation to another.

The emotionally packed TVC is winning hearts on social media. Since being posted on February 19, the ad has received over 3.2 million views on Facebook.

The video shows a father visiting his daughter at her house. He quietly notices her juggling chores and fixing tea for her husband while making an important work call. Her tedious routine begins the moment she walks in after work while her husband is seen watching TV while working on his laptop.

Watching his little girl do so much, the man realizes a mistake he made and writes out an apology. Watch the heart melting TVC here:

The successful TVC is an extension of the brand’s earlier campaign. The first TVC with #ShareTheLoad shows a  mother-in-law recounting her life events and the limited opportunities offered to them in the past. The video culminates into mother-in-law praising her daughter-in-law’s successful career and ends with husband’s stereotypical dialogue.

The 45-second ad is part of Ariel India’s latest campaign that highlights the evolving role of women and the acceptance of their improved status in India.

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From an advertising perspective too, the campaign is breaking the long embraced barriers of objectifying women as either sultry models or deprived housewives. Simple and heart touching, #ShareTheLoad is definitely a milestone in detergent brands’ advertising.

 

India’s Tata Renames ‘Zica’ Car as ‘Tiago’

India-Tiago-Tata-Motors

India’s biggest carmaker Tata Motors announced Monday it had rechristened its new hatchback Tiago, changing it from the initial ‘Zica’ after an outbreak of the identical-sounding Zika virus.

Tata Motors had earlier this month said it would rename its new car after the mosquito-borne Zika virus spread rapidly through Latin America, where it has been blamed for a surge in brain-damaged babies.

“After an exhilarating #FantasticoNameHunt, we are proud to present the rechristened Tiago from Tata Motors!,” the company said on Twitter.

Tiago Tata Motors

It said more than 37,000 suggestions had been submitted for a new name in a global crowd-sourcing campaign.

“Tiago became the chosen name from the final three entries – Tiago, Civet and Adore that were opened up for the audience voting,” it said in a statement, according to the Press Trust of India.

The firm is working towards the market launch of Tiago by March end, PTI reported, citing the statement.

Tata Motors had been heavily promoting the small Zica — whose name stood for “zippy car” — with a marketing campaign starring Barcelona footballer Lionel Messi.

The car, aimed at young people, was showcased at India’s popular Auto Expo 2016 in New Delhi earlier in February.

Tata Motors Rename ‘Zica’ Car As Zika Virus Spreads

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Deepika Padukone To Work With Brad Pitt In Upcoming Hollywood Movie?

Deepika-and-Brad-Pitt

The Bajirao Mastani actress, Deepika Padukone is all set to rule Hollywood with xXx The Return of Xander Cage with Vin Diesel, after a successful Bollywood box office run. The latest rumor is that just months after the project announcement, Deepika has also signed her second Hollywood project opposite the Fight Club star, Brad Pitt.

This surely is a treat for Deepika fans, if the rumors are true. Fans were still gaga over the actress’ Hollywood project with Vin Diesel; we just can’t wait for the reactions this news will be receiving.

And it starts! @deepikapadukone and @vindiesel promise entertainment! Are you excited? #xXx #TheReturnOfXanderCage

A post shared by Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) on

The Tamasha actor surely has turned heads in Hollywood with her stellar performance. Deepika is presently in Toronto, shooting with Vin Diesel and Nina Dobrev for xXx the Return of the Xander Cage.

Bollywood exports to Hollywood are surely making noise; after Priyanka Chopra making her mark with Quantico and her upcoming flick Baywatch with Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, we just can’t wait to see Deepika on the Hollywood screen.

Other Bollywood stars who paved the way for the upcoming talent in Hollywood are Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Anil Kapoor, Anupam Kher and Irrfan Khan.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed for this news to be true!

Directed by DJ Caruso, xXx The Return of the Xander Cage will be hitting the screens in 2017.

Priyanka Chopra’s Baywatch Movie: Pictures & BTS Shots Revealed

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Tuk Tuk Rickshaws Trump Elephants at Sri Lanka Polo Match

A elephant polo tournament in Sri Lanka which was scrapped after one of the beasts went rogue has been revived with tuk-tuk taxis taking their place, to the relief of animal lovers.

Six teams of three vehicles each and their drivers and passengers competed in the 2016 tuk-tuk polo championships held over the weekend in the southern port city of Galle.

“We had a tuk-tuk polo event last year. It was more of a friendly game, but this year it was a proper tournament,” said Rachel Dobbs, niece of Australian luxury hotelier Geoffrey Dobbs who organised the event.

Elephants were ridden at six previous tournaments in Galle, but organizers decided to stop using the animals after the 2007 event when one went rogue and smashed into several spectators’ cars.

sri lanka tuk tuk

The event lapsed for several years until it was revived as a friendly last year.

“We are glad that tuk-tuks have replaced elephants in this game,” said animal rights activist Sagarika Rajakarunanayake. “Elephants are subjected to cruel treatment at these events.”

Tuk-tuks — three-wheeler motorbike taxis — are more commonly sighted zipping through traffic in Sri Lanka, Thailand and elsewhere.

They moved much more slowly around the makeshift polo field at the weekend, with plenty of stop-starts, but organizers said there were remarkably few scrapes or dinged fenders.

Winners of this year’s tournament split 200,000 rupees ($1,430) in prize money.

Mark Zuckerberg Sees A Bright Future For Facebook in VR

The Facebook CEO made a surprise appearance at Samsung’s presentation event ahead of Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, to vaunt the merits of the firm’s Gear VR headset. According to Mark Zuckerberg, Virtual Reality (VR) is about to shake up the social network as we know it.

The photo from Samsung’s event — posted on the Facebook CEO’s profile — has been doing the rounds on the Internet all day, showing Mark Zuckerberg in a trademark plain t-shirt walking among a crowd of journalists and experts wearing VR headsets, oblivious to his presence.

A few seconds later, Mark Zuckerberg took to the stage to laud the exciting possibilities of virtual reality technology in the future of Facebook and digital communications. The social network’s CEO waxed lyrical about VR’s ability to let users look and move around any environment, and to live and share exceptional experiences (like surfing, parachute jumping, exploring the surface of Mars, etc.).

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This will all be made possible thanks to a new partnership between Facebook (via Oculus) and Samsung.

For Mark Zuckerberg, VR will be the next social platform, with uses extending beyond games and other forms of entertainment. He used the example of his daughter, born in the autumn of 2015, to explain how VR technology could offer a new means of communication and social sharing.

In fact, he hopes to capture her first steps with a 360-degree camera, so that other family members can live the experience as if they’re really there.

Preparations are already underway to make Facebook the best possible platform for the millions of 360-degree videos users will want to upload to share immersive experiences with friends and family across the globe.

Facebook’s servers are being brought up to speed to broadcast live, high-quality 360-degree image streams while using the least bandwidth possible. All of this should be made possible — and compatible with Samsung’s Gear VR headset — from as soon as 2016.

This could explain Samsung’s free and large-scale distribution of the Gear VR headset with all preorders of Galaxy SS7 and Galaxy S7 Edge smartphones until March 10, 2016.

Mobile Word Congress runs February 22-25, 2016, in Barcelona, Spain. Website: mobileworldcongress.com.

Money Problems Can Lead To Physical Pain: Study

According to a new study money worries can cause more than just psychological stress, with those who are stressed about their financial future also experiencing more physical pain than those who are financially secure.

The new research, published in the journal Psychological Science, was led by a team of researchers from the University of Virginia and Columbia University.

From their observation that levels of economic insecurity and complaints of physical pain were both on the increase, the team decided to investigate using various studies to see if the two might actually be linked, hypothesizing that financial insecurity would cause people to feel a lack of control in their lives, which would then lead to feelings of anxiety, fear, and stress — psychological processes that have previously been shown to be associated with physical pain.

Evidence from one of the team’s online studies revealed that two factors associated with financial insecurity — participants’ unemployment and state-level insecurity — were both correlated with participants’ self reports of pain.

And in another online study the participants who remembered a time in their lives of economic instability reported nearly double the amount of physical pain than the participants who recalled an economically stable period in their live.

money-problems

The team also carried out a lab-based study where they prompted a group of participants to think about an uncertain job market. These participants showed a lower tolerance to pain — measured by how long they could keep their hand in a bucket of ice water — than those prompted to think about a stable job market who showed no changes in their pain tolerance.

And when the researchers gathered data from a 2008 consumer panel of 33,720 individuals, in households where both adults were unemployed, 20% more was spent on over-the-counter painkillers compared to households in which one adult was working.

The results from the findings supported the researchers’ hypothesis, with lead author of the study Eileen Chou concluding that, “Overall, our findings reveal that it physically hurts to be economically insecure. Results from six studies establish that economic insecurity produces physical pain, reduces pain tolerance, and predicts over-the-counter painkiller consumption.”

The team hope that the findings could be used by both other researchers and policymakers to help those in need, “By showing that physical pain has roots in economic insecurity and feelings of lack of control, the current findings offer hope for short-circuiting the downward spiral initiated by economic insecurity and producing a new, positive cycle of well-being and pain-free experience,” they conclude.

The abstract to the study can be viewed online here.

88th Oscars Ceremony 2016: Things You Didn’t Know

The 88th Oscars ceremony is due to be held February 28 at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, presented by actor and comedian Chris Rock. Here’s a look at the numbers behind this year’s event with 10 key figures.

12:

The number of nominations received by the Alejandro González Iñárritu movie “The Revenant”.

The Revenant

Named in three of the main Oscars categories (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor), the epic, starring Leonardo DiCaprio in its lead role, falls short of matching the record 14 nominations for “Titanic” and “All About Eve,” the Joseph L. Mankiewicz classic from 1950.

$200,000:

The equivalent value of the “Oscars Gift Bag” for Best Actor and Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Actress, and Best Director nominees.

Oscar-Gift-Bags-640x480

Gifts in this year’s goodie bag include a first-class ten-day trip to Israel, a two-week holiday in Japan, a year of Audi car rentals, beauty products, fitness sessions, laser beauty treatments, vodka, personalized M&M’s and even a sex toy.

40:

“Mustang” is the 40th French movie to be nominated for Best Foreign Language Film, a record in the category.

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The last French movie to win the gong was Régis Wargnier’s “Indochine” in 1993. Since 1948, France has notched up 12 Oscars in various fields, including three Honorary Awards.

29:

The number of years between Sylvester Stallone’s two nominations for playing Rocky Balboa. In 1977, the actor was nominated for the first time in his career for his role as the famous boxer.

rocky balboa

Although success eluded Stallone first time around, he could score a win on Sunday by beating Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Mark Ruffalo and Mark Rylance to the title of Best Supporting Actor for “Creed.”

6291:

Number of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences members with voting rights in this year’s Oscars, compared with 230 when the ceremony first started back in 1927.

According to a study published at the end of 2013 by the Los Angeles Times, these movie industry representatives are on average 62 years old, 77% are men and 93% are white. These stats do nothing to help the current debate about the lack of diversity at the Oscars.

50:

The total number of Oscar nominations for musician John Williams, the record for a living person.

john-williams

Since his first nomination in 1968, Steven Spielberg’s composer of choice has won five Oscars with music written for “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Jaws,” “Star Wars,” “E.T.” and “Schindler’s List”. On Sunday, the American composer could bag a sixth statuette for his work on “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”

81:

The number of countries that submitted a feature film for the Best Foreign Language Film award. Paraguay sent a movie to the competition for the first time in history.

world-map

However, the country’s entry wasn’t picked for the finalists’ shortlist, which includes “Mustang” (France), “A War” (“Denmark), “Embrace of the Serpent” (Colombia), “Theeb” (Jordan) and “Son of Saul” (Hungary), the hot favorite for the gong.

4:

The number of times Jennifer Lawrence has been nominated for an Oscar, a first for an actress aged 25 or under. In 2010, aged just 20, the “Hunger Games” star picked up her first nomination for Best Actress with “Winter’s Bone.”

Jennifer Lawrence Endorses Dior for Third Time

Thanks to director David O. Russell, the Hollywood star bagged three more nominations for “Silver Linings Playbook,” “American Hustle” and “Joy.” On Sunday, she could walk away with the second Oscar of her career, four years after her first win.

30:

The total number of nominations received by “Star Wars” movies. With five nominations for the latest installment, “The Force Awakens,” the intergalactic adventure is edging closer to Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy.

Star-wars-lead

All in all, “The Lord of the Rings” movies have bagged 17 Oscars, with the third movie, “The Return of the King,” winning 11 alone. The six movies in the George Lucas saga have won a total 10 Oscars, with seven for the original “Star Wars” movie, “Episode IV: A New Hope.”

9:

The number of times Steven Spielberg has been nominated for production.

Steven-Spielberg

After “E.T.,” “The Color Purple,” “Schindler’s List,” “Saving Private Ryan,” “Munich,” “Letters from Iwo Jima” — directed by Clint Eastwood — “War Horse” and “Lincoln,” this year sees “Bridge of Spies,” directed by Steven Spielberg, in the running for Best Picture.

India’s Dhoni Suffers Back Spasm Before Asia Cup 2016

Dhoni-suffers-back-spasm

Indian skipper MS Dhoni suffered a back spasm Monday during a practice session in a major blow to his team just ahead of the upcoming Asia CupTwenty20, the national cricket body said.

Dhoni, 34, sustained the muscle injury in his back during India’s first workout in Bangladesh ahead of the 12-day tournament starting Wednesday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said in a statement.

Dhoni-suffers-back-spasm

The BCCI named wicketkeeper-batsman Parthiv Patel as Dhoni’s cover in the 15-member Indian squad for the event. Patel, 30, last played for India during the ODI triangular series in Australia in February 2012.

“Parthiv has been summoned as (a) precautionary measure,” the Indian team’s media manager Nishant Arora said, according to the Press Trust of India.

Dhoni’s injury comes as the latest setback for his team after Indian pacer Mohammed Shami was ruled out of the Asia Cup last week since he failed to recover from a hamstring strain.

The captain’s back problem fuelled concerns over a rejig in the batting order, and even more so over his fitness ahead of next month’s crucial World Twenty20, with India eyeing a second global title in the format.

http://www.brandsynario.com/asia-cup-2016-schedule-announced-pakistan-vs-india-to-play-to-2-matches/

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Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy’s Oscar Nominated Movie ‘A Girl in The River: The Price of Forgiveness’ Screening at PM Office

The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, met with Academy Award winning filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy in Islamabad to discuss the issue of honor killing crime in Pakistan in light of Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy’s Academy Award nominated film A Girl in The River: The Price of Forgiveness and her Anti-Honor Killing Campaign, The Price of Forgiveness [#PriceOfForgiveness].

It was further announced that the premiere of Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s documentary will be held at the Prime Minister’s Office on 22nd February, 2016.

Oscars 2016: Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy’s Documentary Nominated

Significantly, at this meeting, the Prime Minister highlighted that customs and practices such as honor killings have nothing to do with the divine principles and theories of Islam.

Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif further stated that honor killings is a most critical issue and that his government is determined to adopt all possible ways and means for removing practice from society.

PM sharmeen obaid chinoy

“Women are the most essential part of our society and I believe in their empowerment, protection and emancipation of achieving the shared goal of a prosperous and vibrant Pakistan” added the Prime Minister and he further stated that social evils could be overcome through an effective partnership between the government and the civil society.

The Prime Minister further said that all concerned stakeholders had already been directed to review, address and effectively plug all loopholes in the existing laws through stake-holders consolations, in order to eliminate honour killings in Pakistan.

“This film and its message are incredibly important to me; to Pakistan. It is clear in the film that Pakistan’s social services, including our rescue services and police worked for Saba and came to her aid in a timely manner. What was evident is that it was the societal pressure combined with the way the law is framed, which left Saba pressurized to forgive the perpetrators of the attempted honor killing.”

Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy’s Next Project To Feature Meryl Streep

“Today, following my meeting with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, I feel we may have our biggest win for Pakistan; there is a fundamental recognition that honor killings have no place in a religion that gives women such an elevated status. The Prime Minister has pledged to work on tougher legislation that will be the first step in ensuring that honor killings are eradicated from society and we welcome a screening of the film at the PM’s secretariat next week. ” said Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.

The meeting was also attended by Maryum Nawaz Sharif and SAPM Tariq Fatemi.

9 Perfectly Legal & Ethical Things Banned in Russia

Russian Laws

Russia is the largest country in the world in terms of territory, with a total area of 6,601,668 17,098,242 square kilometers as compared to USA’s 9,826,675 square km. Russia is home to at least 190 ethnic groups, according to the BBC.

According to 2014 data by The World Bank, the population of Russia is 141,049,000, a decline since its peak of 148,689,000 in 1992. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) broke up in 1991 after 70 years of The Communist Party rule.

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) reports that 77.7 percent of Russians are of Russian descent. The rest of the population consists of 3.7 percent Tatar, 1.4 percent Ukrainian, 1.1 percent Bashkir, 1 percent Chuvash, 1 percent Chechen and 10.2 percent other while 3.9 percent are unspecified.

Here we present a brief rundown of common things that are banned in today’s Russia under the powerful president Putin since 2012:

Memes

Russian Laws

All memes, which poke fun at political figures and leadership are banned in Russia. That means, if you live in Russia, there are no more memes of shirtless Putin riding bears, crackers or woodpeckers.

Western Foods & Soaps

Russian Laws

Foods, detergents and soaps from western nations are banned because authorities believe they are toxic and threat consumer health.

 Sex Education

Russian Laws

There is absolutely no sex education in the schools in Russia. Authorities believe that talks of STDS, condom and pregnancy will corrupt the children.

Cuss

Russian Laws

Russia declared a war on four letter word in books, films, music, theater, and online websites in 2014. If you swear/ cuss/ curse on TV or in the theater then expects a fine of anywhere from $70 to $1400.

Lingerie

Russian Laws

Lingerie with less than 6% cotton has been banned, it means all lingerie is banned. Given 80% of undergarments sold in Russia is made in the country. Many believe that it’s a bias attempt to keep out the likes of Victoria Secret and push the far less sexy and desirable Russian brands.

Being EMO

Russian Laws

If you are black clothing, black makeup and listen to alternative music, chances are that you are breaking the law in Russia. That’s because ‘being emo’ is banned since 2008 in Russia as government seeing it “a dangerous teen trend”.

Gay ‘Propaganda’

Russian Laws

Anything that could be construed as gay ‘Propaganda’ is banned in Russia and can get you fine and time in jail. Parades, pamphlets and even flags are seen as methods of spreading a message and government just does not want it around.

Transgender Driver

Russian Laws

Crossing the line into the world of the absurd is the Russian ban of giving driving license to anyone who identifies as transsexual or transgender. According to the Kremlin these sexual orientations are diseases which can have an adverse effect on one’s ability to operate a car.

 Yoga

Russian Laws

In parts of Russia the popular activity of yoga has been banned. Why? Apparently local officials feel that yoga promotes the “spread of new religious cults and movements”.

[Sources: The Times, Washington Post, CNN, Aljazeera, Fox News, ABC]

L’Oréal Makeup’s ‘Life in Pink’ Beauty Film Launches Exclusive Pinks Lipstick Collection

L’Oreal Paris, the world’s leading beauty brand launches “Life in Pink – A Beauty Film”. Inspired by the international campaign La Vie En Rose which saw renowned artist, John Legend, starring for L’Oreal Paris; the beauty film marks the launch of the brand’s Exclusive Pinks, lipstick collection, by Color Riche. An international declaration of love to women and beauty we see 6 exquisite shades of pink featured in the video.

The lipstick range is available at L’Oréal Paris retailers nationwide at PKR 1900.

L'Oreal Paris - Life in Pink - Image 2

‘Life in Pink’ features an original rendition of the song by one of Pakistan’s leading music artist, Jimmy Khan and features Television and Film Personality Bilal Ashraf as the lead in the film alongside L’Oréal Paris official spokesperson Mehreen Syed and models Fouzia Aman, Sadaf Kanwal, Sabeeka Imam and Sana Ansari.

Watch the video below:

Produced by the Vision Factory, the wardrobe for the models has been exclusively designed by premier luxury fashion house Sana Safinaz with Bilal Ashraf’s wardrobe designed by Ismail Farid. Hair and makeup for the beauty film has been done by International Makeup Artist Saima Rashid Bargfrede, with styling by Ehtesham Ansari.

Color Riche combines a series of rich ingredients to create a range of lipsticks that provide comfort and protection with maximum color intensity. The range is one of a kind in its use of jasmine, iris, and violet to create a memorable fragrance for the iconic lipstick collection. The collection features shades of pinks with the perfect smooth texture and delicate matte finish.

L'Oreal Paris - Life in Pink - Image 1

Pink defines sophistication and the six shades of this line are for every woman who is elegant, modern and bold, #PinkObession.

Speaking about the new L’Oréal Makeup Color Riche #PinkObsession campaign, General Manager Consumer Product Division, Farooq Ahmed said, “With this new campaign we are redefining the concept of beauty and celebrating every woman who is worth it.”

“With Life in Pink we celebrate the iconic collection of Color Riche which comes in six different shades for every modern day woman.

“Pinks are always like an obsession and these tailor made shades complement every woman, for any occasion. The video has been brilliantly shot and symbolizes the harmony of beauty and love.”

Pakistan To Import ‘Game-Changing’ Hepatitis-C Drug

Hepatitis-C-drug

Pakistan has authorised the import of an expensive Hepatitis-C drug from the United States to improve treatment for the estimated eight million people carrying the blood infection, officials said Monday.

Hailed by experts as a game-changer, Sovaldi, which has been on the market since 2013, costs around $1,000 per pill in the US or $84,000 for a single course of treatment, according to a US Senate report released last December.

The drug is now being sold nationally in a Pakistani pharmacy chain for around $314 per 28 tablets while the government is urging local manufacturers to produce generic copies on an urgent basis.

Hepatitis-C-drug

“It is estimated that some eight million people are suffering from Hepatitis-C inPakistan and each year about 80,000 people will die,” a senior health ministry official told AFP.

Young Pakistani Scientist Imran Khan Contributed to Gravitational Waves Discovery

“These deaths are caused by advanced liver disease spanning over a period of 20-30 years,” he added.

“The government had to act urgently and even before the formal registration of the drug in the country, it gave special permission to import Sovaldi tablets from the US.”

Another official at the drug registration authority said the government was exploring the option of cheaper alternatives.

“We are encouraging local manufacturers to produce generic drugs on a priority basis which are safe, efficacious and affordable,” the official said.

Last October Pakistan‘s drug authority received 61 applications from pharmaceutical firms to produce Sofosbuvir tablets, the generic name of the drug, of which 14 manufacturers were finally approved.

Gilead Sciences, which makes Sovaldi, has been criticised in the US for the drug’s cost.

The lofty price, set by Gilead, placed Sovaldi and its follow-up drug Harvoni out of reach of many consumers, the US Senate report said.

Hepatitis-C is a blood infection transmitted via contaminated needles, sexual intercourse, and from pregnant mothers to their unborn children.

Pakistani Aqeela Asifi Shortlisted For $1 Million Global Teacher Prize

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Sharjeel Khan, Sami Selected For Asia Cup 2016 & World T20 Squad

Sharjeel-Khan

The left-handed batsman Sharjeel Khan, representing Islamabad United in Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2016, is expected to be included in Pakistani squad for forthcoming World T20 2016 after playing a tremendous innings in the 3rd playoff yesterday, against Peshawar Zalmi.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had announced a 15-member squad previously for the grand event, but the board can alter the squad before March 8th, the official start to the World T20 campaign.

As told by cricket experts, PCB was most likely to substitute the test opener Khurram Manzoor with Sharjeel Khan following the latter’s incredible innings of a total of 117 runs at Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2016.

Sharjeel-Khan

Manzoor’s selection in the T20 team had come as a shock to many and the cricket board received a lot of criticism when his addition in the team was announced.

Sharjeel Khan and Mohammad Sami have also been selected to play in Asia Cup Twenty20, according to ARY News. Sami and Sharjeel will be replacing Ruman Raees and Babar Azam in the Asia Cup tournament. These decisions were undertaken by the PCB merely based on the outstanding performance of the two players in the PSL 2016.

Sharjeel Khan had scored the first ever century in the PSL 2016 on Sunday evening, against Peshawar Zalmi; he scored 287 runs in the overall cricket league. On the other hand, Sami took eleven wickets in the PSL tournament until now, with figures of 5/8.

Mohammad Sami

Shahid Afridi had previously implied that the Pakistan T20 team might be modified; hence, the five wickets by Mohammad Sami against the Karachi Kings, and Sharjeel Khan slamming 8 sixes and 12 fours scoring 117 runs against Peshawar Zalmi, made the PCB selectors re consider their decision, leading them to make a few quick changes in the final squad.

Pakistan Twenty20 Cricket Squad: Shahid Afridi, (Skipper) Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Hafeez, Umar Akmal, Mohammad Sami, Anwar Ali, Imad Waseem, Muhammad Irfan, Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz, Khurram Manzoor, Mohammad Nawaz and Ruman Raees.

3rd Playoff PSL 2016: Islamabad United Beat Peshawar Zalmi by 50 runs

Stay tuned to Brandsynario for more updates.

Written by Maryam Fatima.

Nescafe Basement’s Cover of ‘Kameez Teri Kali’ Has A Modern Twist

Nescafe Basement Season 4 pays homage to the folk song synonymous with the name of the great folk singer Ataullah Khan Essakhelvi, the one and only ‘Kameez Teri Kali’. Under the production of Xulfi, this song has been infused with a modern twist whilst keeping the same ‘feel good’ feelings alive. The young singer Mehak Ali sounds amazing for the soulful way she belted out the familiar tune aided by the guitars and tabla in the background. The best part being the intro with the rabab beautifully capturing the folk tune of the song.

The new talent behind this rendition features Mehak Ali on vocals, Haroon Leo on Acoustic guitar, Syed Misbah uddin on Lead guitar, Arsalan Hassan on keyboard,  Sherry Khattak on rhythm guitar, Sharoon Leo on Violin, Farhan Ali on bass guitar, Nazar Abbas on flute, Kashif Ali on Dhol, Asif Amin on Tabla and Yousuf Ramay on drums.

You can download the song here

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/248035776″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

The video of the song is available on Nescafe Basement’s official Facebook page:

Did you like this post? Let us know in the comments below!

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Bollywood Movie ‘Ishq Forever’ Banned in Pakistan!

The romantic-drama film, ‘Ishq Forever’ has been banned by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in Pakistan. The ban was imposed by five-member CBFC panel first and then was forwarded to a ten-independent member CBFC committee for a second review.

Chairperson of CBFC, Mobasher Hasan, while talking to The Express Tribune said, “The CBFC panel had reviewed the film and found the content to be objectionable.”

ishq-forever

“The ten-member-panel unanimously decided to ban Ishq Forever, citing the fact that the film is tarnishing the image of Islam and Muslims,” added the CBFC Chairman.

Fawad Khan Says NO To Vulgar Scenes In Indian Movies

Meanwhile, CBFC informed Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) about the decision. The committee requested the cable operators and other authorities to not screen the film.

The reports also mentioned that a confirmed ban on the film have been imposed in Punjab through the Punjab Board of Film Certification (PBFC), whereas Sindh Board of Film Certification (SBFC) has not confirmed the reports of putting a ban on this movie.

Bangladesh Bans Superstar Who Protested Against Indian Movies

The Sameer-Sippy directed film, Ishq Forever, starring Lisa Ray, Ruhi Singh, Javed Jaffery and Krishna Chaturvedi was released on February 19.

Shaan-e-Pakistan Fashion Show ‘Kya Dilli Kya Lahore’: Designers & Event Details

With the success of its first edition in New Delhi in September 2015, #Shaan-e-Pakistan returns with more exhibitors and partners and this time in Pakistan from March 20 – 22nd in Lahore. Presented by LUX; Shaan-e-Pakistan’s second installment, Kya Dilli, Kya Lahore and its team unveiled event details pertaining to the Indo-Pak collaborative platform through a press conference in Karachi on Saturday 20th February 2016.

The event initiated with host Anoushey Ashraf introducing the second edition of #Shaan-e-Pakistan, followed by a flashback into the first season of the cultural platform that took place in New Delhi in September 2015.

Huma Nassr of Braahtii, the powerhouse behind Shaan-e-Pakistan, shared her excitement for the second edition of #Shaan-e-Pakistan “We are extremely thrilled to host the second edition of Shaan-e-Pakistan here in Pakistan itself and what better place than the epicenter of culture, cuisine, history and more: Lahore.”

Indo-Pak Fashion Show ‘Shaan-e-Pakistan’ Heads to Lahore, Pakistan

“Lahore and Delhi share many similarities and with a platform like Shaan-e-Pakistan we hope to provide an opportunity to our Indian friends to experience a slice of Lahore and Pakistan in its true sense.”

“I hope for the people of both countries to share their work by showcasing their craft, talent, cuisine and ideas on one unified platform.”

Programme Details:

Shaan-e-Pakistan’s Kya Dilli Kya Lahore will be a 3 Day event.

Day 1:

The first day will consist of ‘Ek Shaam’ consisting of musical performances by artists Rekha Bhardvaj from India and Asrar & Mai Dhai from Pakistan followed by a culinary feast prepared by the best chefs from Pakistan and India.

Day 2:

Day 2 will consist of an open Exhibition by all participating retailers/craftsman including Amina Sultan, Anand Khanna, BeechTree, Chapter 13, Elisha Wadhwani, Healiv, Jooti Shooti, Lace Up, Lucknow Sey, Milli Shoes, Mina Siddique, Nine Lines, Prisms and Paintbrushes, Sonia Ahuja, Sonrissa, Stratford Street, Susheel Jewellers, Womaniya Collection to name a selection of retailers.

Day 3:

Day 3 of the event will host a celebratory fashion  showcase of 16 designers from across the fashion tiers from Pakistan, India and Bangladesh including Ahmed Bilal, Aisha Imran, Barae Khanom, Bibi Russell (Bangladesh), Braahtii by Huma Nassr, Fahad Hussayn, Joy Mitra, Jyoti Sachdev Iyer, Mehdi Designs, Republic Women’s Wear, Samanth Chauhan, Studio by AV, Style D’Elegance, Zainab Chottani, Zubia Motiwalla to name a few.

“Our vision is to bring together the talent of Pakistan and Hindustan for the love of food, music and fashion, promoting the values of a shared heritage, peace and acceptance,” says Huma Nassr.

shaan-e-pakistan-lahore (1)

Indeed Shaan-e-Pakistan’s first event in 2015 brought together Pakistani and Indian fashion designers, retail brands, models, culinary forces, handicraft industries, music, entertainment & lifestyle personalities on one platform in Delhi, with the aim at large to develop trust, growth and business among Pakistan’s and India’s fashion, culinary and handicraft industries.

Lahore Literary Festival 2016 – A Tale Of Cultural Revival

Pakistan‘s literary scene is seeing a spirited revival, with packed festivals attracting tens of thousands in a rock concert-like atmosphere that defies security threats in a growing cultural renaissance.

Events such as the raucous Lahore Literary Festival, held over the weekend, are reclaiming the ‘cultural space’ that has shrunk significantly in the conservative Muslim nation in recent years amid a raging Islamist insurgency.

Lahore Literary Festival 2016

The festivals — platforms for all forms of cultural expression, from architecture to film to food writing and feminism, as well as poetry and a recital by Central Asian musicians — are becoming a forum for the exchange of liberal thought across the Muslim world.

Lahore Literary festival

“It’s great -– one of the saddest things, when you keep talking about Islam, the Muslims, the Ummah (the brotherhood of Muslim countries) is we don’t know what their writers are, we don’t know what their stories are,” said Mohammed Hanif, whose internationally renowned 2008 novel “A Case of Exploding Mangoes” weaves a dark comedic narrative around the death of dictator Zia ul Haq.

Zaiul Haq at LLF 2016

“And there is very little that gets translated from these languages. So it’s great to have Palestinian writers, Egyptian writers,” he told AFP at the Lahore festival.

Sharmila Tagore at LLF

The event began with an interview with veteran Indian actress Sharmila Tagore, who received a standing ovation after discussing her storied career in Bengali and Bollywood cinema. She hailed the cross-pollination of artists across the two rival countries’ borders as an important part of “cultural diplomacy”.

Sharmila tagore

Other top-billed speakers included outspoken Egyptian-American feminist Mona Eltahawy — whose vociferous denunciations of patriarchy and the politics of the hijab gave the festival some of its most energetic and controversial moments.

“When we talk about the Global South, when we talk about women of colour, the issues that we talk about… it’s very important for me to be able to come to Lahore and say, ‘Look, the issues that I have written about in my book are very similar to issues in Pakistan that feminists are fighting over’,” she told AFP.

“I want to talk about how as Muslim women we are reduced to what’s on our heads and what’s in between our legs and I want to talk about the sexual revolution.”

Pakistan opens its doors 

Critics say successive Pakistani governments, influenced by the religious right, have done little to encourage artistic expression or have even curtailed it — including banning Lahore’s spring kite-festival of Basant in 2007, which Islamists accuse of propagating Hindu thought.

LLF 2016

But overall levels of violence have fallen in the past two years as the army has stepped up its campaign in the Taliban’s border tribal regions.

The Lahore festival’s fourth edition glossed over a last-minute change of venue due to security fears and brought together writers and artists from across the region.

Sherry Rehamn at LLF 2016

It came hard on the heels of a similar festival in Karachi and ahead of one in Islamabad. Organisers estimated around 100,000 people attended in an almost Glastonbury-like atmosphere.

“The show must go on in spite of all the odds,” the festival’s CEO and founder Razi Ahmed told AFP.

“It’s important to reflect to the wider world that we’re not a country which is closing its doors but we’re opening space that is going to allow us avenues for free thought and critical inquiry.”

Pakistani authors have garnered increasing international attention in recent years, particularly those writing in English like Hanif and Mohsin Hamid. His novel “The Reluctant Fundamentalist” — the fictional story of a disaffected Pakistani-American’s journey towards extremism — became a hit film in 2012.

Salima Hashmi at LLF 2016

Closer to home are newer works like Saba Imtiaz’s “Karachi, You’re Killing Me!” about a tenacious reporter looking for love as she works her beat covering extremist attacks — a sort of Pakistani Bridget Jones.

Despite the cultural revival, the Islamist insurgency that has racked the country for more than a decade is still underway.

But Lahore has long captured the imagination of writers — from Britain’s Rudyard Kipling to revolutionary poets like Habib Jalib.

Festival founder Ahmed said he hoped it would continue to do so. “Lahore is a global site of ideas,” he told AFP. “We are trying to reclaim that.”

Lahore Literary Festival 2016 Day 1 Cancelled!

Stay tuned to Brandsynario for more updates.

Imran Abbas & Nargis Fakhri Spotted in Dubai!

Imran Abbas was recently spotted in Dubai shooting with stunning Indian actress Nargis Fakhri, who herself recently made inroads into the Pakistani public consciousness as a spokesperson for Mobilink.

Amid the recent thawing of Pakistan-Indian relations and initiatives like Shaan-E-Pakistan, we have witnessed many successful cross-border cinematic collaborations.

Imran Abbas and Nargis Fakhri

With his upcoming foray into Bollywood with Ae Dil Hai Mushkil Pakistani TV/film actor.

Is the scorching hot screen couple working together in a Pakistani or Indian film?

Or could they be endorsing some high profile product in an exciting TV commercial?

One just has to wait and see what thrilling venture the duo has in store for us!

LALA Launches First Flagship Store in Karachi

A powerhouse in the retail industry, Pakistan’s leading textile brand LALA unveiled its first flagship retail store in Karachi located at Ocean Mall 3rd Floor, [Clifton] on the 14th of February 2016, celebrating their 66th year in the industry.

The Fastest-Emerging Ethnic Brand in Regional Markets, as awarded by the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce & Industry in October 2015, this launch marks the first dedicated flagship retail space for the brand, which is currently available nationwide across Pakistan as well as in India, UK, Middle East and Bangladesh via fabric retail stores and through their e-store, www.lala.com.pk.

LALA Textiles (2)

The launch event was well attended by fashion industry stalwarts, celebrities and media personalities alike including: fashion designers Wardha Saleem, Huma Adnan, Adnan Pardesy, Mohsin Sayeed of Pink Tree; Model Anam Tanveer, Saima Azhar, Misbah Mumtaz and Mishal Shah and Photographer Tapu Javeri to name a few. Film personalities Mohib Mirza and Sanam Saeed of #Bachaana were also present at the launch event – LALA is the Official Wardrobe Partner [Female] for #Bachaana. The event was managed by Take II with Public Relations by Lotus PR.

LALA Textiles (6)

The new store hosts a diverse range of products for all seasons and fashion needs including over ten seasonal collections comprising of unstitched printed fabric for both day wear, evening wear, roll fabric, a special signature series range and its debut LALA Pret with a price point starting from PKR 1,590.

On LALA’s milestone launch, CEO Pervez Lala said:

“It’s an exciting new chapter for us at LALA. Since our inception, we have always strived to provide the most innovative, yet regionally relevant, products for our consumers. We are extremely proud of the fact that LALA is leading the market of ethnic wear not only in Pakistan but across South Asia with a vision to expand beyond. We understand the modern empowered woman is constantly evolving with her style and aesthetic, and with retail accessibility as our number 1 priority, the idea is to combine our manufacturing strength, retail expertise and design aesthetics with this store launch and we hope to set a new standard in Pakistan’s textile retail industry.”

LALA is best known for its seasoned experience in manufacturing, producing and retailing quality textile with a commitment to principled trade. Indeed, it was with the inception of the quintessential LALA retail label in 1972 that the trading house first started consumer retail.

LALA currently encompasses a series of diverse retail brands providing accessible summer; midsummer and winter fabric ranges throughout the year within Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, the Middle East and the UK.

The brand regularly participates at prestigious fashion and retail platforms across the world such as PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week [PSFW] and Fashion Pakistan Week [FPW] in Pakistan as well as at exhibitions and shows across Europe, India and the Middle East. LALA is also a patron and co-sponsor of Pakistan Fashion Week Dubai.

LALA Textiles Named Fastest Emerging Ethnic Brand

LALA also maintains a dominant and independent brand presence in India through shows, marketing and retail – a status unique to LALA as a Pakistani brand. Further, the company pioneered a first of its kind collaborative platform in Pakistan, the LALA Signature Series, established in the spirit of channelling the international trend of cross-brand synergies.

Further, the company pioneered a first of its kind collaborative platform in Pakistan, the LALA Signature Series, established in the spirit of channelling the international trend of cross-brand synergies.

A socially conscious and responsible brand, LALA currently sponsors vocational training programmes across the Sub-Continent under their #LALALightsUpLives project.

LALA is currently available nationwide across Pakistan as well as in India, UK, Middle East and Bangladesh.

LALA’s Flagship Retail Store address: Outlet#300, 3rd Floor, Ocean Mall, Clifton, Karachi.

LALA Brocade Winter Collection 2015

Stay tuned to Brandsynario for more.

Deadpool Movie Dominates Worldwide Box Office

“Deadpool” continued to dominate the global box office over the weekend, retaining its number one spot. The Fox superhero movie, which stars Ryan Reynolds as a Marvel comics character, took $140million worldwide during the weekend ending February 21, Rentrak reports.

Director Stephen Chow’s Chinese comedy “Mei Ren Yu” (The Mermaid) came in at second place, taking $57million. It was followed by “Zootopia”, which made $31million.

Here are the top 10 weekend worldwide box office estimates for the weekend ending February 22:

1. Deadpool – Fox – $140m

2. Mei Ren Yu (The Mermaid) – Multiple – $57m

3. Zootpia – Disney – $31.2m

4. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny – Multiple – $21m

5. Kung Fu Panda 3 – Fox – $19.7m

6. How To Be Single – Warner Bros. – $19.1m

7. Monkey King 2 – Multiple – $13m

8. The Revenant – Fox – $12.4m

9. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Trip – $11.9m

10. Risen – Sony – $11.8m

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