LAHORE: A number of Pakistan’s top talent have crossed the border to act in Bollywood, however, relations between the countries took a negative turn last year and Pakistanis were loudly told that they and their acting prowess would not be welcomed in India.
After Fawad Khan’s massively successful turn in “Khoobsurat” and “Kapoor and Sons,” it seemed as though a new tide was turning with the sharing of talent from both sides of the border. Following the ban by the Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association (IMPPA) on Pakistani actors, singers and technicians from working on Indian films, Pakistani actress Mahira Khan was famously not able to attend promotions for her debut in “Raees.” Sajal Aly and Adnan Siddiqui were also held back from their promotions for the critically-acclaimed “Mom” and Saba Qamar too was not able to be as hands on with her promotions for “Hindi Medium” as she would have liked.
Despite the controversy of asking Pakistani actors to vacate the premises, Qamar continued filming Hindi Medium, a film that went on to become a major box office success and was loved by critics with a tremendous amount of praise coming Qamar’s way for her role as a middle class woman wanting to keep up with the Jones’ and get her daughter into a posh school.
That praise, those box office numbers and the appreciation of fans on both sides of the Pakistan-India border all resulted in Qamar being the first Pakistani actress to score a Leading Actor nomination at India’s Filmfare Awards.
The recognition by the Filmfare Awards, held by the Times Group and in its 63rd year, is not a small one. Often dubbed as the Indian Oscars, the awards celebrate artistic and technical excellence across Bollywood’s booming film industry. For actors from Pakistan who head to India to make films, backlash has always been swift and quick.
Qamar, whose talents are largely undisputed in her home country, was not spared the fan hate for heading over and shooting her film. When the film was slated for release in Pakistan, few were expecting it to be worthy of her talent as Pakistani actors’ (particularly for female actors) roles in Bollywood have so far left little to be desired, but the film spoke for itself.
In addition to her nomination, the film itself received a total of five nominations at the Filmfare Awards, including Best Film, Irfan Khan for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Male), Saket Chaudhary for Best Director and Deepak Dobriyal for Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Male). It was also announced that Hindi Medium was chosen by the Indian Embassy to be screened at the annual Festival of Indian films in Armenia.
Pakistani actress Saba Qamar breaks Bollywood
Pakistani actress Saba Qamar breaks Bollywood
Lindsay Lohan steps out in Dubai
DUBAI: Dubai-based Hollywood star Lindsay Lohan was spotted in the city this week alongside her husband, Kuwaiti financier Bader Shammas, as the couple stepped out in coordinated black looks.
Lohan was wearing a sleek black long-sleeved mini dress with a high neckline and softly draped silhouette, featuring gathered ruching across the skirt with a tie detail at the waist. She paired the look with pointed black heels and kept her accessories minimal, opting for delicate earrings and a statement ring from Italian fine jewelry label Bijouq.
The couple were attending the opening of Japanese restaurant Nobu’s new outpost at One Za’abeel.
Lohan has been based in Dubai for more than 10 years, where she has built a quieter, more private life away from Hollywood.
She married Shammas in 2022, and the couple welcomed their first child, a son named Luai, in 2023.
The actress has since continued to balance family life in the UAE with her acting career, including her recent return to film and television projects.
Lohan most recently starred in “Freakier Friday,” the Disney sequel to “Freaky Friday,” which was released in August 2025 and marked her return to theatrical film acting alongside Jamie Lee Curtis.
It follows another body-swap chaos — this time across generations. Lohan and Lee Curtis return as Anna and Tess, but the story expands to include Anna’s own daughter, creating a multi-generational switch that complicates family dynamics even further.
The film explores motherhood, identity and how perspectives change as roles reverse again.
Lohan is also set to star in and executive-produce the Hulu limited series “Count My Lies,” an adaptation of Sophie Stava’s novel that is currently in development and marks one of her first major television roles.
She will play Violet Lockhart alongside co-lead Shailene Woodley, who stars as Sloane Caraway, a compulsive liar whose small deceptions land her a job as a nanny for the seemingly perfect Lockhart family. Kit Harington has also joined the cast in a leading role.
As Sloane becomes increasingly entangled in Violet and her husband Jay’s world, hidden secrets begin to unravel, revealing dangerous truths beneath the family’s polished exterior. The series does not yet have an official release date.
