Top Pakistani artists to star in country’s first Netflix original

This combination of photos shows Pakistani actors (from left to right) Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan, Sanam Saeed, and Ahad Raza Mir. (Photos courtesy: Instagram/Fawad Khan/Mahira Khan/Sanam Saeed/Ahad Raza Mir)
Short Url
Updated 24 August 2023
Follow

Top Pakistani artists to star in country’s first Netflix original

  • Farhat Ishtiaq’s ‘Jo Bachay Hain Sang Samait Lo’ will feature Fawad and Mahira Khan along with Sanam Saeed and others
  • The show is being shot in Italy, the United Kingdom and Pakistan, though its streaming date has not been revealed until now

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top film and television artists are working in the country’s first original Netflix show, reported a leading American film publication on Wednesday, which is based on a bestselling Urdu-language novel and expected to attract significant viewership from South Asia and beyond.

According to Variety magazine, “Jo Bachay Hain Sang Samait Lo” will feature Fawad and Mahira Khan along with Sanam Saeed, Ahad Raza Mir and Hamza Ali Abbasi.

“The series is an official adaptation of Farhat Ishtiaq’s bestselling 2013 Urdu-language novel of the same name,” the magazine reported. “It revolves around Sikandar, a Harvard law student who experiences a life-changing incident that makes him keep others at bay.”

“The show is being shot in Italy, the U.K. and Pakistan,” it added. “A streaming date has not been revealed yet.”

All the top artists in the show have a significant fan base in Pakistan, India and other countries with people of South Asian descent.

Fawad and Mahira Khan featured in the country’s highest-grossing film, “The Legend of Maula Jatt,” along with Abbasi.

Their Netflix show is currently under production by Dubai-based Momina Duraid Films that has previously worked on several major movies.


Jessica Kahawaty to narrate London concert paying tribute to Arab music icons

Updated 24 February 2026
Follow

Jessica Kahawaty to narrate London concert paying tribute to Arab music icons

DUBAI: Australian Lebanese model and entrepreneur Jessica Kahawaty this week announced that she will serve as the storyteller for “A Night With The Legends,” a one-night musical tribute celebrating iconic women of Arabic music, taking place at London’s Royal Albert Hall on March 5.

Kahawaty will portray Scheherazade and deliver spoken narration during the program.

The evening will pay tribute to the legacies of Umm Kulthum, Fairuz, Warda, Sabah, Asmahan and Layla Mourad.

Vocals will be performed by Lebanese vocalist Abeer Nehme, accompanied by the UK-based London Arab Orchestra under the direction of conductor Basel Saleh, alongside the London-based Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra. The program will also feature a 70-member all-female choir.

“I’m incredibly humbled,” Kahawaty wrote to her 1.8 million followers on Instagram. “As storyteller, I’ll be weaving history, memory and meaning into the musical experience in a one-night tribute celebrating the iconic women of the golden era of Arabic music.”

“I cannot wait to see you all there,” she added.

Kahawaty is also an entrepreneur. She co-founded fine jewelry label Kahawaty Jewels with her father, master jeweler Ghassan Kahawaty, launching the Dubai-based brand last year as a continuation of the family’s longstanding craftsmanship tradition.

“I grew up watching my father in his jewelry trade. I saw how happy he made people when he created these beautiful pieces,” Kahawaty previously told Arab News. “I’ve always wanted to continue my father’s legacy and my grandfather’s trade. I felt like this is the perfect time to launch Kahawaty Jewels in Dubai, which is a city I’ve been in for over 13 years.”

Kahawaty and her mother are also behind UAE-based food delivery business Mama Rita. In July last year, the pair expanded the venture with the launch of a cookbook, which featured a cover endorsement from Hollywood actress and producer Courteney Cox.

Writing on Instagram at the time, Kahawaty said: “The moment we held the Mama Rita cookbook in our hands for the very first time … after two years of pouring our hearts into it. And we’re beyond thrilled to share a special surprise on the cover — a quote from the one and only (Courteney Cox). Her iconic role as Monica in ‘Friends’ — the talented chef, perfectionist and loving control freak — mirrors so much of the dynamic between mum and me. And her true persona is even more beautiful, warm and generous.”