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)
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Updated 24 August 2023
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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.


India Mahdavi named jury head for Design Doha Prize 2026

Updated 08 December 2025
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India Mahdavi named jury head for Design Doha Prize 2026

DUBAI: Renowned French architect and designer India Mahdavi has been appointed as the head of the jury for the Design Doha Prize 2026.

Born in Iran, the designer’s work includes projects at Hotel du Cloitre in Arles, the Coburg Bar at London’s Connaught Hotel, Monte Carlo Beach in Monaco, the Rivington Hotel in Manhattan, and the Townhouse Hotel in Miami.

As the head of the jury, Mahdavi will convene and lead a panel of regional and international experts to identify achievements in contemporary design at the biennial showcase for design that covers Qatar, as well as the broader Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia. Mahdavi also previously released a collection with Swedish retailer H&M, in addition to her own furniture objects.

“Her work transcends geography, transforming emotion, color, and form into a universal language of beauty and belonging. India’s vision — rooted in diversity, joy, and purpose — will guide us in recognizing designers who redefine what it means to create from this region, for the world,” Fahad Al Obaidly, acting director of Design Doha, said in a released statement.

“This region, one of my cultural homes, resonates deeply with me. I am awed to witness its design landscape grow and evolve,” Mahdavi added.

The Design Doha Prize will be awarded on April 14, 2026. It will honor innovation and craftsmanship in four categories: Craft, Product Design, Furniture Design, and Emerging Talent, with each winner taking home just under $55,000.