1. Which Pakistani artist is establishing a platform to amplify collaborations with other artists through music videos, leveraging his star power and work?

a) Farhan Saeed

b) Star Shah

c) Atif Aslam

d) Goher Mumtaz

4. Can you name a member of the underground music group

co-VEN who is also associated with the music department at

the National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA) in Karachi?

a) Sameer Ahmed

b) Sikander Mufti

c) Hamza Jafri

d) Omran Shafique

2. Which international artist refused to perform at Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s many celebratory events leading up to their wedding earlier this year?

a) Justin Bieber

b) Adele

c) Kendrick Lamar

d) All of them

5. Who among these actors did not pass away last year?

a) Dame Helen Mirren

b) Dame Judi Dench

c) Dame Shirley Bassey

d) Dame Maggie Smith

7. Which of the following musicians passed away in 2024?

a) Quincy Jones

b) Rick Rubin

c) Brian Eno

d) None of the above

3. Which Pakistani television drama, directed by Sarmad Khoosat, marked the debut of

musician-turned-actor Umair Jaswal?

a) Humsafar

b) Ashk

c) Mor Mahal

d) None of the above

6. Which of the following personalities has won a Peabody Award?

a) Hasan Minhaj

b) Riz Ahmed

c) Kumail Nanjiani

d) Faran Tahir

8. Which of the

following artist is

set to produce the upcoming season

of Coke Studio?

a) Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan

b) Ali Hamza

c) Bilal Maqsood

d) Saif Samejo

1. The correct answer is c.

Atif Aslam, who is considered one of Pakistan’s biggest musicians, both inside and outside the country, is finishing two decades in the music business and launching Borderless World, season one. He made the announcement last year and noted on his Instagram page: “I’ve been working on something truly special for the past few months, and I’m beyond excited to finally share it with all of you. Borderless World is more than just a music show. It’s a platform to bring together artists, sounds, and stories from around the globe. This is my way of giving back to the industry and to all of you, who have been my biggest support through every step of this journey.” Whether it will feature Atif Aslam collaborating with other artists or giving room to local acts, who will have a chance to collaborate with him and other performers, remains to be seen.

2. The correct answer is b.

Adele refused to perform at the most ostentatious wedding celebration of the year, which was followed heavily via social media platforms. Justin Bieber was among a long list of international stars who performed at the wedding celebration of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant. Kendrick Lamar was never asked, so why would he perform? Multiple reports suggest that Adele was asked to perform but cited scheduling reasons for not being able to do so. We think she probably would’ve found another reason to not perform at these “look how much money we have” wedding celebrations. However, between the days leading up to the wedding and pre-wedding celebration events, international acts who did perform included artists such as Rihanna, Backstreet Boys, Katy Perry, and Andrea Bocelli. However, the bigger news than the international performers was the performance of Shah Rukh, Salman, and Aamir Khan together. The last one was rare because no film producer in India or elsewhere has ever managed to bring all three Khans into a single frame in any film.

3. The correct answer is c.

Mor Mahal, a Geo television series, was directed by Sarmad Khoosat and marked the small-screen acting debut of musician-turned-actor Umair Jaswal. Originally conceptualized by Imran Aslam and written by Sarmad Sehbai, it was set 200 years ago during the time of the Mughal, Greek, Egyptian, and Turkish civilizations. A work of historical fiction, it was based on the life of Nawab Asif Jehan of the Hakim dynasty and featured an extensive ensemble cast.

4. The correct answer is c.

Sameer Ahmed, Mohd. Ali Jafri, Hamza Jafri, and Omran Shafique have been part of co-VEN, but only Hamza Jafri has been a founding member from the start. He played as a band member and heads the music department of the National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA), which is based in Karachi.

5. The correct answer is d.

Unfortunately, we weren’t kidding. Dame Maggie Smith passed away last year, leaving a legacy of outstanding work on the big screen and in the theatre, which is never easy to replicate. She achieved great success when she was cast in the Harry Potter films and later in the Downton Abbey series, as well as in other films.

6. The correct answer is a.

Hasan Minhaj has won two Peabody Awards. Riz Ahmed has been nominated for and has won other awards. He is a British-Pakistani actor who has appeared in major American roles in recent years, including Venom, Sound of Metal, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and several other projects. Kumail Nanjiani is a Pakistani-American stand-up comedian and actor. He is known for his role in projects like the HBO comedy series Silicon Valley, Marvel’s Eternals, and for co-writing and starring in the romantic comedy film The Big Sick (which he co-wrote with his wife, Emily V. Gordon). Both were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Faran Tahir doesn’t have a background in comedy, but he has worked in several American films and television series.

Only Minhaj has won this award on two separate occasions, for his Netflix special Homecoming King and his critically acclaimed political satire show Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj, also for Netflix. He has also appeared in films, but is most well-known for his work as a stand-up comedian and, in recent years, for interviewing prominent figures, including former American President Barack Obama.

7. The correct answer is a.

Quincy Jones passed away on November 3, 2024. He was a celebrated producer, composer, arranger, conductor, and bandleader. He worked as an arranger and conductor for artists such as Ray Charles and Frank Sinatra. He was a trumpeter for Elvis Presley and served as the musical director and trumpeter for Dizzy Gillespie. Jones produced music for singles by artists such as Celine Dion and Lesley Gore. He produced iconic albums such as Off The Wall, Thriller, and Bad for Michael Jackson, as well as a dozen film scores.

8. The correct answer is a.

Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan, aka Xulfi, is producing the upcoming season of Coke Studio. Given the commercial success of the last two seasons and the introduction of millennial, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha artists in Coke Studio 14 and 15, Xulfi will produce and curate at least the upcoming sixteenth season. He is also in touch with Coke Studio producers from different countries and, during one interview, noted how he has been in an “observation” mode and that the past two seasons barely scratched the surface. This idea of “barely scratching the surface” was first noted by Coke Studio original producer, Rohail Hyatt, who had said after the first season that there were so many possibilities for where the music series could go in the coming years. It seems the first producer of the series was right. Bilal Maqsood with Faisal Kapadia, as well as Ali Hamza with Zohaib Kazi, have produced Coke Studio in the past, achieving commercial and critical success, while Saif Samejo has never produced the show but has appeared as a featured artist under multiple producers with his band, The Sketches.

Answers