From celebrities meeting the royal couple – Prince William and Kate Middleton – to media junkets for upcoming movies and international film festivals, the past week was filled with cultural activities. Instep gives you the lowdown…

 

Celebrities meet the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in Islamabad

At a special reception for The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate Middleton, this past week, celebrities came out in full force. Apart from dignitaries, politicians, members of the entertainment industry also came out. Among them were names like Mahira Khan, Mehwish Hayat, Atif Aslam and Momina Mustehsan as seen here. Veteran designers HSY, Maheen Khan, Kamiar Rokni as well as actors Sajal Aly, Ahad Raza Mir, Hareem Farooq and many others were also present.

Ajoka Theatre’s play, Saira aur Maira, premieres in Lahore

Lahore-based performing arts group, Ajoka Theatre’s new play, Saira Aur Maira, premiered in Lahore to great applause. Written and directed by Shahid Mehmood Nadeem, the theatrical play paid tribute to late human rights activist and lawyer Asma Jahangir and highlighted some of Jahangir’s most historical cases. According to Ajoka Theatre’s official Facebook handle, Saira aur Maira celebrated the courage and conviction of the women fighting against unjust patriarchal system, supported by civil society and ultimately, the system.

BFI London Film Festival 2019

Last week the 63rd edition of BFI London Film Festival 2019 was held, which brought 10 days of rich, diverse cinema from across the world to the UK. Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman had its international premiere, which was attended by Scorsese and cast members Robert De Niro and Al Pacino and Harvey Keitel, while the biggest prize of the festival, Best Film, went to Alejandro Landes’ Monos - a thriller about a group of child soldiers. The newest edition welcomed more than 868 international and British filmmakers.

Kaaf Kangna’s promotional spells begin in Karachi

The media junket of Kaaf Kangna, an upcoming film by Khalil-ul-Rehman Qamar, scheduled to hit the big screen on October 25, was held in Karachi last week as part of its promotional activities. The cast members including Sami Khan, Eshal Fayyaz, Ayesha Omar and Sajid Hasan were present for the meet and greet session along with Khalil Ur Rehman Qamar, who has written the film and is making his cinematic debut as director. Ayesha Omar, who was present at the occasion, wore a Hussain Rehar design.