From weddings to scandals: Key events of Pakistan's showbiz in 2024

The year 2024 has come to a close with Pakistan's showbiz industry marking an eventful year. From getting international recognition to being embroiled in controversies, the celebrities kept the audiences captivated both on and off-screen. 

The stars not only brought entertainment through dramas, but also dominated the headlines through their controversial statements, surprising announcements and some personal choices. 

Geo.tv rounded up some of the major highlights of 2024. Let's take a look at them. 

Hania Aamir domination 

This year was undoubtedly Hania Aamir's — the actor and model who dominated the Pakistani media. Not only she was named the number one Pakistani star for 2024 in the Top 50 Asian Celebrities In The World list, but she also won the hearts of people with her acting in Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum as Sharjeena. 

The star also became the most followed actor on Instagram, taking over the follower count of Ayeza Khan. At this moment, she has a massive following of 16.8 million on the photo-and-video sharing app. 

Not only that, the adorable actor is much-loved by her fans and followers due to her advocation of the mental health struggles. 

Fahad Mustafa's return 

Actor and producer Fahad Mustafa's return to acting after a nine-year break in 2024 made the headlines as he played the hero in Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum alongside Hania Aamir. 

The actor was also celebrated at the iconic House of Commons by a private organisation at a first-of-its-kind double award ceremony recognising his unparalleled contributions to entertainment and cultural diplomacy.

The prominent actor was given two awards — Diversity Impact Award in recognition of his exceptional contribution to drama and storytelling, connecting communities and inspiring audiences globally and Cultural Impact Award in recognition of his outstanding achievements in promoting diversity and fostering cultural connections through media. 

Veena Malik finds love 

Actor and famous model Veena Malik is no stranger to the spotlight, but this time, she made headlines alongside her latest "love" — a mystery TikToker who is six years younger. 

The couple kept the social media abuzz with videos of the two exchanging gifts. However, no one has seen Veena's beau and people only know him through his social media. He’s active on TikTok, but so far, no one has seen Shehryar Chaudhry’s face.

We wish Veena Malik all the best on her love journey!

Khalil Ur Rehman 'honey trapped' 

Despite writing famous drama scripts including Pyaare Afzal, playwright Khalil Ur Rehman Qamar remains in the headlines — mostly for all the wrong reasons. 

Qamar was entangled in a "honey trap" scandal of which his video also went viral after a woman allegedly lured him to her home on the pretext of discussing a new drama project. However, he was allegedly beaten by armed men only to be allowed to leave after paying a substantial ransom to the gang members.

Sana Javed, Shoaib Malik's nuptial 

This year was also full of weddings but no one was expecting these two personalities to tie the knot. Actor Sana Javed and cricketer Shoaib Malik's wedding news spread like wildfire after they made the announcement on social media. 

Everyone began asking questions as Malik was married to Indian tennis star Sania Mirza while Sana married to singer Umair Jaswal. 

However, both of them had parted ways and their wedding announcement put a stop to all the questions.

Months after his divorce from Sana, Jaswal also remarried as he kept the identity of his new wife undisclosed. "Alhamdulillah," he captioned post as he shared a picture of himself dressed as a groom.

Alizeh Shah's Korean look 

Young actor Alizeh Shah, who has been adored by fans for her innocent looks, faced severe backlash by netizens after she completely transformed herself and embraced self-expression. While many questioned her dress choice others showed disappointment. 

The Ehd-e-Wafa actor, however, snapped back at the critiques as she continued to post her pictures and videos on social media. Her new style — which no doubt look super cute — attracted much hatred from her fans. 

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's 'bottle of water'

Singing maestro Rahat Fateh Ali Khan found himself at the centre of a grave controversy after a short video clip of him violently beating a man went viral in which he could be heard asking "where is the bottle". 

The video soon sparked a controversy with Rahat tendering an apology and clarifying that the "bottle of water" was actually given to him by his spiritual healer. 

Following the incident, the British Asian Trust said it will no longer be associated with Rahat with a spokesperson saying the trust has "a strict policy towards abusive behaviour". 

Nasir Adeeb's comments on Reema 

Scriptwriter Nasir Adeeb came under fire after he alleged that he once went to red-light area where he scouted for talent for a small film project. He claimed he met a young girl there whom he turned down and later, she became a star. He identified the girl as film star Reema Khan. 

Adeeb faced backlash from the entertainment community as many celebrities condemned his remarks. The writer then decided to tender an apology, saying he spread the information without confirming the facts. 

"I apologise to Reema for spreading this information without ascertaining the facts," Adeeb said.

Header and thumbnail illustration by Geo.tv