Pakistan’s Oscar-contender Joyland has been grabbing headlines ever since its premiere at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival on 23 May 2022. It prides itself on being the first film from Pakistan to premiere at Cannes Film Festival where it received a standing ovation after its screening and also won Jury Prize and Queer Palm prize for best LGBTQ, queer, or feminist theme movie at the festival.
A few weeks ago, British-Pakistani Oscar-winner Riz Ahmed boarded Saim Sadiq’s directorial as an executive producer. He has now shared his thoughts on the film facing a ban in its home country Pakistan.
The Sound of Metal (2019) actor took to his Instagram handle and reposted Malala Yousufzai’s article she wrote in support of Joyland. On his Instagram story, Ahmed wrote, “You know it’s an important movie when; the film gets banned and when @malala is one of your producers.”
The Saim Sadiq directorial features several actors on its cast, including Alina Khan, Ali Junejo, Sarwat Gillani, Sania Saeed, and Rasti Farooqi.
Ali Junejo, who plays Haider, on Monday bagged Best Actor award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) for his performance in the film. PSIFF announced the great news on Instagram, writing, “The winner of the FIPRESCI Prize for the Best Actor in an international film is… Ali Junejo in Joyland!”
"We award the Best Actor Prize to Ali Junejo in Joyland for his intimate, thoughtful, and nuanced performance as Haider, a man grappling with his diverging sense of self and familial responsibility. Junejo emerges as the film’s most flexible and dependable performance owing to his generosity and earnestness with each cast member, both in behavioural and linguistic choices,” the note further read.
"His ability to convey the ambivalent paradoxes of Haider, while delivering a performance of such searing clarity and empathy recalibrates the vivid textures of Joyland away from the social realism of its larger goals, turning it into an evocative character study in a performance of quiet complexity,” the note concluded.
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The singer jokingly texted Clairo saying, "Let's f**k her up," sparking an online frenzy
Why Charli XCX jokingly declared war on Peppa Pig after one viral comment
Highlights
What started as a playful celebrity game has turned into one of the internet's most unexpected viral moments, with Charli XCX jokingly threatening to "f**k up" Peppa Pig after the beloved cartoon character appeared to dismiss singer Clairo.
The exchange quickly spread across social media, drawing reactions from fans and fellow musicians, while turning an unlikely clash between a pop star and a fictional children's character into a trending talking point.
Peppa Pig's viral remark sparked the joke
The playful exchange began during Peppa Pig's appearance in Pitchfork's Over/Under game, where the animated character rated a selection of music artists.
While expressing admiration for acts including PinkPantheress and The Beatles, Peppa responded to Clairo by saying, "I don't know her," a line widely recognised as a reference to Mariah Carey's famous response when asked about Jennifer Lopez.
The remark, accompanied by a knowing glance at the camera, quickly gained traction online.
Charli XCX rushed to Clairo's defence
After seeing the clip, Charli XCX privately messaged Clairo, writing, "Let's f**k her up," alongside a screenshot of the viral post.
Clairo later shared the exchange on social media, prompting thousands of reactions from fans, many of whom responded with pig and bacon-themed jokes.
PinkPantheress, whom Peppa had praised in the original video, also joined the conversation, posting a message supporting Clairo.
As the exchange continued, Clairo responded to the growing attention with humour, replying to posts before eventually telling followers, "ok that's enoughhhhh lolllllllllll."
Some fans joked that the viral moment was the perfect opportunity for the singer to announce new music, though Clairo replied that she did not have anything ready to share.
Her most recent album, Charm, was released in 2024, with its accompanying tour concluding in 2025.
Charli XCX keeps her focus on new music
While the online joke continued to gather momentum, Charli XCX did not publicly add to the exchange.
Instead, the singer has been focusing on promoting her upcoming album, Music, Fashion, Film, which is scheduled for release on July 24.
Although fans speculated that one of the track titles could be a playful nod to the viral exchange, there has been no indication that the album references the light-hearted social media moment.