While not everyone prefers a Netflix subscription, torrent sites are the go-to places download and stream the content you want to watch. To find the best safe Torrent sites made for you, here is a compilation of the most popular ones this year. The Pirate Bay This Torrent site has been online for 17 years and is still one of the best for Torrent downloads with over 60 million users a month. The website is available in 35 different languages and has held the title of being the best Torrent site since 2018. With a wide range in variety, Pirate Bay's database is uploaded by trusted users, identified using a skull system. Green skulls are the VIP members, pink skulls are trusted and verified users, and lastly, blue skull users who help to keep the site safe from spam and malware. Most torrents here have a few seeders for faster downloads, with filtered searches according to format, quality, and gaming console. YTS.mx This site is an unofficial successor of YTS and YIFY group, which had closed down a few years ago. Faced with several lawsuits, the operator signed a consent judgment and agreed to hand over user data. Consequently, YTS users received settlement requests or were sued. The site offers the latest premium quality movies for download and has around 75 million users worldwide. The site has 30,000 titles, most with subtitles included and available in 1080p. Music, software, and games are not available on this site. 1337x 1337x is a well-known site with 53 million monthly users and high-quality torrents, including movies, TV shows, music, and some games. The website interface is simple and provides all the essential technical information about the torrent video. The active community of the platform updates the torrents every few hours. The site has few ads and shows some effort in protecting user privacy, however that doesn't eliminate the risk of third parties spying on user activity online. Torrentz2 This site is a torrent search engine that uses your keywords to give you an index of all the torrent sites that will have them available. Torrentz2 is a great place to find content that may not be available on other sites. Once the search engine provides results, you can click on the site and begin downloading by clicking on the magnetic link again. The site has an extensive music library collection across different genres. However, it has a lot of pop-up ads with fake misleading links and content, while the site has tried to fix a lot of bugs to make the site safer. Lime Torrents Lime Torrents has around 10 million torrents media on its website, attracting 20 million users every month. Its library is larger than that of Pirate Bay, with music, movies, TV shows, games, apps, with a feature to view the top 100 for each category. The top 100 are a list of new releases, most of them under copyright. You can use the public domain to download torrents safely, allowing torrents to be filtered according to their health and verification status. However, most of these are fake, and the site is crowded with annoying pop-up ads as well.  

Amazon Prime and Netflix launched their services together in Pakistan in 2016. However Netflix amassed a following while Amazon Prime is struggling. While the two competitive sites are unique in the content available for streaming, Netflix has somehow captured greater audiences in comparison to Amazon Prime. Here we evaluate both the streaming sites, in terms of content available, subscription, services, and features available for users, to decide if Netflix really is the best of the two. Content Netflix has a range of Hollywood, Bollywood, and Lollywood movies, documentaries, and TV shows available for streaming. Their Netflix Originals have become quite popular with people, especially, Stranger Things, Queen's Gambit, Squid Game, Money Heist, Sacred Games, and House of Secrets: The Burari deaths. Such content is anticipated by viewers and has compelled many non-users to subscribe to the site and binge-watch all the popular content. The content quality of Netflix has only ever been beaten by HBO, which released the popular show Game of Thrones. Unfortunately, HBO Max has yet to launch in Pakistan. Netflix is also a bit slow in licensing content of new season releases and is usually a season behind. While Netflix may have content in every genre, Amazon Prime has a much greater library of more than 24000 movies and 2100 TV shows. Most of Amazon's content is recognizable but older Hollywood films. Recently, however, the streaming site has acquired the franchise of other popular content like James Bond, Rocky, and the famous The Handmaid's Tale. Its Orignal production content is unique and has caught the eye of many audiences most notably, Fleabag, The Man in the High Castle, and Jack Ryan. Amazon lets you buy new episodes of shows right after its initial broadcast, a feature that Netflix clearly lacks. The site also provides access to some HBO content like The Wire, The Sopranos, and Succession. Subscription Cost Netflix reduced its monthly subscription charges in October this year by PKR 400. The standard plan is PKR 800 and the Premium plan is now Rs. 1100. The site's Mobile and the Basic plan is also PKR 250 and PKR 450. The standard plan allows two streaming screens, two devices to download content, unlimited access to movies and TV shows, streaming in HD, and access on all devices. The Premium plan has an addition of letting users access four screens at the same time, with four devices to download content and streaming in ultra HD, HDR, and Dolby Atmos. Amazon Prime has a basic simple subscription fee of $5.99 which is around Rs. 1075 ($1=179.47), which is slightly pricey than Netflix. To subscribe you will need a Master or Visa card, but the plan will give you access to stream on three different devices. You can download your favorite content and stream offline on any device as well. Prime supports videos in 4K, Ultra HD, HDR, and Dolby Atmos. If you get an Amazon Prime membership, you can get access to Amazon Prime Video, access Amazon Music service, and earn some shopping benefits as well. Device Support Netflix allows support to most of all devices for streaming content including, web browsers on Mac or PC, Apple TV, Amazon's Fire TV, and its devices, iOS, Android, Windows phone, Xbox One, and Series X, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii U, Nintendo 3DS Blue-ray players, smart TV, and Google's Chromecast. Amazon Prime is supported on all of the devices like Netflix, except Windows phone and Nintendo 3DS. Audio and Video experience Netflix has a consistent interface with minor changes varying in different devices, while users get their own different profiles each with its own tailored recommendations, while the Kids profile, ensures all PG-rated content is not displayed. The video streaming site also adjusts the level of video compression according to user's internet connection speed. Amazon Prime's interface is a bit difficult to navigate, different in each device in style and usability. If using the web, the site is presented as a section of the Amazon store. On Prime, users can add up to six profiles, though the recommendation window isn't as sophisticated as Netflix. Video quality is quite remarkable, allowing content to be streamed in 4K with HDR, and Dolby Atmos, when available and without an additional fee. Soundtracks are offered in Dolby 5.1 surround. In terms of ease price and content, there is no doubt that Netflix has emerged as the winner. Amazon Prime will need to offer better content and provide much ease in the navigation of the app and better pricing plans, to be seen as a threat to Netflix.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Saturday said that the Film and Culture Policy 2018 has been revived to uplift the industry through multiple incentives. Marriyum made the announcement in a meeting with the delegation of the Film Producers Association. She also informed them about the steps being taken by the government for the revival of the film industry. “Recommendations for the revival of industry would soon be formulated after consulting the stakeholders of film and culture sectors,” she said, assuring the delegation that those recommendations would soon be presented before Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and made part of the next budget. The minister said Punjabi movies were the country’s asset and their production would be increased under the new policy. Special incentives would be given for the preparation of the content related to children especially movies, cartoons, plays, stories and educational programmes. Read more: Govt believes in freedom of press, Marriyum assures CPNE She said that the film sector was being given the status of industry to offer it maximum incentives. The new policy was aimed at improving the quality, story and technology of movies. Marriyum said that the policy would not only ensure the revival of cinemas through the construction of new facilities but would also include incentives for the artists. She said that the price of tickets for movies in cinemas would be reduced to provide maximum recreational opportunities to the people. The process for giving the permits of film shooting would also be eased. Marriyum said the government would encourage the export of Pakistani movies and create opportunities for promoting joint productions. She said there was a dire need of improving the standard of Pakistani movies and underlined the importance of equipping this sector with modern technologies. Also read: Imran trying to 'kill' political opponents: Marriyum She said that the government would cooperate with the industry for importing the film-making equipment and machinery. The delegation was assured that the demand for abolishing the withholding tax on the film industry would be considered and taken up at the relevant forum. Film, drama, theatre and fine arts could play a critical role in improving the country’s image at international level, she remarked, adding that the unrest and intolerance were never acceptable traits in Pakistani society. She said that film, drama and fine arts were akin to the literary, moral and traditional life of the society. “The soul of our society would be revived,” the minister assured the association of full support for resolving their problems. Sayed Noor, Sheikh Amjad Rashid, Pir Saad and others were also part of the delegation which called on the minister.

A popular art gallery in the metropolitan city has burst into life with a unique 15-day painting exhibition titled “Filmi Yaadein”. The gallery is adorned with full-size film boards and posters, invoking the nostalgia of Pakistani and Indian cinema from the 1960s to the 1980s. Eight talented artists have crafted over 40 paintings, paying homage to iconic films such as “Armaan” starring Waheed Murad and Zeba; “Heer Ranjha” featuring Ejaz and Firdous; and “Baazi” with Nadeem and Nasho. PHOTO: EXPRESS Moreover, the exhibition showcases artistic tributes to Indian classics like “Mother India,” “Mughal-e-Azam,” “Mera Naam Joker,” and “Taj Mahal,” alongside iconic Hollywood productions like “Doctor No,” “The Godfather,” and “Titanic.” PHOTO: EXPRESS The renowned digest cover designer, Zafar Siddiqui, has contributed to the exhibition by creating artistic renditions of iconic Pakistani film posters, including “Anjuman,” “Ansoo Bahaye Patthar Ne,” and “Tum Hi Ho Mehboob Mere.” Painter Zahid Hussain has breathed a new life into images from Pakistani cinema, using cigarette filters to create striking artworks for films like "Insan Aur Gadha." Read also: Three-day art film festival to open at NAPA from Oct 20 The exhibition, hosted by the Art One 62 Gallery in Clifton, is not only a celebration of art but also a communal experience. Participants from diverse artistic and professional backgrounds have joined in, enriching the event's cultural diversity. Eight talented artists, including Abbas Kamangar, Mehtab Ali, Nisar Bashir, Rustam Khan, Professor Rehmat Khan, Saeed Naqvi, Zafar Siddiqui, and Zahid Hussain, have skilfully recreated the magic of legendary films using various painting styles, including digital on paper, oil on canvas, watercolour on paper, acrylic on paper, and digital on canvas. PHOTO: EXPRESS This exhibition, a testament to the creativity of the past, transports visitors to a time when movie posters were painstakingly handcrafted, often spanning lengths of 30 to 40 feet. It offers a unique opportunity for the younger generation to witness the artistic heritage of cinema in the digital age. PHOTO: EXPRESS Mehtab Ali, a senior artist, paid tribute to the artists for reviving memories of Pakistani cinema, Hollywood, and Bollywood, acknowledging the monumental posters and boards that used to adorn cinema houses. "Filmi Yaadein" is set to captivate audiences until October 30.

This is the first time I watched Swedish content, even though I’m not a big fan of dubbed stuff, but previously I quite enjoyed Cable Girls, Lupin, Money Heist and Call My Agent because European shows have a unique way of story-telling. Although The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Snowman, The Killing are English-language adaptations of tremendously popular Nordic works. What initially attracted me to A Nearly Normal Family (ANNF), originally titled 'En Helt Vanlig Familj' was the title which suggested that most-likely, the story is about a dysfunctional family. I enjoy watching shows and films about dysfunctional families such as Shameless or As Good As It Gets or A Man Called Otto because the characters are often quirky and eccentric so their stories tend to be off-beat. Having watched enough shows and films to know when a show is setting me up, I usually know in the first 15 minutes, if I’m going to watch the rest of it or not. I’m not inflexible about what genre the show or film might be categorised as, but I do have zero tolerance for predictability. If I get an inkling of a somewhat familiar character in a half-known situation, I flick over to watch something else. While watching shows, I can usually suss out that information is purposely being withheld from the viewers/audience in order to prolong the central mystery. Sometimes I go along for the ride, especially for a favourite actor, to see how he/she will lend himself/herself to the build-up, but if ride involves a lot of misdirection, and scenes go into long-winded elaboration with storytelling gimmicks being used, I flick over. I love to be tied up in shackles, to be chained, imprisoned and frozen by shows that do not allow me to reach out for the remote. I find myself watching open-mouthed, as my breathing following the exact breathing pattern of the actor in the scene. I forget everything else in the world and I get into the scene myself. This is exactly the kind of soul-grabbing show I enjoy watching — where the story is structured in such a way that I actually forget where the remote control is, and there is no need for popcorn. So with minimal expectation, this is how ANNF turned out to be. Directed by Per Hanefjord and with a script by Anna Platt and Hans Jörnlind, the show is unpretentious, it doesn’t take you for a ride and delivers more than your expectation. Think about flicking over, naah, you actually lose the remote. The first scene begins with a close shot of a woman in a one-on-one conversation, perhaps a psychiatrist, rubbing her hands saying, “Sounds like you have a complicated relationship with your parents. Has it always been this way?” The young woman being asked [who is also in the promo poster] has a pained expression on her face. This is Stella Sandell played by Alexandra Karlsson Tyrefors, a 22-year-old Swedish actress and the mini-series is a story about her and her family. In the next scene a younger Stella is off to a handball training camp and her parents — Adam (Björn Bengtsson), a priest, and Ulrika (Lo Kauppi), a lawyer —have come to see her off as she gets into the bus. Stella sits next to her best friend Amina Besic (Melisa Ferhatovic), and excited and happy to be at camp together, they spot and ogle at the new young coach Robin (Christoffer Willén) with fun and banter. You can pin this moment in your head. At camp, Stella feels attracted to Robin and vice versa. She suggests they go for a swim after the first practice session. After they splash around in the cold water, some intimacy develops and they go inside an empty cottage nearby, where Robin rapes Stella, who protests but becomes frozen in fright. Pin this too. When the two of them are discovered in the cottage by whoever it belongs to, Stella is sent home. Shocked, she tells her parents about the assault. Her father insists they report it, but her mother disagrees, especially as the medical exam doesn’t show physical evidence. She believes Stella, but as an experienced lawyer she feels that pressing charges will lead to an invasive investigation that will be even more traumatic for her daughter. From here onwards the lives of the Sandell family will never be the same. This was the point in the film where I felt that this situation set faraway in Lund, Stockholm, in Swedan, strangely resonated with our culture where rape and assault on young women and men are not reported for the same reason, in addition to torturous social pressure the the victim and families have to go through. The characters in ANNF reflect shades of grey, but you feel empathic and forgiving towards them because they strive towards their greater goal to make sure true justice is served in a horrific situation that is not only difficult but almost impossible to explain in court, where everything is intimidating, cold and impersonal. Life goes on and four years later, Stella who works at a bakery to save money for travel, runs into a fellow called Christoffer Olsen (Christian Fandango Sundgren) and they start seeing each other. While the book ANNF by Mattias Edvardsson on which the series is based [and which I’m now dying to read] is divided into three sections, each comprising the perspective of Adam, Stella, and Ulrika, respectively — the miniseries darts back and forth between the three perspectives of the Sandell family members. Hence it is six weeks gone by, and the story develops from the parents’ perspectives. On an regular weeknight with, Adam is home alone, making dinner, Stella is out and Ulrika suddenly wants to step out saying it’s an emergency at work, but she forgets her employee card behind which Adam discovers. Later on, the same night, Adam wakes up in the middle of the night, while his wife is asleep next to him, he finds Stella downstairs, clutching bloodstained clothes. To pile on tension for the audience, here the director cleverly positions a scene where on his way to the church, Adam passes by a small building where someone has been murdered. It turns out that Ulrika is cheating on her Adam with her fellow lawyer Mikael Blomberg (Håkan Bengtsson) who calls her to break news that Stella has been arrested and accused of murdering a man named Christoffer Olsen. He also warns her that the police are on their way over to search the Sandells’ house. Searching for some tell-tale sign, Ulrika finds a bag of Stella’s blood-stained clothes under the bed which she puts in her handbag. The following scene absolutely kills with suspense because Ulrika takes the handbag full of evidence to the police station where she is being interrogated. Interestingly, ANNF is not about dysfunctional families. It is about something that could go wrong with any ordinary family in the world that would make it somewhat dysfunctional because the traumatic event that happened remained unresolved because it was not processed in the way that it should have been. The trauma not only stayed with the victim, but also the near and dear ones. Stella’s assault experience at camp at 15 had created a rift among the Sandells, and it is played out much later in the series. Right till the end of the series, we don’t really know if Stella really murdered Christoffer or is she falsely accused. We don’t know what the dodgy and mysterious Ulrika knows or doesn’t know and I will spare you this spoiler. There is no eye candy in the series, and there are no stars, yet the cast could n’t be more suited to their characters who are supposed to be just some ordinary people in ordinary lives. Another beautiful aspect of the series is that experiences of each member of the Sandell family regarding this turn of events are portrayed in depth. The outcome of the investigation or the verdict affects the whole family and what each character takes home from the verdict is portrayed through subtle but powerful nuances. You can relate to the feelings of all three characters who experience a variety of emotions as each family member attempts to react and resolve the tragic event that occurs along with its multiple repercussions. For a little bit, you become Adam and experience what he feels, then you become Ulrika and feel what she went through and then you feel what Stella is experiencing. Sundgren’s role as Chris, the horrible controlling young man who drugs girls to take their advantage and forces them for inappropriate pictures, while maintaining the façade of a besotted lover was not an easy one and he delivered it fabulously. The series is so raw and real with flawless voice work so that not once does the dub distract from the substance of the show. The side plot at the end with Amina’s character gaining momentum was unpredictable. The six-part series does not falter at any of the turns, twists and right till the end, it keeps you hooked. This Swedish series is excellent and thought provoking. The plot moves seamlessly from one episode to the next from the beginning to the end. The flawed, dysfunctional and at times even unhappy characters in the Sandell family are so relatable and credible because of the story-writer’s empathy towards violence against women, and the universal and thought-provoking theme about a fractured family unit and their struggle to heal and become stronger and closer to each other. Also, I must mention here that this may have been the first time that I watched Swedish content, but it is certainly not the last.