Reigniting the magic

2024 saw the return of some big names

If you ever feared that an artist you had long since admired would never return to the screen after what appeared to be an indefinite hiatus, 2024 was the year that proved that hope springs eternal. As the year prepares to take its final bow, we take a closer look at three Pakistani artists who strolled back behind the cameras in 2024 after a break, as well as two big-ticket foreign bands who decided this would be the year for their triumphant return.

Humayun Saeed

There is very little to say about Humayun that has not already been said. A tour de force in Pakistani television, Humayun proved his mettle by nabbing the coveted role of Dr Hashmat in Netflix’s The Crown in 2022, as well as having played a series of leading roles across local screens such as Mere Paas Tum Ho (2019) and Bin Roye (2016). This year, viewers witnessed Humayun’s return to dramas embodying the role of Iqbal in Gentleman. The show delves into the intricacies of inner-city gang warfare played out across Karachi. The plot itself received mixed reviews, with a select few viewers waxing lyrical online about the show’s perceived preachiness. However, Humayun’s performance packed a punch and was spared the wrath of even the most withering of reviewers. Commanding the brand of star power newcomers can only dream of, Humyaun’s screen presence is only amplified by his typically quiet demeanour in real life and refusal to divulge intimate details of his private life on social media.

Fawad Khan

Having successfully nabbed hearts during his time as the frontman for rock band EP during the early 2000s, the allure of Fawad remains at an all-time high – particularly when taking into account the star’s reluctance to spill details about his personal day-to-day life in public. Fawad cemented his legacy first in Humsafar opposite A-lister Mahira Khan and then in Zindagi Gulzar Hai alongside Sanam Saeed. This year, Fawad once again made a splash (with Sanam once more) in the hotly contested web series Barzakh. The show, which marked Fawad’s return to an episode-based format on screen, was ultimately pulled from YouTube in Pakistan – but not before giving viewers the opportunity to stream every episode. Prior to Barzakh, Fawad was seen in Disney’s Ms Marvel in 2022. Whilst the ultimate fate of Barzakh has highlighted how polarising unconventional content can be on home ground, Fawad has expressed no regrets, and neither has his fan following diminished. As with Humayun in Gentleman (albeit on a different scale altogether), Barzakh may have faced backlash, but none of the backlash was directed at Fawad’s acting chops. In addition, Fawad, alongside Indian star Vaani Kapoor, has started shooting for the Bollywood romantic comedy Abir Gulaal at locations in and around London. Whenever this A-lister chooses to appear on screen next, in Bollywood or at home, his fan-following will be ready at the helm.

Fahad Mustafa

If there is any TV aficionado who is unaware of who Fahad Mustafa is after the viral success of Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum, they must be living under a very large, planet-sized rock. If any male heartthrob is enjoying his moment in the sun, it is Fahad, who stole the hearts of drama fans (both old and new) – as the witty, bike-riding, loveable Mustafa opposite Hania Aamir’s Sharjeena. Over the course of the show, drama fans were gripped by the evolution of Mustafa’s character as he went from carefree to stressed to elusive, and ultimately, his redemption as he and Sharjeena came to a renewed understanding. Fahad also won hearts during his time hosting Jeeto Pakistan, but it was with Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum that he found his return to television acting after a gap of “10 or 11 years”, in his own words. As well as playing the male lead, Fahad also took on the daunting role of producer, although he has hinted in interviews that juggling two such monumental tasks is not a feat he is likely to repeat on future projects.

Oasis

If anyone knows how to shake up music fans with an out-of-the-blue reunion announcement, it is Britpop band Oasis. Where Oasis once made a name for themselves quarrelling on stage and breaking each other’s guitars in public (in addition to trotting out hits such as Don’t Look Back in Anger and Wonderwall), famously warring brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher picked this year to announce a halt in their sibling rivalry. Causing a seismic shift in the world of music, the brothers announced Oasis’s comeback tour in August, a whole 15 years after the band last performed together in August 2009. The band’s upcoming concerts will take place in London’s Wembley Stadium starting July 2025. The Oasis reunion announcement led to a landslide of fans racing to ticket websites in a bid to secure seats, with many being scammed into paying more than what was initially advertised. Predictably, the comeback announcement also led to an outpouring of memes, with seasoned fans joking that they would be unable to get tickets because young twentysomethings aching to see Oasis perform Wonderwall live would beat them to it.

Linkin Park

Oasis is not the only music act enjoying a monopoly on comeback announcements, as American alternative Linkin Park proved. In September, the group announced its return, complete with a new album, new tour, and new lineup – the first since lead singer Chester Bennington’s devastating death by suicide in 2017. The rumour mill had been rife since April, and after much speculation, Billboard reported that the newest lineup comprises original members Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, Dave Phoenix Farrell and Joe Hahn, plus new co-vocalist Emily Armstrong and drummer Colin Brittain to kick off their next chapter. Longtime drummer Rob Bourdon did not return for Linkin Park’s new era. However, for fans who had reservations about how anyone could replace Bennington (the man whose voice gave us In The End), those fears were laid to rest with the band’s single The Emptiness Machine. Upon being unveiled on YouTube, the song enjoyed skyrocketing views, with fans leaving words of high praise in the comments section. With the new line-up leading the way, the band released its latest album From Ground Zero in November, bringing an end to a seven-year album hiatus.