Bushra Ansari: I could have divorced during my first year of marriage

LAHORE: Veteran actress and comedian Bushra Ansari has talked about her life journey as an entertainer and her influences in life.

In a recent appearance on The Talk Talk Show with Hassan Choudry, Ansari recalled her initial hesitations about her recent one-woman comedy venture, Malika-e-Tabassum but was swayed by director Dawar Mehmood’s promise that it would pave the way for four other women to explore stand-up comedy.

With a career spanning nearly fifty years, Ansari has ventured into multiple facets of entertainment, recently reaffirming her prominent status in Pakistani television with her acclaimed portrayal of Maa Begum in the popular television serial Tere Bin after a brief hiatus from acting.

When asked about her reaction to the success of her performances and serials, Ansari expressed her gratitude for the reception of Tere Bin and remarked, “[Tere Bin] was a fantasy. There was a beautiful house, and I also looked like a very artificial, beautiful mother… it’s not shocking, it’s not surprising; I could just tell this is commercial work.”

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Meanwhile, Bushra Ansari reminisced about her debut as a child actor back in 1967. She humorously recounted, “I was a leading kid for the first two years I was acting. Then, after two years, my dadi and dada told me, ‘Enough! Stay at home.’

Following their advice, my father suggested I pursue singing on the radio instead of appearing on television. So, even during those five years when I wasn’t on screen, I was still active in the entertainment world.”

Beyond her public and professional life, Ansari took the opportunity to encourage young women, including housewives and newly married individuals, to pursue personal and professional growth simultaneously. She advocated for women to multitask and continually acquire new skills.

Discussing her decision to divorce her ex-husband during a time when such autonomy for women was rare, Ansari spoke of her daughter’s observation: “God has made us to be princesses and fairies. We have so many rights.” Ansari added, “I had this right [to divorce], but it took me 36 years to use it. I had to use the right wisely; otherwise, I could have divorced during my first year of marriage!”

Reflecting on the love and admiration she receives from her fans, Ansari concluded, “If you have the opportunity to showcase the creative drive of your soul, then what can be better than that? Secondly, if your hobby turns into your profession, and you are getting paid for it, what else can you want? Thirdly, seeing the admiration people have for you – when you have to take two-hundred-and-fifty pictures after stepping out of the airport, from security to the pilot – that is only people’s love, isn’t it?”