Ayesha Omar, Nabeel Zafar celebrate 17 years of ‘Bulbulay’

Actors thank fans of the sitcom across generations, reveal filming will continue for six more months

Seventeen years after Bulbulay first aired, actors Ayesha Omar and Nabeel Zafar celebrated the sitcom’s enduring popularity, sharing nostalgic clips, a cake-cutting celebration and heartfelt tributes to the viewers who have supported the show since its debut.

The actors marked the milestone through collaborative Instagram posts featuring fellow cast members Hina Dilpazeer, Mahmood Aslam and Shagufta Ejaz. One post showed the cast posing together with a celebratory cake.

“17 years of laughter, legends, and unforgettable moments. Long live Bulbulay,” read the caption accompanying the post.

Another collaborative post shared by Omar, Dilpazeer, Zafar and Aslam featured a clip from the sitcom’s wedding episode, revisiting a memorable chapter in the show’s history.

Reflecting on the milestone, Omar wrote that the cast had spent 17 years tolerating and loving one another on screen, while the affection they received from viewers continued to grow.

“Mashallah. Today we are celebrating 17 years of tolerating and loving each other, and being on your television screens. And the love keeps growing. Thank you from the core of our hearts for allllllll the love you all continue to give our #bulbulay family,” she wrote.

 

 

 

 

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Omar thanked audiences around the world for their continued support, saying the sitcom had brought families and communities together through moments of joy and laughter amid everyday stresses.

“We feel blessed that we are able to impact millions of lives all over the world and bring entire families and communities together for a few moments of joy and laughter, every day for some of you, amongst all the stressors around,” she added.

The actress also reflected on the show’s cross-generational appeal, recalling encounters with young fans who credited it with making their childhoods special, children who watched it before going to sleep and older viewers who turned to its humour to unwind.

She further highlighted the connection the cast shared with viewers with Down syndrome and autism, as well as blind fans who listened to episodes and memorised the dialogue.

“Almost every day I meet a Gen Z or Gen Alpha human who thanks me for enriching their childhood with this show, or a child who won’t go to sleep without watching it, an elder who can only destress through this show, people with Down syndrome or autism who believe and take joy in us being their own family members, blind people who listen to each and every episode and know entire dialogues, serious political figures who are addicted to it, and it all continues to blow us away,” she continued.

 

 

 

 

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Omar also revealed that filming was scheduled to continue for another six months, suggesting that more episodes were in the pipeline.

She paid tribute to actor Khaled Anam, whom she affectionately called “Papa”, saying the cast missed him dearly and expressing hope that he was resting in peace.

“P.s. Papa we miss you dearly. Hope you’re enjoying and resting in peace,” she concluded.

The throwback clips came from the sitcom’s wedding episode, during which Dilpazeer joined the show as Momo before becoming a permanent cast member. Omar previously revealed that Bulbulay was originally planned for just 26 episodes.

First aired in 2009, Bulbulay became a familiar fixture of Pakistani television through its family-centred humour, comic misunderstandings and distinctive characters. The sitcom stars Zafar, Omar, Aslam and Dilpazeer, whose performances have helped sustain its popularity across generations.