Bushra, the face of Bijlee

KARACHI:

Do the lines “Abb tou hum dono mil ker bijlee ko taar taar kerain gay” and “Meray khandan kay taar ab tak modern hain, sarak per nangay paray hain” ring a bell?

Actor Bushra Ansari remains a golden legend when it comes to the world of comedy.  While she has performed a number of roles that have had audiences in fits of laughter, the one she enjoyed most is that of ‘Bijlee’ — a character that personifies electricity, the bane of our existence in Pakistan.

‘Bijlee’ gained popularity through a programme called “Show Sha” which was first screened on PTV. It was written by Anwar Maqsood and directed by Mohsin Ali, whom Ansari gives all the credit to, saying, “Anwar Maqsood sahib wrote this and Mohsin sahib told me to enact the role. This got things started. For my part, I wanted to do a very lively act, so I went according to the tez (cunning) look – this look was a part of the act!”

One of Bijlee’s most memorable dialogues is: “Bijlee aisee, bijlee wiasi, kiya bataon aap ko, meray baray main kiya kiya zaban istimal ki jati hai? (Electricity is this, electricity is that; how should I tell you the kind of things people say about me?).” In the show, Bijlee also spoke about the abuse she received, “Pata nahin kab daafa hojay gi? (When will she just get lost?)”

The show may have been screened in 1982, but the response of her fans is still as overwhelming as it was back then. “It was a super hit thing back then. Thirty years have gone by, but people still remember it vividly,” Ansari told The Express Tribune.

Published In The Express Tribune, June 27^th, 2012.