I’ve a habit of doing multiple things at once. Guilty! Of late, there are two things that interest me – watching Pakistani TV dramas and crocheting. Here’s what I do. I search for some put youtube app on auto-play and start crocheting. In the past, YouTube’s autoplay has suggested me some of the greatest finds. This week, it is Bulbulay. It is a sitcom, and very predictable most of the time. However, the dialogue delivery, and body language makes it hilarious.
Cast and Characters
Nabeel Zafar as Nabeel
The protagonist and modern day Shaikh Chilli. He does not want to do anything and wants to make millions without lifting a finger. He lives in his friend’s apartment who’s out of country, without his knowledge. That’s not all, he is rented the apartment to Mehmood. Mehmood not only pays rent, but also does the household chores.
He married rich – Khoobsurat, and since living on her money.
Mehmood Aslam as Mehmood Sahab
Nabeel’s former roommate, who has since married his mother Mumtaz. They still live together.
Hina Dilpazeer as Mumtaz (Momo)
Nabeel’s mother and Mehmood’s wife.
Ayesha Omer as Khoobsurat
Nabeel’s wife. Her father bears the expenses of this household. She’s aloof, nakhrili, and classy. She doesn’t usually participate in Nabeel’s schemes.
Faatima Nabeel as Chandi
Nabeel and Khoobsurat’s daughter
Nyle Rizwan as Sona
Mehmood and Momo’s son; Nabeel’s half brother.
Plot Summary
The entire season is divided in eras, so to speak. The first 25 episodes focus on exposition and the bachelor lives of the four characters. After marriage, they shift to a new house. Some episodes are shot in Lahore. The family also visits Dubai. One special Eid episode shows the family grow, when Momo gives birth to a boy and Nabeel and Khoobsurat are blessed with a baby girl. Raising the kids is a lot of fun, too; as Momo gets envious of Khoobsurat and Chandi. For a brief period of time; they also move to a different poor locality.
Pre-wedding era
This is the exposition phase. We meet Nabeel and his roommate Mehmood. We find that they are living in Nabeel’s friend’s apartment without his knowledge. Khoobsurat, who’s his wife, comes to meet her friend. Nabeel starts to flirt with her, wholeheartedly.
Post Wedding era
Dubai era
Lahore era
Expecting
Giving Birth
Apart from the first 100+ or so episodes, each episode follows one of the staple theme.
- Nabeel and Mehmood hatching a plan to con someone
- Someone else doing a con game on Nabeel and family. There are so many thefts in
- Ghosts
- Flirting
Review
There are 455 episodes and it is obvious that it would get repetitive and boring after a point. And, it did. The format did not changed much after a few episodes. The male duo always comes up with silly ways to get rich. Momo willingly participates in their scam and keeps forgetting things. Khoobsoorat still opposes everything that Nabeel suggests. The jokes, the dialogues, the scenes; everything was predictable, repetitive and dragged towards the end.
Performances
Unanimously, Mome is the best. I simply love Hina Dilpazeer. She becomes the character she is playing. Be it momo in Bulbulay or Amma in “Khaleda aur Waleda“, or that lady holering “papad kararey waley…. ” in “papar to pizza”. She is awesome. She transforms into a woman next door and a high class nakcharhi aurat with equal ease. The screen and the scene becomes more lively when she makes her entry. You know like Amitabh Bacchan’s entry in Chupke Chupke. Oh wait, let me play that album. So, I was saying, Momo is the best thing about Bulbulay. Apart from her trademark “chup be” and “oye shawashe“, I like how she walks like an animated doll. And her innocent and out-of-blue “wanna go to TOILET” puts me in splits. She is simply great. That said, chhoti shirt wala Nabeel, usually aloof Khoobsurat, and Mehmood sahab, all do their bits pretty well. The kids are adorable. Sona has more lines than Chandi, but both are super cute. There are tiny bits that bother me. The sitcom breaks the fourth wall, a little too frequently. Could avoid that in some cases. Also occasionally, the characters are too loud. PS: Originally, I had reviewed it when I was watching 140th episode. I have since updated it to elaborate more. Shabana Mukhtar
