Bushra Ansari PP (born Urdu: بشریٰ انصاری ; February 16, 1954 ) is a Pakistani television presenter, comedian, singer, actress and playwrighter who started as a child performer in the 1960s and has remained a major TV personality for over four decades.^[1]

Her first dramatic acting role was in one of Iqbal Ansari's productions and, in subsequent years, has appeared on PTV's most-watched shows, including Angan Terha, Show Time, Show Sha, Rang Tarang, Emergency Ward and the Saturday Night Live-styled sketch comedy TV series Fifty Fifty. During 1980s Bushra had appeared in an advertising campaign with her daughter for Pampers diapers and, in 2009, was seen in singer Amanat Ali's music video from his album Kohram.Bushra has visited many countries and won numerous awards, including the Pride of Performance Award in 1989 as well as presidential award from Pervez Musharraf and a Women's Achievement Award from Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.^[2]

Bushra Ansari was Born in Karachi on February 16, 1954 to an eminent journalist and writer Ahmad Bashir and housewife Mehmooda Bashir. Following studies with Lahore's Lady Griffin School, she completed intermediate education at Lahore College for Women University and received a B.A. from Rawalpindi's Viqar un Nisa College for Women, Rawalpindi in 1977. Bushar has three sisters and one brother. Her elder sister is Neelum Bashir is a fiction writer and poet who mainly writes in Punjabi and Urdu, while her two sisters are also an accomplished Pakistani actresses and singers, while her eldest sister Sumbal Shahid is a professional singer. Bushra's aunt Begum Parveen Aatif is an columnist and short story writer. Pakistani actor Shahood Alvi is also a relative of Bushra from her's in laws.

Ansari has written drama serials and plays including Neeli Dhoop (her first script), Makan and Kucch Dil nay Kaha. Her 2010 serial, Dil hai Chhota sa, produced by Geo TV under Iqbal Ansari's supervision, was the highest rated serial drama of that period, controversially dramatising the Islamic marriage custom Nikah Halala.^[3] Ansari joined the jury board of Pakistan Idol in 2013.

Although briefly Bushra Ansari has also performed as a model in her career. During the 1980s she performed as a model on various platforms. During an interview she revealed having performed on fashion ramps and in catwalks.^[4] She also appeared in an advertising campaign with her daughter for Diapers in 2009. She also appeared in a music video for Amanat Ali's album "Kohram".^[5]

• Abhi Tau Main Jawan Hun
• Chikni Orat
• Jawani Phir Nahi Ani (2015)
• Ho Mann Jahaan (2015)

Ansari has won numerous awards, including the Pride of Performance Award in 1989 as well as presidential award from Pervez Musharraf and a Women's Achievement Award from Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. She has hosted the Geo TV Sunday television show Brunch with Bushra, which featured in depth personal conversations with personalities from sports, show business, and politics, with particularly wide publicity generated by her interview with political leadership figure Altaf Hussain. She has also won PTV Awards for Best Actress.^[6] Bushra Ansari is also an accomplished actress and has won accolades at nearly every year's Lux Style Award.^[7]

A particular characteristic about Bushra Ansari's artistic career has been about trend setting and proactive breakthroughs. She provided the voice overs for jingles used during commercials which went on to become household names. An example being of "Naz Pan Masala".^[8] She also started a liberal trend in an overshadowing conservative Pakistani drama culture. Her depiction of Saima Chaudry as the candid and boisterous lady endeared her to viewers across the nation and helped her project more modern themes. During one episode her character (saima chaudry) appears out of a dressing room in a revealing outfit, only to innocently claim that she is being the younger sister of Bipasha Basu.^[9] She hence set a tradition of covertly projecting overt feminine prowess and sexuality in a tasteful way. During an interview on the show Bilatakalluf she was quite open about her inclination towards artistic nudity and how she considered censorship to be the bane of film and drama development in Pakistan.^[10] Although earlier she had been critical about Veena Malik's nude shoot for FHM india, she clarified that, it was only because she considered holy months like Muharram to be sacrosanct, hence her reservations about advertising the same during that time.^[11] She was amusingly candid, when she revealed that Veena's FHM shoot had emboldened her to explore ventures into nude modelling and she had done a similar audition with a French Photographer. She was, however, persistent that there is a fine line between being vulgar and artistic and those pursuing bold or nude modelling should be sensitive about this aspect.^[12]

Bushra Ansari released a cool funky music album called "Yeh Meri Zindagi Hai" in 1994. The title song was a huge success and was based upon Dr. Albans "Its My Life". She released videos of two songs from the album. She has a very good voice and all the songs were very funny. The album was also the first release of a then new company "Lips Records". The songs contained in the album were:

• Yeh Meri Zindagi Hai
• Sahiwal City
• O Shohar
• Tumhain Hamari Amma Ki Qasam
• Main Fridge Mein Band Hoon
• Kyun Hans Rahi Zarmina
• O Maina
• Tere Dar Pe Sanam
• Tu Lihaf Hai Kisi Aur Ka
• Dhaka Chakka
• Main Hoon Aisi Wife
• Ghoom Ja Challaku Sweety

• List of Lollywood actors

• Official website
• Bushra Ansari at IMDb

Authority control databases
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National	United States Australia
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