Actress Ayesha Omar has revealed that Bulbulay, one of Pakistan’s most popular sitcoms, was originally meant to last just 26 episodes, and that Hina Dilpazeer’s now-iconic character Momo almost never became a permanent part of the show.
Speaking on Good Morning Pakistan, Omar recalled that when she signed on, the plan was for a short, 26-episode series built around three characters: her role as Khoobsurat, along with Nabeel and Mehmood Sahab, living together in an apartment without any of them being married. She described the setup as “odd,” with little real connection between the characters.
According to Omar, Hina Dilpazeer was then brought in as a guest artist to play Nabeel’s mother, Mumtaz, for a single episode. That one appearance drew such a strong response from viewers that the makers decided to keep her on permanently. Her entry also reshaped the show’s storyline, as Nabeel ended up marrying Khoobsurat, while Momo married Mehmood Sahab, turning the cast into the on-screen family audiences came to know.
Bulbulay first went on air on ARY Digital in October 2009 and went on to become one of Pakistan’s longest-running sitcoms, having crossed over 800 episodes and recently marking 17 years since its debut. Momo remains one of the most loved characters in Pakistani television history.
