DIAMOND
Are some people born to be better than others? Or do they
have a formula for succes that keeps them ahead? It takes dedication, discipline and a positive attitude to lead a fulfilling and rewarding life, combine this with a series of good habits, and anyone can become a successful all rounder, bowling out challenges in life and hitting sixes that help define great success at work, at play and at home. As part of Diamond Foam’s 40th Year Anniversary celebrating it’s success in pioneering sleep systems that make the lives of everyday Pakistanis better, we take a peek at the lives of some of Pakistan’s Top Icons and Personalities, and share their formula for becoming an all rounder in life.
BUSHRA ANSARI
Q. From singing, acting, writing to hosting, you have cemented your place in national history as one of the Top 10 most iconic female personalities to have graced Pakistani television over the last 4 decades. What do you perceive to be your greatest strength that has driven your accomplishments, and keeps you focused and still going strong at this stage of your career? A. My strengths that keep me steady is my determination, and honesty towards my profession and a passion towards exploring new dimensions of myself constantly. We don’t often realise the gifts we inherit from our
parents and I got the voice to sing from my mother and talent of wit from my father’s side and my writing talent from my father Ahmad Bashir, who studied film making from Hollywood in the late 50s, when I was just 2 years old. So a bucket full of art and culture was given to me from the day I was born. Q. As a woman and a parent, it is always hectic and a challenge to juggle your career with your family. How do you find a balance between your professional commitments and family life, and how important has been the role of your family and loved ones in supporting this journey you are on? A. Yes, it was a hard work to balance both lives together but I managed it well and never compromised on my daughters
duties and their schooling. As a mother I was a very emotional person, I not only cooked for the family, I drove them to school for almost 12 years, until my elder daughter Nariman started driving. I always took them with me on my foreign tours and only committed to tours in the summer vacations, so they could enjoy travelling to America, Europe, and Middle East; and see the world with me. I feel very satisfied that I worked really hard on my professional front as well as my home front. Unfortunately, my husband never contributed for these “low jobs” like pick and drop, or getting the groceries.
Q. Achieving success comes with great dedication and personal sacrifice. What in your opinion is your greatest sacrifice and how do you manage or have overcome to make that a ‘positive strength’ in your life instead of a reflection of weakness? A. Sometimes, weaknesses in life can create the need for strengths; so I take negativity in a very positive way and have always utilized it well. Q. In your opinion what makes a woman strong and beautiful? A. A woman’s heart is the most beautiful thing in life. The best quality of woman is to present herself in such a manner, that it’s graceful and attractive, even if she’s broken on the inside; this is called strength. However, beauty without brains is of no worth, so I think an elegant woman should be a balance of both. Q. Given a choice what’s your favourite type of role or character that you would like to play, and
do you feel you are better suited to certain genres such as drama or comedy? A. Whatever I’ve done so far, I personally wanted to do most of them, except a few compromises I’ve made because of my friends demands, but those are quite few. I enjoy playing multiple roles and acting is all about placing yourself in another soul. I got my 1st Best Actress PTV award in a very serious role in 1986 and my own written play ‘Kuch Dil Nay Kaha’ playing the character of a suppressed wife, got me the best actress award in the Lux Style Awards 2007. In 2008 I got the best actress for ‘Vanni’, again both serious roles. I believe my most precious talent is singing. Music is in my soul, despite the fact that I’m not formally trained, I’ve inherited my love for music from my father. I also enjoy writing plays and telling stories
which I grasp from our society. In 2009, I won the Lux Style Award for Best Actress again, for ‘Dolly Ki Ayege Baraat’, which was a comedy. So I can’t bracket my talent for any specific genre or age. Q. What has been the most fulfilling role you have played on screen, and Why? A. Fulfilling, for me, means you are finished and it changes with time, maybe I felt satisfied by doing a few things in my initial 10 years, but the next decade proved to be better than the previous and every decade gave me more hits. So every acheivement gives me a sense of fulfillment on its own, with the drive that keeps me wanting more. Q. With so many actors and actresses coming through on
Pakistani Television, who are the names that come to mind when thinking about the next wave of Pakistani TV Icons on screen, and what do you think makes them unique? A. We have a lot of talented people in the industry. This generation has a lot of exposure, freedom and windows of investors with the money to support their talent and projects. We have Mahira Khan, Mehwish Hayat, Maria Wasti, Ayesha Khan and many talented girls, doing great work. In male actors; Ahsan Khan, Imran Abbass, Fawad Khan, Fahad Mustafa, Ali Zafar and Faisal Qureshi. But an outstanding actress, and a miracle of talent in the form of Hina Dilpazir has come over the last 5 years, I find her to be one of the most talented actors around today with a lot of potential and promise that will stay for a long time. Q. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your stress level? What do you do to manage stress when things get tough? A. My stress level is always varying from high to low, but with my friends and my grandchildren, I try to laugh off all my stress. I find escape in my work, so the more I’m stressed, the more I work. Stress really can be utilized in a constructive way, it’s always how you deal with it. I thank God that he’s given me so much love and appreciation from people, and above all the ability to deal with the odds in life .
an initiative
TM
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