Bulbulay


Bulbulay is a Pakistani family sitcom about an unconventional Pakistani family. The show is directed by Rana Rizwan, written by Ali Imran and Saba Hassan, and produced by Nabeel, who also played the lead character of the show. The show gained popularity after the introduction of Hina Dilpazeer, who plays Mumtaz.
Bulbulay was first aired 22 October 2009 on ARY Digital and was later broadcast on ARY Digital in the UK. It is a successful sitcom with a high TRP, and it holds the record for the longest-running television series of Pakistan.
In July 2017 the series went off-air and did not return to air on ARY Digital. Instead, starting 7 May 2019, the show began airing new episodes on BOL Entertainment under the title of Phir Bulbulay but was halted quickly due to copyright issues, as BOL was not allowed to air the comedy serial.
Bulbulay began to air on ARY Digital after Eid ul Fitr 2019, and airs a weekly episode every Sunday evening.

Plot

Season 1

Most episodes are about Nabeel, Khoobsurat, Momo and Mehmood being conned, robbed, or just having bad luck. Every episode ends with the family being ripped off, or either of the men getting a beating from his wife for flirting with other women. The storyline starts off with Nabeel and Mehmood living in an apartment as bachelors and progresses to both of them marrying and having children.
The show is known to break the fourth wall all the time.

Episode 1-25 (Pre-marriage)

Nabeel's childhood friend Ahmad moves abroad and tells Nabeel to look after his apartment. Nabeel takes advantage of this and starts living in the apartment as landlord and rents out a room to Mehmood. Khoobsoorat, who ran away from her wedding just fifteen minutes before it took place, arrives at the same apartment looking for her friend Saima, who is married to Ahmed. Although Nabeel first tells her she cannot move in, he changes his mind after she threatens to tell Saima about the misuse of the apartment.
When Khoobsoorat's father, Siddiqui, comes to take her back, she tells him that she is married to Nabeel to stop him. When Nabeel's mother, Mumtaz, comes to visit him, he says that Khoobsoorat is the housemaid, as his mother would not accept his living together with a woman.
Later in the series, Khubsoorat's father finds out his daughter is unmarried and informs her that he is coming to take her back home. Nabeel's mother comes to visit her son and tells him that Khoobsoorat is a good girl and that they should get married. When she asks Khubsoorat, Khubsoorat is shocked and decides to leave. Later, Nabeel tells Khoobsoorat that he really loves her and had fallen in love with her when he saw her for the fourth time ; and, so, he wants to marry her. Mehmood and Mumtaz started to like each other and want to get married. At Nabeel and Khubsoorat's marriage, after their nikah is read, Nabeel wishes Mehmood could also marry someone along with him on the same day and place, to his surprise, Mehmood replies that he has already decided a wife. Mehmood announces he will marry Mumtaz and tells the qadi to wait and read their nikah as well. Nabeel is shocked by this and feels very uncomfortable about his mother being close to Mehmood. At this moment, Siddiqui arrives to cancel his daughter's wedding. Nabeel informs him that the nikah is already read, and he gets very mad, for letting his daughter marry such a wrongful man. Meantime, Butt sahb enters the scene, demanding to stop the marriage as it is not legal to marry after 12. Siddiqui gives money to dismiss Butt sahb.

Episode 26-82 (After marriage)

Soon after the couples get married, Nabeel gets a call from Ahmad, who tells him he has found someone who will move into the apartment, and that they have two days to move out. Luckily, Khubsoorat's father arranges for a new place for them to live and pays in advance, so that they do not struggle.
Siddiqui also finds a good job offer for Nabeel. Nabeel is forced to attend the job interview by his wife Khoobsurat. Nabeel later gets declined due to his demanding of a salary of 3-4 lakhs, saying he is made for much bigger things and will not work for anyone who does not see his true potential.

Episode 83-87 (Bubulay in Dubai)

The Bulbulay family goes to Dubai but without telling each other. Nabeel and Khoobsurat win a trip to Dubai from a lucky draw. Mehmood and Mumtaz go to Dubai for their honeymoon, with their own money. They happen to be booked into the same hotel. While walking in the hall, Nabeel and Mehmood bump into each other; they pretend that they don't know each other and rush back to their rooms. When both families have plans to go to the Oasis Mall, and both Mehmood and Nabeel are taking showers in their rooms, Khoobsurat and Momo wait for them in the hotel lobby and see each other clearly.
Momo goes out of the hotel to avoid Khoobsurat and rushes off in a taxi to the mall. Khoobsurat, Nabeel, and Mehmood go out to find her. After they're reunited, they go to Ibn Battuta Mall the next day, where they meet FM radio producers and are offered jobs that don't work out. Nabeel later meets a woman and starts flirting with her, and convincing her that he is rich, having many businesses. Mehmood sab finds out, and tries to stop Nabeel but backfires. Afterward, the family headed towards the mall, Nabeel makes up excuses to go back to the hotel, so Mehmood sab drugs Nabeel's coffee cup to ruin his date. Nabeel then returns to the hotel and invites the woman to stay in his hotel room, he kept going to the washroom repeatedly due to the effect of the drug. Khoobsurat returns from the mall and discovers the truth, which later on makes her angry at Nabeel.
The next day, Momo meets a man in the hotel lounge and mistakenly picks up his bag thinking it's hers. The man was ordered by his boss to follow Momo to get the bag back. Meanwhile, the boss, who the bag had belonged to, finds out that Momo is the leader of the Bulbulay gang so he captures Nabeel, Mehmood, and Khoobsurat, and then blackmail Momo to return the bag in exchange for her gang. The boss then orders the man to capture the bag from her possession, Momo realizing that the bag has cash inside; instead gives a small portion of the money to the man. The boss frees the family thinking the man had received the money. Momo still having possession of the bag tells the family and they immediately rush towards the airport.

Episode 88-100 (pre-parenthood)

While returning home from Dubai, Momo loses her bag at the airport. Khoobsurat becomes ill and the others start avoiding her in the fear of catching her disease. Later, Khoobsurat is found to be pregnant, shortly after which Momo also becomes pregnant. Most of the episodes involve the family making preparations for the arrival of their children. Nabeel, however, is unhappy that his mother is having a baby at her age. These episodes also show their pre-parenthood lifestyle in the holy month of Ramadan. On the 100th, Eid-Special episode, Momo and Khoobsurat give birth to a baby son and daughter, respectively. From episode 88 Faizan Shahzad Khan joined Team Bulbulay as associate director and actor.

Episode 101-139 (parenthood)

Both couples become parents. Mehmood Sahab and Momo name their son Sona, which means gold; and Khoobsurat and Nabeel name their daughter Chaandi, which means silver. These episodes involve events taking place after Sona and Chaandi's births. Nabeel and Mehmood are pressured by their wives to take up jobs to support their children. When the children are admitted into school, the couples compete to see who can provide better for their children.

Episode 140-143 (Bulbulay in Lahore)

The family races to Lahore to visit Khoobsurat's father, Siddiqui, whom they cannot contact and are worried about. Meanwhile, Siddiqui marries a woman named Betaab. At first, Siddiqui hides her from them by convincing them there is a soul roaming in the house, but eventually, Siddiqui tells them the truth, which upsets Khoobsurat. On the next day, Siddiqui and his wife go to honeymoon leaving the family behind.
Betaab’s brother that wants his sister to come back home is confronted with the Bulbulay family. Nabeel tells him that she has gone to her honeymoon with Siddiqui. After not being able to contact Siddiqui, he gets angry and shoots Mehmood sab. Mehmood sab plays dead. While they mourn his death, Betaab’s brother pays 12500Rs to them because they had blackmailed him to call the police. Betaab’s brother comes back and realizes that the gun was fake, later wanting Nabeel’s wife in exchange for her sister.
An old friend from the UK visited Siddiqui’s house with cash. Nabeel and Mehmood sab fool him into thinking Siddiqui has passed away. They take advantage of his money and buy food, and take the money for their traveling expenses from Lahore to Karachi. In the end, they were trying to run away but encountered Siddiqui and his wife; who had returned from their honeymoon.

Episode 144-204

The Bulbulay family's regular performance in Javed sahab's house, Karachi. Getting into numerous problems and being looted in the process.

Episode 205-209 (Bulbulay again in Lahore)

The family has gone to Lahore. Siddiqui invites Khoobsurat and Chandi to stay into his new house in Lahore; but before leaving, Betaab misplaces the address. The fun starts when they all arrive at Siddiqui's new house.
Siddiqui becomes furious at Betaab for allowing the Bulbulay family to his home, so he requests her to become a jinn to scare away the family. But things don't work out as Nabeel figures out Siddiqui's true intentions. Meantime, Mehmood executes the role of Baba to release the jinn from Betaab, he sprinkles petrol on her, as he was about to request for a matchstick; Betaab confessed the truth.
Mehmood's old friend is welcomed to the house. Believing he's rich; Nabeel and Mehmood need to satisfy their costs to visit Minar-e-Pakistan from his wealth. But, the old friend required the cash that Mehmood owed him ages ago, which is equivalent to 11 lakhs at this time. Not having cash, he is requested to stay in their house as he is broke. Betaab notices him in the house and he is later framed for being a thief.
One month has passed. Mehmood eavesdrops on Siddiqui, talking about eliminating the Bulbulay family with a bomb. He wakes up early to prepare breakfast, meanwhile, Siddiqui and Betaab are outside watching a movie and having private time. Mehmood hears a tick-tock sound and assumes it's a time bomb. He tells everyone, and they plan to go out of the house to avoid it but the front door is locked. Later, Mehmood attempts to diffuse the bomb but it turns out to be an alarm clock hidden by Momo.
Siddiqui gets enraged and yells at Nabeel for consuming so much of his money. Nabeel comes up with a plan to seek revenge, he hires an actor to play as Siddiqui's wife to separate his relations with Betaab. It works out and Siddiqui pays 5 lakh to let go of the woman, but eventually, he finds out Nabeel's true intentions. Nabeel, Mehmood, and Momo run away. Nabeel tells Khoobsurat to return with Chandi back to Karachi.

Episode 210-217

They return to Karachi.

Episode 218-267

They are normal, with performances by Momo and Nabeel. Five years have transpired since their marriage.

Episode 268-273 (rich)

They become rich because of the jinn Ibn e Battuta, son of Battuta, who is a big fan of Momo. A magician imprisoned him in a bottle. In episode 273, the kidnappers Tome and Moti arrive at the new location and kidnap Nabeel. Momo told them that all their wealth is in the bottle. They open the bottle and the jinn appears.

Episode 274-297 (poor)

The jinn took all the wealth back and the family became poor. In episode 297, Javed Sahab arrives at the new location of Bulbulay to take the family back to the old location. Javed sahab made a FIR because they did not pay the rent for 1 year. In the end, they all tried to run away but encountered Siddiqui at their front door.

Episode 298-455 (back to the classic ''Bulbulay'')

They return to Javed Sahab's's house. Siddiqui pays Javed the family's rent. The family realizes that the Ramadan moon has appeared, and episode 298 is all about the family making Siddiqui do all their work because he isn't fasting. It's back to the situations of the early episodes in which Nabeel and his family have bad luck. In episode 455, the family decides to go to a world tour.

Special episodes

Bubbles Show special was a two-hour episode in which the Bulbulay characters were live on ARY Digital, where they met their fans who were present there and took calls from those who weren't. The Bulbulay characters were highly appreciated by their fans.
On 20 May 2016 the cast and writer Ali Imran were invited on ARY Digital morning show Good Morning Pakistan to celebrate 400 episodes of Bulbulay.

Season 2

Episode 1 (shifting to new house)

The Bulbulay family shifts to the new house. When Momo and Khoobsurat entered the house, there were two strangers in the house. Momo and Khoobsurat thought they were robbers. They told Nabeel and Mehmood Sahab. Momo then knocked out the strangers. Then a person told them that those two people were knaves who didn't pay rent for the house. They were very dangerous people who were caught by the police after the police had been searching for them for 6 months. In the second episode, Sher Khan married another woman who later approached Nabeel telling him she loves him and saying that she will shoot Sher Khan and Khoobsurat, forcing Nabeel to marry her after she divorced Sher Khan. Sher Khan thinks that Ghulbaght, his new wife, loves him but it is revealed both came up with the idea to shoot Nabeel.

Episode 3 (saw a ghost)

In this episode, they saw a ghost while sleeping. They awoke and came running outside. The next day they called a man who would make the ghost go away, but the ghost and the man were acting together. They were robbers. The man first ate food saying he has no power and ate all the food, after which the girl they saw at night came. They screamed and ran into the house. The girl pretended kindness. She said she had prepared some food. They all and were asleep for 1 hour. When they woke up they had nothing; all their things had been stolen.

Cast and characters

Main

Bulbulay achieved the highest-ever rating of a Pakistani comedy series, with a rating of 8.0 TRPs, which is more than any other Pakistani comedy drama. It has a current rating of 7.8/10 on IMDb. Bulbulay also won the "Best Sitcom" award for three consecutive years, from 2010 to 2012, at the Pakistan Media Awards.
Due to its popularity, the series is shown in other countries, including the UK; and soon it will be aired in India on the Zee Zindagi channel.