Bushra Ansari wants Pakistani TV to show more stories about real problems.

A seasoned actor is asking for TV shows that dig into why social problems really happen, instead of sticking to the usual family drama clichés.

For actor Bushra Ansari, the biggest issue with today's TV wasn't just what was shown, but what was missing: the real social and money problems affecting everyday people in the country.  

After many years in show business, the seasoned actor, singer, and writer said she had no real desire to go back to the usual storylines about mother-in-law and daughter-in-law fights and repetitive home dramas. In an interview, she said she wanted TV to ask tough questions, look deeper into why social problems exist, and give viewers something to think about.  

"I haven't been writing for four years," Bushra said, explaining that most of what was being made didn't appeal to her.

She said what really grabbed her was stories about real problems. For Bushra, it wasn't enough to just show poverty, abuse at home, bad schools, unsafe roads, or broken systems. A story should dig into why these problems exist in the first place. "You need to look at the root causes," she said.

Thinking back on the TV she watched as a kid and later worked in, Bushra remembered a time when entertainment was tied closely to books and real life. "We never had this idea of a 'heroine' in our heads," she said. "We just wanted good, solid characters," the actor added.

She said her generation got to see a bigger cultural world. "We watched movies like Gone with the Wind, read books like Wuthering Heights, and followed Indian movies. Books, plays, music, and daily life all influenced the TV shows we made," she said.

Bushra added, "We used to do realistic work based on real life."

The actor pointed to Alif Noon as one example of a show that stayed memorable even decades later. She said she saw that kind of storytelling as an important part of what television could do: entertain people while also making them observe, question, and learn.

"It's a sad thing to say we don't have that now," she said, thinking about the changes she had seen over time.

The actor also talked about how she became a PTV icon. "When I was born, I thought, I will be a singer," she remembered. "I joined PTV in 1968 and used to do singing programs. When I was around 15 or 16, I was even asked to do drama roles, but my father was unsure until I married a director," Bushra shared.

Her career grew through singing contests and acting roles. Getting married didn't stop her work either; her husband, who was a director, encouraged her to keep going.

She looked back at TV in the 1980s as a time when actors could try risky, creative things. She remembered once being forced to wear a burqa for a funny show, and in another show, the director used a big, silly costume prop to make people laugh.

This openness to trying new things also touched serious topics. Bushra talked about working on dramas that explored aging, relationships, and other issues that might still cause debate today.

The important thing, she said, was that TV was ready to deal with real topics instead of just repeating the same old patterns. "We used to make shows about lessons that matter, which I think is important to do every five years or so to remind people," she said.

For an industry she joined as a young singer in 1968, Bushra's message stayed much the same entertainment should not be scared to look at real life.

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