“Mein bohat buri aadmi hoon” says Neelofar Abbasi and laughs, remembering the time when she played the role of Tara in Shezoree, the 1973 PTV serial which portrayed her as a bold, outspoken girl.

Its popularity soon made it a household phrase. “I’m forever grateful that there was no negative response to my bold character in those days,” says Abbasi who now resides permanently in America and was in Karachi recently for the launch of her book, Kahi Unkahi.

Abbasi’s love for acting began in childhood fuelled by school plays. Her parents, always encouraging, asked her to do a play at home. “My friend and I wrote a play and then painstakingly made a stage with appropriate sets. Unfortunately, it was a flop as the boys who were not allowed to act in it started pelting us with stones and the audience ran away!”

Familiar with Radio Pakistan, Karachi from a young age as her mother participated in the programmes, Neelofar Abbasi knew most of the artists there and adored the voices of Talat Hussain and Sajda Syed who were paired in dramas regularly. “When colleges were invited to participate in Jashn-i-Talaba, I was in D.J. College and represented it, and was selected amongst all the students by the radio jury to act in their play. It was certainly a feather in my cap. Later, I did my first play for Radio Pakistan called Hisaar written by Haseena Moin for Studio Number Nau, the popular section where such programmes were recorded, and thus began my career in radio.”

In many ways, Neelofar Abbasi’s “Mein bohat buri aadmi hoon” from the PTV serial Shezoree is right up there with Arnold Schwazenegger’s “I’ll be back” from Terminator!

Impressed by her style, PTV had set its eyes on this young radio artist. She was invited by producer Ameer Imam to act in his play, and soon after other plays followed. “My nature was totally opposite to the role in Shezoree, but I am God-gifted in acting, so I can do any role well.”

After marriage, Neelofar Aleem became Neelofar Abbasi and left acting and joined the Pakistan National Centre under the Information Ministry, as Director Karachi.

“I met Qamar Ali Abbasi who was Assistant Director, Radio Pakistan during my radio stint. He was an interesting conversationalist and was very popular and we liked each other.” Begum Bhutto flew in especially from Islamabad for their wedding, having become a fan of Neelofar Aleem after seeing her play Eid ka Jora. They became good friends after that.

In 1991, the family left for America as Qamar Ali Abbasi’s brother had sponsored them but came back after getting the green card. Retiring as Station Manager from Radio Pakistan, Qamar joined a newspaper which was about to take out a channel. But he was informed by a government agency that he was on the hit list of a group and was asked to restrict his movements. Q.A.B. ignored the warning but was again warned that his life was in danger. This was the time when Hakim Saeed was assassinated. Neelofar Abbasi got scared and insisted on leaving the country, a decision not easy for the family as they had a settled, comfortable life here.

“I was terrified for my husband and children. When we reached America we were received so well by the Pakistani community that all the trepidations just faded away. Right away, I got a job in a cable programme Good Morning Pakistan, which paid well and Qamar became the editor of an Urdu newspaper. My children also didn’t have problems getting jobs. Everything was so smooth for us, and I can only thank God for his kindness.”

During a live session at Radio Pakistan

Though a microbiologist by training she didn’t join a relevant company, preferring to do social work in hospitals and helping people who did not know English well. “I have never had a knack for working so I kept away from it.”

Neelofar Abbasi has written an autobiography which was launched while she was in Pakistan. The book reflects on her parents, growing up and her acting career, and then life in America. “I have also written chapters on Ameer Imam, Haseena Moin, Iqbal Latif, Bushra Ansari, Anwar Maqsood, Talat Hussain and others. I used to write earlier but left it when I had children as I didn’t have the time. My husband later pushed me into writing and I began a weekly column in the Urdu digest Pakeeza. I have included these articles in the book and named it Kahi Unkahi. I had also planned to write a novel on East Pakistan but my husband’s death last year drained me emotionally. But now I plan to write it. I have inherited my love for writing from my parents and uncle Dr Aslam Farrukhi who is a famous writer, critic and educationist.”

Her student life at Karachi University was good as her friends from radio were also in the university. They were groomed by Yawar Mehdi during his tenure as director in Radio Pakistan, and by the time they were in university many of her friends were trained artists. “It was a busy period, studying as well as doing radio programmes along with voiceovers for Khabarnama in film shows. Our extracurricular activities were abundant. I love my old friendships and still meet class fellows in America and here.” Her class fellows included Khushbakht Aliya, journalist Razia Fareed, Parween Shakir, Asad Ashraf Malik and Rehana Hakim. “Parveen wrote a play and I produced it in Students Week on Radio Pakistan while we were studying. I had also started coming on TV and was known everywhere. PTV made a one-hour documentary on me during my university days. It wanted to show that educated people were also taking part in television programmes, to encourage others to act in its plays.”

Her first play Khumar-i-zeher-i-alood was followed by Jahan Barf Girti Hai. Abbasi started with serious plays and later did Eid ka Jora — a comedy play with Talat Hussain, with whom she had worked on radio previously. “I found acting in serious or comedy plays equally easy to do as long as the character was strong. I enjoyed working with all my heroes, which included Talat and Shakeel. Viewers liked Shakeel and me as a romantic couple, and then producer Kunwar Aftab made us brother and sister in a play just to dispel that ‘couple’ notion. Jamshed Ansari was also a lovely person to work with. My best writer was, and is, Haseena Moin who wrote Shezoree, Happy Eid Mubarak, Rumi, Hisaar, Tahe Daam and Naya Rasta which was Shakeel’s first play. I was asked to do Zer Zabar Pesh but I was in the National Institute then, and also declined to act in Guria as I had just gotten married. If I get a chance now I will do a play with Haseena.”

Neelofar Abbasi (L), Ishrat Hashmi and Haseena Moin

There are a few incidents during her acting days which are still etched in Neelofar Abbasi’s mind. During the outdoor shooting of Eid ka Jora, a story of a lower-middle class couple, artist Arshe Munir, her khala (aunt) in the play, and Neelofar alias Kaneezan both wearing burqas, went to the bazaar to buy things for Eid. Talat Hussain aka Karim had heard their conversation and followed them. After the fourth take, a Pathan caught hold of Talat Hussain for following the women and wouldn’t let him go.

“When the whole cast and crew told him that we were shooting for a play and requested him to let go of Talat, he reluctantly did so. We laughed and laughed, and Talat was very upset insisting it was no laughing matter as the man could have injured him. Another incident was in the serious play, Burda Farosh. I was kidnapped by a woman who wanted to sell me to a rich party. At a market near Sabzi Mandi they put me on a tarazoo on one side and money on the other side. It was a terrible experience as it made me think of what actually kidnapped girls go through.”

In Happy Eid Mubarak there was a pond and Shakeel had to say his romantic dialogue while standing near it. Abbasi couldn’t resist herself and pushed him in (which was not in the script) and felt scared afterwards that she would be scolded by the producer. But Kunwar Aftab came out of the OB Van laughing his head off, saying Shakeel deserved it as he had become over romantic.

Her friendly nature, says Abbasi, has helped her a lot in life. When she meets people she tends to see their good side. “I like people with a good nature — beauty and money are inconsequential. I respect people who give respect in return, and life becomes so much easier and happier that way.”

With Shakeel in Shezoree

Neelofar Abbasi is definitely put off by the roles given to women in TV plays and serials these days. She says that in her time they were different whereas now women are shown being beaten up and treated badly generally. “I feel that one should avoid these things as it affects their dignity and children also witness these things which are not appropriate for them. In America, too, women have problems but there are institutions to help them.”

About coming back to Pakistan, she says, “How can you come back to a country where there is no safety, having left it in the first place for the lack of it? I would love to come back permanently — your culture and people can only be found in your country of origin — but only when things are better.”

The sadness is still evident on her face after losing her husband of 40 years. “We understood each other, we had friends in common and most of them belonged to the same profession. Qamar was very witty and considerate, and treated me as someone special. After him, my life is not the same but I have the support of our caring and loving children.”

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, October 19th, 2014