BUSHRA ANSARI’s taste in films is varied, to say the least, and she is as fond of serious art movies as she is of light, entertaining flicks. However, as she herself admits, she is “quite whimsical”, and her favourite movie “keeps changing with time”.
There was a period when Bushra doted on the classic Dr Zhivago and no movie could hope to vie for her appreciation as much. Then came Shyam Benegal’s Bhumika, “a complicated Indian art-film” about the life of a woman and how she is exploited by various people. She loved the movie and it remained her favourite till Griha Pravesh, another Indian movie, came along.
Revolving around the sedate life of a married couple that is suddenly rocked by the husband’s extra-marital affair with his colleague, the film touches on a very real issue and reflects the lives of a large number of married couples.
Surprisingly, usurping the favourite position that had been occupied by such grim movies till then was Pretty Woman with all its feel-good elements. In fact, claims Bushra, “it was its light-hearted plot that appealed to me, and it is great to watch such movies after generally seeing heavy, depressing stuff.” The Hollywood blockbuster retained the top slot in her list till she saw Indian film Devdas, which has mesmerized her to date.
So enamoured is Bushra with Devdas that all its songs rank among her favourites. A keen listener of classical music, she doesn’t know “from where to start” naming her pet pieces, as “the sea of favourites is very vast”. She loves the renditions of Tufail Niazi, Reshma and Shankar Mahadevan, particularly his Ryhdhun.
Says Bushra, “The only type of music I don’t enjoy is the shor sharaba kind, which is very popular today. I love classical music, and am also very fond of a large number of songs sung by Madame Noorjehan and Lata Mangeshkar. And I enjoy instrumental music, too. I tend to listen to my favourite pieces while doing my house chores.”
Growing up in a literary environment where most of the “uncles and aunts visiting our home” were famous writers, Bushra developed a penchant for reading, and it was but natural that she grew up reading and enjoying those books the most that were written by people she was familiar with.
One of her favourite books is Bano Qudsia’s Raja Gidh. She says it is a “book to be read”, based on the philosophy of life and dwelling on life’s different aspects. She herself has read it three, four times in the last seven years. Admits Bushra, “It is a little dry in the beginning, but as you understand it, you get involved in the characters, and through them develop an understanding of our complex life.”
The other book she ranks highly is Qudratullah Shahab’s Shahabnama. An autobiography of the well-known bureaucrat, the book traces his life to the time when he developed an affinity with God and became a sufi in old age.
Bushra’s other favourite book is a “simple novel” written by Razia Butt, entitled Bano. Says Bushra, “Although the book is not philosophical or deep in any way and has an uncomplicated storyline related to Partition, it is so well written that it could be made into a fantastic serial.” The plot revolves around a beautiful young girl who was picked up by Sikhs during Partition, when her family was moving to Pakistan and eventually returns to her family after she has become a mother.
Says Bushra, “Her transformation from an innocent, young girl loved by her Sikh husband to a girl that gets persecuted and raped in the land that was supposed to be a haven for Muslims is heart-rending.” She is hopeful that one day someone will make it into a TV play.
BUSHRA ANSARI’s taste in films is varied, to say the least, and she is as fond of serious art movies as she is of light, entertaining flicks. However, as she herself admits, she is “quite whimsical”, and her favourite movie “keeps changing with time”.
