Hina Dilpazeer, the renowned Pakistani actress known for her iconic portrayal of Mumtaz, affectionately called Momo, in the popular sitcom Bulbulay, recently made a surprising revelation during a Ramazan transmission. She disclosed an unexpected contractual restriction related to her beloved character Momo, stating that she is contractually obligated against reprising the role anywhere else, whether in on-screen projects or off-screen engagements such as events or award ceremonies.
Momo’s character in Bulbulay is a charming yet absent-minded elderly woman whose frequent mix-ups and mispronunciations have captured the hearts of audiences. Expressing her situation, Dilpazeer mentioned, “I have this in writing that I cannot do this character (Momo) anywhere else. Yes, I did a commercial where I asked for permission to play Momo and they said yes but it was just a commercial.”
Bulbulay, which originally premiered in 2009, has emerged as one of Pakistan’s most successful television series and holds the distinction of being the longest-running sitcom in the country. Momo’s character, portrayed by Dilpazeer, has garnered a devoted following and become an emblematic figure in Pakistani television.
Reflecting on the show’s wide appeal in a 2021 interview, Dilpazeer remarked, “This show cemented our identities on TV. Many people recognize us by our characters and not by our real names, and that’s a statement for how successful and relevant the show has been for our audience.”
She credited the writer Ali Rehman for creating a brilliant character sketch for Momo and highlighted her shared comic chemistry with Nabeel, played by Nabeel Zafar. Dilpazeer reminisced about the fun moments on set, noting that the cast often burst into laughter during takes, much to the amusement of their co-star Ayesha Omar, who portrayed Khoobsurat in the series.
