Daily Times

Google pays tribute to famous Pakistani puppeteer, artist and writer Farooq Qaiser on his 78th birthday anniversary.

Qaiser is known for creating fictitious character Uncle Sargam that stole the hearts of children and adults alike in PTV’s heyday.

It became a household name throughout the country.

Uncle Sargam and his companion, Masi Museebtay, have been featured in Google Doodle’s artwork.

Qaiser was born on Nov 1, 1945 in Sialkot. He studied Fine Arts at the historic National College of Arts in Lahore, where he was introduced to the world of puppetry. He was invited by his teacher Salima Hashmi to work on a children’s television programme called Akka Bakkar (1971) as a show writer and puppet maker. He got a chance to work with the people like Faiz Ahmad Faiz and Shoaib Hashmi.

Qaiser also attended the University of Bucharest for his bachelor’s in graphic design and the University of Southern California for a master’s in mass communications. In 1976, the puppeteer started creating his own children’s show and eventually landed a broadcasting opportunity on Pakistani Television (PTV).

It wasn’t long before Kaliyan (which translates to flower bud) found its way onto family TV screens across the nation.

The show brilliantly balanced humour and satire to teach valuable life lessons to its young audience.

Uncle Sargam, the main character, was also charming and relatable enough that parents enjoyed watching alongside their kids. Uncle Sargam became the character which was equally liked by three generations.

Beyond puppetry, Qaiser had his hand in other pursuits. He worked as a columnist and cartoonist for an Urdu daily and taught at the Fatima Jinnah Women’s University in Rawalpindi.

He also co-founded the Pakistani branch of Union Internationale de la Marionnette (UNIMA) and served as its long-time vice president.

For his contributions, Qaiser has been awarded the Presidential Pride of Performance in 1993, the title of “Master Puppeteer” from UNICEF in 1997, and the PTV Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010.

He played a vital role in educating and entertaining the people of Pakistan through television, and is remembered for his irreplaceable, unmatchable spirit.