Farooq Qaiser, the man behind the legendary Uncle Sargam character and one of the pioneers of puppetry and art in Pakistan, has passed away in Islamabad on Friday night, his family confirmed.
The TV icon died of a cardiac arrest in Islamabad. Uncle Sargam, who was a household name for children, women and even for some seniors of the 80s and 90s, was born on October 31, 1945 in Lahore.
He began his career as an artist after completing graduation from the National College of Arts in Lahore. Children’s show Kaliyan, Sargam Sargam and Daak Time are popular TV shows of the late artist.
‘Uncle Sargam’ and ‘Maasi Museebtay’ are regarded as Pakistan’s legendary puppet duo. The late artist started working with the Pakistan Television in 1976. His death was also confirmed by the state-run television.
The award-winning puppeteer wrote over 30 plays and hundreds of songs. He won the Pride of Performance Award in 1993 and UNICEF Award in 1997. He was also given a Life-Time Achievement Award in 2010. Currently, he was associated with an Urdu daily newspaper in Islamabad as resident editor.