Pakistanis mourn the loss of beloved puppeteer ‘Uncle Sargam’ Farooq Qaiser
Uncle Sargam was one of the characters loved and cherished by both children and adults in Pakistan. The man behind this beloved character, Farooq Qaiser, who used puppets to entertain and educate people about political and social issues, is no more.
Farooq Qaiser aka Uncle Sargam passed away in Islamabad on Friday due to cardiac arrest at the age of 75.
Qaiser was a puppeteer, columnist, scriptwriter, director, producer, voice-over artist and author. He was educated at the National College of Arts. He also attained a Master’s in Graphic Arts from Romania (1976) and another postgraduate degree in Mass Communication from the University of Southern California, USA, (1999).
Idea of Uncle Sargam
Uncle Sargam was the most popular character that Qaiser created and became a household name for decades in Pakistan.
Uncle Sargam was introduced in a PTV show for kids Kaliyan in 1976 soon after Qaiser returned after studying puppetry in Romania. Qaiser was perhaps so inspired by his teacher in Bucharest, Professor Molnar, that he became the inspiration for the appearance of Uncle Sargam.
Using Muppet-like puppets, Qaiser created Uncle Sargam, Maasi Museebatay, Rolla (his best student), Haigaa (played by Rashid Khan), Sharmeeli (Bushra Ansari) – characters that became popular throughout the country.
Along with Kaliyan, Putli Tamasha, Sargam Time and Daak Time were also Qaiser’s most loved TV shows. He was awarded the Presidential Pride of Performance award in 1993 and was recently honoured with the Sitara-i-Imtiaz during a ceremony at Aiwan-i-Sadr on Pakistan Day.
Condolences and tributes
Soon after the news of his demise, condolences poured in from all across the country to pay homage to the late artist.
Prime Minister Imran Khan and other government officials expressed their sadness over the demise of Qaiser. The premier remembered him not just as a performer but as someone who “would constantly raise awareness about social injustices and issues”.
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry said Qaiser had revived the “centuries old craft of Putli Tamasha” through his “unforgettable” character of Uncle Sargam.
PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz said Qaiser would be remembered for “spreading smiles and laughter”.
Musician Ali Zafar remembered Farooq Qaiser as “one of the most inspiring human beings.”
Columnist Nadeem Farooq Paracha called him “an unsung genius” who “developed a puppet show for children on PTV in 1970s which evolved to became highly satirical. He created memorable characters, especially Uncle Sargam. One segment of the show was called, ‘Science bari ya bhense’ which mocked pseudoscience and quackery. RIP.”
Artist Shehzad Roy who also runs a charitable foundation, Zindagi Trust, shared this beautiful memory on Twitter:
Actor Adnan Siddiqui wrote that Farooq Qaiser “won hearts of children and adults alike” and he “will be missed” for “remarkable satire to speak about social issues.”