The 78th birthday of famous Pakistani puppeteer, artist, writer, and voice actor Farooq Qaiser is honoured in today’s Doodle. He is best known for having created the fictitious puppet Uncle Sargam, who won over the hearts of many kids and adults and went on to become a national icon. The Doodle artwork for today features Uncle Sargam and his friend Masi Museebtay!
On this day in 1945, Qaiser was born in Sialkot, Punjab. He was initially exposed to the realm of puppetry while completing his Fine Art studies at the National College of Arts in Lahore. He was asked to serve as a show writer and puppet maker to the children’s television series Akka Bakkar (1971) when he was there. In addition, Qaiser studied graphic design for his bachelor’s degree at the University of Bucharest and mass communications for his master’s at the University of Southern California.
The puppeteer began making his own children’s show in 1976, and ultimately Pakistani Television (PTV) offered to air it. Kaliyan, which means “flower bud,” quickly made its way onto family TV sets all over the nation. The series offered its youthful viewers important life lessons by skillfully balancing humour and satire. The primary character, Uncle Sargam, was endearing and relatable enough for parents to enjoy viewing with their kids.
Qaiser was involved in several activities outside puppetry. He taught at the Fatima Jinnah Women’s University in Rawalpindi and worked as a columnist and cartoonist for the Urdu newspaper Daily Nai Baat. He was also a long vice president of Union Internationale de la Marionnette (UNIMA), which he co-founded in Pakistan.
In recognition of his work, Qaiser received the PTV Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010, the UNICEF “Master Puppeteer” title in 1997, and the Presidential Pride of Performance Award in 1993. He is renowned for his unmatched, irreplaceable energy and for having been a major contributor to Pakistani education and entertainment via television.
Farooq Qaiser, happy birthday!