2nd Death Anniversary: The Magic of Late Uncle Sargam

Wraa Noor

Islamabad: Renowned artist, puppeteer, scriptwriter, and voice actor Farooq Qaiser, aka Uncle Sargam, is no longer bringing smiles to the faces of millions, confronting political and economic uncertainties in the country, however, his legacy is there.

Uncle Sargam died on May 14, 2021, in Islamabad, and today is the second death anniversary of Uncle Sargam. To acknowledge his contributions in the fields of art, culture, and puppetry, The PenPK.com pays glowing tribute to late Uncle Sargam.

Farooq Qaiser was a columnist, director, puppeteer, scriptwriter, and voice-over artist; and is known for his comic books. Uncle Sargam was a household name for Pakistani children in the 80s and 90s with his prominent puppet show ‘Kaliyan’ at that time.

Born in 1945, Qaiser travelled to different cities of Pakistan due to his father’s job, and his educational journey was completed in different cities, i.e., he matriculated from Peshawar and FA from Quetta.

From NCA To Pakistan Television

In 1970, Farooq graduated from the National College of Arts (NCA) with a degree in textile design. While he was unsuccessful in immediately finding a job, his teachers, Salima and Shoaib Hashmi, had already recognised his creative potential.

The couple, along with some other pioneers of the first television station in the country, Pakistan Television, were putting together ‘Akkar Bakkar’. This was to be Pakistan’s version of the iconic Sesame Street, an entertainment and educational show involving muppets (a cross between a ‘marionette’ and a ‘puppet’) for children.

Qaiser’s first assignment was to make a desi (local) version of the legendary Big Bird. Without any prior knowledge of how to develop muppets, after 4 days, Farooq was at the studio with a life-sized duck suite made of sticks, hard board, and lots of yellow paper. This was the beginning of a lifelong affair with Muppets, as he kept producing new and more complex characters for ‘Akkar Bakkar’.

Rose to prominence

Director Qaiser’s love affairs with muppets, which started with ‘Akkar Bakkar’, never left him. He went on to receive a master’s degree in graphic arts from Romania, where he also trained in puppetry. As soon as he returned, Columnist Farooq started ‘Kaliyan’ (Sprouts), his own puppet show on Pakistan Television.

‘Kaliyan’ became an instantly popular hit and marked the birth of the now iconic ‘Uncle Sargam’, the inimitable Haiga, and the curious Maasi Museebte. He created the character of ‘Uncle Sargam’ with a resemblance to his teacher Mohan Lal from Romania and has been lending his own voice to Uncle.

Along the way, Farooq received another master’s degree in mass communication from the United States and also became a reputable newspaper columnist, TV show script writer and director, comic book writer, and voice actor.

His puppet characters kept growing along the way, incorporating more popular oddballs into the ensemble, such as ‘Rola’, ‘Bonga Bakheel’, ‘Sharmeeli’, and ‘Gora Saab’, becoming household names through series such as ‘Daak Time’ (1993), ‘Sargam Sargam’ (1995), ‘Siyasi Kaliyan’ (2010), and ‘Sargam Back Home’ (2016).

In 1993, Puppeteer Qaiser was honoured with the President’s Pride of Performance Award, Pakistan’s highest civil award, for his contribution to the fields of literature, art, sports, science, and education. He was also awarded the Sitara-e-Imtiaz during a ceremony at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Pakistan Day.

He died on 14 May, 2021, in Islamabad from a severe heart attack.

ڈھونڈوگے اگر ملکوں ملکوں ملنے کے نہیں نایاب ہیں ہم

جو یاد نہ آئے بھول کے پھر اے ہم نفسو وہ خواب ہیں ہم

میں حیرت و حسرت کا مارا خاموش کھڑا ہوں ساحل پر

دریائے محبت کہتا ہے آ کچھ بھی نہیں پایاب ہیں ہم

ہو جائے بکھیڑا پاک کہیں پاس اپنے بلا لیں بہتر ہے

اب درد جدائی سے ان کی اے آہ بہت بیتاب ہیں ہم

اے شوق برا اس وہم کا ہو مکتوب تمام اپنا نہ ہوا

واں چہرہ پہ ان کے خط نکلا یاں بھولے ہوئے القاب ہیں ہم

کس طرح تڑپتے جی بھر کر یاں ضعف نے مشکیں کس دیں ہیں

ہو بند اور آتش پر ہو چڑھا سیماب بھی وہ سیماب ہیں ہم

شاد عظیم آبادی