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Google Doodle is celebrating the 78th birthday of the famous Pakistani puppeteer Farooq Qaiser, who is best known for creating the fictional puppet character Uncle Sargam.
Born in 1945 in Punjab’s Sialkot area, Farooq Qaiser was a famous artist, writer, and voice actor. As per Google Doodle, today’s artwork features Uncle Sargam and his companion, Masi Museebtay who are regarded as Pakistan’s legendary puppet duo.
Qaisar was first introduced to the world of puppetry while pursuing his Fine Art studies at the National College of Arts in Lahore. During that time, he was invited as a show writer and puppet maker for the children’s television series Akka Bakkar (1971).
Apart from studying Fine Arts, Qaiser had 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, Google Doodle states.
As per Google Doodle, in 1976, he started creating his own children’s show, which finally led to a Pakistani Television (PTV) broadcasting opportunity. It wasn’t long before Kaliyan (which translates to flower bud) found its way onto family TV screens across the nation.
Qaiser’s show brilliantly balanced humor and satire to teach valuable life lessons to its young audience. Uncle Sargam, the main character, was also charming and relatable enough that even parents enjoyed watching the show with their kids. -He has also received recognition for his contribution in educating and entertaining the people of Pakistan through television.
In terms of honours, he 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.