By Darwaish
Who doesn’t remember Uncle Sargam, Haiga, and Maasi Museebatay? Like so many others, I grew up with all of them. And what wonderful memories they still are.
Last week, I was looking for Angan Tehra, an old PTV drama serial, in one of the famous Hall Road markets when I saw CDs of ‘Kalianâà¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢. Written and directed by Farooq Qaiser, it used to be a very popular puppet show on PTV during 80’s and 90’s.
During 90’s, Rola (as in Uncle Sargam’s words: small crockery chota panda) and another one who used to start every sentence with ‘Mere Piyare Allah Mian’ also became very popular.
If I am not wrong, puppets were introduced for the very first time in Pakistan by Farooq Qaiser. Yes, I know traditional Putli Tamasha was there already and perhaps still exists in some of the villages of Punjab although I think that is very different from what we saw on PTV with Uncle Sargam and Company.
By the way, some of you will be surprised to know that Pakistan is perhaps the only country after United States that has its own Puppet character or a show – our very own Kalian.
So anyways, when I was growing up everyone around me loved puppets because not only they were fun but they also helped us learn a lot of things. Like Uncle Sargum always had a message to convey.
Kalian was also popular because it was political, it used to make fun of politicians, highlighted social issues and at the same time, it also had a good entertainment value for children and teenagers. Somehow Farooq Qaiser managed to say things using his puppets which were otherwise impossible during Gen. Zia’s rule. He also did another puppet show before Kalian (I think it was Akkar Bakkar?) but it was mainly a children’s education program. It would be appropriate if I call it a local version of Sesame Street.
It’s a pity that most kids I come across these days are addicted to computer games, play stations and other hi-fi stuff. It irritates me the most when I see parents allowing their 7-8 years old kids watch movies (Indian and English both) which is a shame really considering their age and the stuff they are being exposed to. They really miss the little joys of talking puppets. There is a time for everything and kids these days have too much exposure at such a young age.
Coming back to puppets, one of our office cook is very good with both performing and making puppets. I was having a conversation with him yesterday and he told me that there was a time when he used to do a monthly Putli Tamasha in his village. People of all ages from his village and nearby used to come and enjoy the show but not anymore. Slowly during the last decade, everyone seems to have lost interest in Putli Tamasha and they no longer find it interesting.
I guess technology has hit Pakistani villages really hard when they were probably not ready for it and the result is that they have lost simplicity and a lot of good things from their lives. We have dozens of channels now in Pakistan but I don’t think there is a single one showing a puppet 
show like Kalian at the moment. Correct me if I am wrong. I have seen Sesame Street once or twice on PTV though. Last night I checked almost every channel on cable but seems like Puppet Shows are out of fashion these days.
Rafi Peer Theatre and a few others are trying to keep puppets alive and its only because of them really that we are able to see puppets in action these days. Here in Lahore, we have this wonderful World Performing Arts Festival every year and I am so glad to see that puppets have been and are becoming even more important segment of the festival each year.
A few years ago Faizaan Pirzaada built the Museum of Puppetry in Lahore near Qadaffi stadium. Puppets history and most of our beloved puppet characters can be seen there. Check it out sometime if you haven’t already.
Well a great post, bringing me the memories of childhood. Uncle Sargum was fabulos :D
Kalyan used to one of the highlights of my week growing up. Loved the show. Sharmeeli was my favorite character; i think it was voiced by Bushra Ansari. Haiga was great too(“Haiga, majood haiga, jaisay paani main doodh haiga”).
I remember watching an interview by FQ a while ago. I think he mentioned that Kalyan was (partly) funded by UNICEF or UNESCO and perhaps that explains why the content was more liberal than the then political environment allowed.
Read more on Farooq and Kalian’s history as well what Farooq is involved in nowadays… http://www.mag4you.com/spotlight/Farooq Qaiser/4077.htm
According to Farooq, USA and Pakistan are the two countries with original puppets… rest came from folklore..
I do not know if this particualr Nazia song was written by Farooq or not. However, I do know that he did write a number of TV songs. Most of the songs in Kaliyan – including tehoriginal ones sung by Bushra Ansari when she used to be a regular in teh original cast – were written by him and he wouddl occasionally pen the ‘TV songs’ produced by the Rawalpindi/Islamabad station.
As to whehre he is now, i hnave not met him for a few years but then he was mostly doing work for UNICEF Pakistan, which had started with his making promotional stuff on children’s health and also the environment but had mushroomed (I think) into more braodly based work for UNICEF in Pakistan and internationally.
Farooq Qaiser who wrote song for Nazia Hasan lives in India and not our Farooq Qaiser. I remember Haiga died in some motorcylce accident many years ago and we all felt so sad I actually know someone who cried.
Shehnaz Sheikh and Marina Khan both appeared in some episodes of Kalian. I would also like to know what Farooq sb doing these days?