Uncle Sargam

{{Short description|Puppet character in Pakistan}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}

{{Use Pakistani English|date=September 2016}}

{{Infobox character

| name = Uncle Sargam

| series = Kaliyan, Sargam Time, Daak Time, Siyasi Kaliyan, Sargam Back Home

| image = FAROOQ QAISAR.jpg

| image_size = 220px

| caption = Farooq Qaiser and his puppet Uncle Sargam

| first = 1976

| creator = Farooq Qaiser

| portrayer =

| voice = Farooq Qaiser

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| nickname = Sargam

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| gender = Male

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| religion = Muslim

| nationality = Pakistani

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Uncle Sargam ({{langx|ur|انکل سرگم}}) is a puppet character that first appeared in the Pakistani children's television show Kaliyan, aired on PTV in 1976.{{cite news|title=Paying tribute: After decades, Uncle Sargam remains darling of the crowd|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/394859/paying-tribute-after-decades-uncle-sargam-remains-darling-of-the-crowd/|access-date=9 October 2023|author=Shehrish Ali|newspaper=The Express Tribune newspaper|date=17 June 2012}} Uncle Sargam was created and voiced by the award-winning puppeteer and television director Farooq Qaiser.

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Uncle Sargam and Maasi Museebtay are regarded as Pakistan's legendary puppet duo.{{cite book|last1=Subba|first1=Bhim|title=Kidstuff: A Resource Book for Media Covering Children in South and South East Asia|date=2000|publisher=Panos Institute South Asia|isbn=9789993330462|page=62|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T1XaAAAAMAAJ&q=uncle+sargam|quote=First, they called on the services of Uncle Sargam and Maasi Museebte, Pakistan's legendary puppet duo, to put on a command performance for the children of Thatta.}}

The satirical Uncle Sargam was the most vocal critic on state television under General Zia-ul-Haq's dictatorship in the 1980s.{{cite book|last1=Awan|first1=Nishat|title=Diasporic Agencies: Mapping the City Otherwise|date=2017|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=9781317151272|page=79|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KjklDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA79}} Later appearances were in the TV show Daak Time in 1993. The character reappeared and hosted a television talk show Syasi Kaliyan at Dawn News in 2010.

The character also appeared in a Pakistan National Council of the Arts-organised show in Islamabad. Uncle Sargam later appeared in a charity show function organised by the NGO Mashal at the National Library of Pakistan in Islamabad in July 2013.{{cite news|title=Mashal school: Uncle Sargam lifts spirits at charity show|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/573753/mashal-school-uncle-sargam-lifts-spirits-at-charity-show/|access-date=9 October 2023|newspaper=The Express Tribune|date=7 July 2013}} In March 2014, the Oxford University Press held an Uncle Sargam puppet show to help children differentiate between original and pirated books at Peshawar's Archives Library.{{cite news|last1=Farooq|first1=Umer|title=First edition: Children learn about piracy from Uncle Sargam|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/687683/first-edition-children-learn-about-piracy-from-uncle-sargam/|access-date=9 October 2023|newspaper=The Express Tribune|date=27 March 2014}}

In 2018, a diorama of Uncle Sargam was inaugurated at Lok Virsa Museum in Islamabad as a tribute to both the character and Farooq Qaiser.{{cite news|last1=Kundi|first1=Asma|title=Lok Virsa pays tribute to Uncle Sargam creator Farooq Qaiser|url=https://images.dawn.com/news/1179431/lok-virsa-pays-tribute-to-uncle-sargam-creator-farooq-qaiser|access-date=9 October 2023|newspaper=Dawn (Images magazine)|date=9 February 2018}}{{cite news|last1=Jabri|first1=Parvez|title=Uncle Sargam Diorama inaugurated at Heritage Museum|url=https://www.brecorder.com/2018/02/09/398042/uncle-sargam-diorama-inaugurated-at-heritage-museum/|access-date=9 October 2023|newspaper=Business Recorder newspaper|date=8 February 2018}}