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Sarmad Sultan Khoosat (born May 7, 1979) is a Pakistani
actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...
,
film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
/
TV director A television director is in charge of the activities involved in making a television program or section of a program. They are generally responsible for decisions about the editorial content and creative style of a program, and ensuring the prod ...
, producer and
screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...
best known for directing the super-hit TV dramas '' Humsafar'' and ''
Shehr-e-Zaat ''Shehr-e-Zaat'' (English: ''City of Existence'') is a 2012 Pakistani spiritual romantic drama serial based on the novella of the same name by Umera Ahmad. It is directed by Sarmad Sultan Khoosat, and produced by Momina Duraid and Abdullah Ka ...
''. He is considered to be one of the best
South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;;;;; ...
n filmmakers with his film
Zindagi Tamasha ''Zindagi Tamasha'', titled ''Circus of Life'' in English, is a 2019 Pakistani drama film directed by Sarmad Khoosat. It premiered at the 24th Busan International Film Festival, and won awards at Busan and at the 2021 Asian World Film Festival ...
being selected as Pakistan's entry for the Best International Feature Film at the
93rd Academy Awards The 93rd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored films released from January 1, 2020, to February 28, 2021, at Union Station in Los Angeles. The ceremony was held on April 25, 2021 ...
. The film also premiered at the 24th Busan International Film Festival under the section 'A Window on Asian Cinema'. He also portrayed the role of
Saadat Hasan Manto Saadat Hasan Manto (; Punjabi, ur, , ; 11 May 1912 – 18 January 1955) was a Pakistani writer, playwright and author born in Ludhiana, who was active in British India and later, after the 1947 partition of India, in Pakistan. Writing ma ...
in his film ''
Manto may refer to: People * Mando (singer), Greek singer * Manto Mavrogenous, Greek national heroine * Saadat Hasan Manto, Urdu short story writer known by his pen name Manto * Manto Tshabalala-Msimang (1940–2009), South African politician * Manto ...
''.


Family

He is the son of veteran TV and film actor, producer and comedian
Irfan Khoosat Irfan Khoosat ( Punjabi, ur, ) (born 9 June 1946) is a Pakistani actor, producer and a well-known comedian. He is famous for his comic role as ''Hawaldar Karamdad'' in the TV series Andhera Ujala (1984-1985) in which he portrayed a simpleton ...
, while his sister Kanwal Khoosat is also a director,
screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...
and
actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a Character (arts), character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek ...
.


Early life and career

Academically, he graduated from
Government College University (Lahore) The Government College University, Lahore (colloquially known as GCU), is a public research university located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Opened as Government College, Lahore, in 1864, it became a university in 2002. Overview In 1864, Gov ...
and earned a master's degree in Psychology and a gold medal. He also was a member of the ''Debating Society of GCU''. He rose to prominence during the late 1990s, when he created the
sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...
''Shashlik'' which ran for over three years on PTV. Sarmad directed the series of Tele-films for Geo Tv "TAMASHA GHAR" in 2003 with the screenwriter Saji Gul which was based on themes dealing with
subconscious In psychology, the subconscious is the part of the mind that is not currently of focal awareness. Scholarly use of the term The word ''subconscious'' represents an anglicized version of the French ''subconscient'' as coined in 1889 by the psycho ...
desires and fears (inspired by
Freudian Sigmund Freud ( , ; born Sigismund Schlomo Freud; 6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating and treating pathologies explained as originating in conflicts i ...
school of
psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...
). His first television drama as a director was ''Piya Naam Ka Diya'' in 2007, in which he acted opposite filmstar
Saima Noor Saima Noor is a Pakistani actress who appears in Pakistani films and television dramas. She rose to prominence after starring in the film ''Choorian'' (1998), which is regarded as one of the highest-grossing Pakistani films of all time. Some ...
and Erum Akhtar. Sarmad then served as executive director for a soap serial named ''Mujhe Apna Naam-o-Nishan Milay'', directed by his sister Kanwal Khoosat. Khoosat's TV drama, ''Kalmoohi'' that he wrote and directed, began airing on PTV in early 2010, also got good reviews. In 2011, he gained significant prominence and acclaim with the TV drama '' Pani Jaisa Piyar'' that aired on
Hum TV Hum TV is a 24-hour Urdu General Entertainment TV channel based in Karachi, Pakistan. It was founded by Sultana Siddiqui and Duraid Qureshi. It is owned by Hum Network Limited and traded on Pakistan Stock Exchange as (HUMNL). Hum Network Limi ...
. It won him the best director award for it on
LUX Style Awards The Lux Style Awards is an award ceremony held annually in Pakistan since 2002. The awards celebrate "style" in the Pakistani entertainment industry, and it is the oldest event dedicated to cinema, television, fashion, music and film industry ...
. He directed ''Jal Pari,'' which was aired on
Geo TV Geo Television Network is a television channel based in Pakistan. It was established in May 2002 and is owned by the Jang Media Group. The channel began its test transmission on 14 August 2002, with regular transmission beginning on 1 October 2 ...
. He went on to direct '' Humsafar'' for Hum TV, which became an overnight success. His serial ''Shehr-e-Zaat'' was especially popular with women. He conducted a workshop at the
Lahore University of Management Sciences Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) () is a private research university, located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. In 1983, Syed Babar Ali, a renowned businessman in Pakistan, recognized the shortage of qualified managers in the countr ...
's annual amateur film festival in June 2011. Khoosat directed episodes for ''Faseele Jaan Se Aagay'' and ''Ashk''. He also directed the remake of the original Pakistani film, ''
Aina Aina may refer to: * Aina (given name) Places * Aina (Crete), a town of ancient Crete * Aïna River, a river in Cameroon and Gabon * Aina, Iran, a village in Kermanshah Province, Iran Art and entertainment * ''Aina'' (1977 film), a 1977 Pakista ...
'', as a
telefilm A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...
. In 2015, he completed shooting '' Mein Manto''. In October 2018, he delivered a 24-hour-long live act, ''No Time To Sleep'', enacting the last 24 hours of a death row prisoner's life, a performance which earned him critical appreciation. He wrote the script for Saqib Malik's upcoming production ''Ajnabee Sheher Main'', while he has two upcoming feature films as director, writing one as well. His feature film, "Zindagi Tamasha" won the Kim Jin Seok award at the Busan Film Festival 2019 as well as the Best Film and Best Actor at the Asian Film Festival 2021. Despite its critical acclaim, his film release was halted in 2020 by the notorious party, TLP which called for it to be censored. Although the film was cleared for release by Pakistani authorities, Khoosat continued to receive death threats calling for the film to be banned. He took to social media to pen a letter to the government of Pakistan and Imran Khan, the Prime Minister-calling for protection against the threats. However, the government halted the release and instead invited TLP members to review the film. COVID-19 and the eventual lockdown further halted cinematic releases. Although the film was selected to represent Pakistan at the Oscars, its release remains a mystery.


Filmography


Television


Webseries


Telefilms


Films


Awards and recognition

*
Pride of Performance The Pride of Performance ( ur, ), officially known as Presidential Pride of Performance, is an award bestowed by the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to recognize people with "notable achievements in the field of art, science, literature, sports, an ...
Award in 2017 by the
President of Pakistan The president of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=s̤adr-i Pākiṣṭān), officially the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is the ceremonial head of state of Pakistan and the commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Armed Forces.List of Lollywood actors Lists of Pakistani actors are split by gender. * List of Pakistani actresses * List of Pakistani male actors This is an alphabetical list of notable Pakistani male film and television actors: A * Aagha Ali * Abdullah Ejaz * Abdullah Kad ...


References

Sarmad Khoosat Film .Zindagi Tamasha :Circus of Life, Highlights Critical Social Issues
Mediachowk


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Khoosat, Sarmad Sultan 1979 births Living people Punjabi people Pakistani television directors Urdu film producers Pakistani male television actors Pakistani film directors Pakistani male film actors Pakistani screenwriters Pakistani dramatists and playwrights People from Lahore Recipients of the Pride of Performance