Sarmad Sultan Khoosat (Urdu: سرمد سلطان کھوسٹ, born 7 May 1979) is a Pakistani actor, director, producer and screenwriter. Mainly known for his work as a director and actor in both cinema and television, Khoosat has directed the super-hit TV dramas Humsafar and Shehr-e-Zaat.[1]
Sarmad Khoosat | |
|---|---|
| سرمد کھوسٹ | |
 Khoosat in 2022 | |
| Born | 7 May 1979 |
| Nationality | Pakistani |
| Occupations | |
| Years active | 2001–Present |
| Parent | Irfan Khoosat (father) |
The son of Irfan Khoosat, he is considered one of the best South Asian filmmakers with his 2019 film Zindagi Tamasha being selected as Pakistan's entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards. The film also premiered at the 24th Busan International Film Festival under the section 'A Window on Asian Cinema'. However, the film release in the Pakistani cinemas was delayed multiple times and Khoosat finally released it on YouTube on his official channel Khoosat Films on 4 August 2023.
He also portrayed the role of Saadat Hasan Manto in his film Manto (2015).
Family
editHe is the son of veteran TV and film actor, producer and comedian Irfan Khoosat,[2] while his sister Kanwal Khoosat is also a director, screenwriter and actress.[3]
Early life
editAcademically, he graduated from Government College University (Lahore) and earned a master's degree in psychology and a gold medal. He also was a member of the Debating Kutta Society of GCU.[2]
Career
editHe rose to prominence in 2001, when he wrote, directed and acted in the sitcom Shashlik, which ran for over three years on PTV.
Sarmad then directed a series of tele-films for Geo TV, Tamasha Ghar, in 2003, the screenwriter Saji Gul basing the work on themes dealing with subconscious desires and fears (inspired by the Freudian school of psychology).
He later directed Piya Naam Ka Diya in 2007, in which he acted opposite filmstar Saima Noor 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 the directed Kalmoohi that was an adaptation of Rabindranath Tagore's Chokher Bali, began airing on PTV in early 2010, also got good reviews.[4] In 2011, he gained significant prominence and acclaim with the TV drama Pani Jaisa Piyar[5] that aired on Hum TV. It won him the best director award for it on LUX Style Awards. He directed Jal Pari, which was aired on Geo TV. He went on to direct Humsafar for Hum TV, which became an overnight success. His serial Shehr-e-Zaat was especially popular with women.[6][7][8]
He conducted a workshop at the Lahore University of Management Sciences's annual amateur film festival in June 2011.[9]
Khoosat directed episodes for Faseele Jaan Se Aagay and Ashk. He also directed the remake of the original Pakistani film, Aina, as a telefilm. In 2015, he completed shooting Mein Manto.[10]
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.[11] As of October 2018, he wrote the script for Saqib Malik's upcoming production Ajnabee Sheher Main,[12] while he has two upcoming feature films as director, writing one as well.[13]
His 2019 feature film Zindagi Tamasha won the Kim Jin Seok award at the 24th Busan International Film Festival as well as the Best Film and Best Actor at the Asian World Film Festival 2021. Despite its critical acclaim, the film release was halted in 2020 by the notorious party, TLP, which called for it to be censored. Despite cleared for release by the authorities, Khoosat continued to receive death threats calling for the film to be banned. It was selected as Pakistan's entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards, but was not nominated. The film was then eventually released on YouTube on 4 August 2023.[14]
Influence
editKhoosat is influenced by Satyajit Ray and Ingmar Bergman in direction.[15]
Filmography
editTelevision serials
edit| Year | Title | Network | Actor | Director | Screenwriter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Shashlik | PTV | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2002 | Do Aur Do Chaar | PTV Home | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2007 | Piya Naam Ka Diya | Geo TV | Yes | Yes | No |
| 2008 | Mujhe Apna Naam-o-Nishan Milay | No | Yes | No | |
| Qaatil | Aaj TV | No | Yes | No | |
| 2010 | Kalmoohi | PTV Home | No | Yes | No |
| 2011 | Shashlik Xtra Hot | Geo TV | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Pani Jaisa Pyar | Hum TV | No | Yes | No | |
| Humsafar | Yes | Yes | No | ||
| 2012 | Ashk | Geo TV | No | Yes | No |
| Shehr-e-Zaat | Hum TV | No | Yes | No | |
| Mera Yaqeen | Ary Digital | No | Yes | No | |
| Daagh | No | Yes | No | ||
| 2013 | Dil Muhallay Ki Haveli | Geo Entertainment | Yes | No | No |
| 2016 | Mor Mahal | Geo TV | No | Yes | No |
| 2017 | Teri Raza | Ary Digital | Yes | No | No |
| Baaghi | Urdu 1 | Yes | No | No | |
| Mujhay Jeenay Do | Yes | No | No | ||
| Manto | Geo TV | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2018 | Noor ul Ain | Ary Digital | No | Yes | No |
| Lamhay | A-Plus TV | Yes | No | No | |
| Aakhri Station | Ary Digital | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2021 | Pardes | Yes | No | No | |
| 2023 | Gunah | Express Entertainment | Yes | No | No |
| Gumn | Green Entertainment | Yes | Yes | No |
Webseries
edit| Year | Title | Role | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Ayesha | Fahad Ahmed | YouTube | [16] |
| 2020 | Churails | Husband | Released on Zee5 | [17] |
| 2022 | Baarwan Khiladi | Coach Ikhtiyar Ali | Released on Express TV | [18] |
Telefilms
edit| Year | Film | Director | Actor | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Aina | Yes | No | Yes | Remake of Aina, a 1977 classic |
| 2015 | Dhokay Baaz | No | Yes | No | |
| 2016 | Ek Thi Marium | Yes | No | No | Based on the life of female fighter pilot Marium Mukhtiar |
Films
edit| Year | Film | Director | Producer | Actor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Manto | Yes | No | Yes | Played the titular role of Manto |
| 2018 | Motorcycle Girl | No | No | Yes | |
| 2019 | Zindagi Tamasha | Yes | No | Yes | |
| 2022 | Kamli | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2022 | Joyland | No | Yes | No |
Awards and recognition
edit- Pride of Performance Award in 2017 by the President of Pakistan[19]
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Lux Style Awards | Best TV Director | Pani Jaisa Pyar | Won | [20] |
| 2013 | Humsafar | [21] | |||
| 2016 | Best Film Director | Manto | Nominated | [22] | |
| Best Film Actor | |||||
| 2022 | Best TV Actor (Critics' Choice) | Pardes | [23] | ||
| 2023 | Best Film Director | Kamli | Won | [24] |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Shehr-e-Zaat: A spiritual romance". The Express Tribune (newspaper). 12 October 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
- ^ a b "Profile and interview of Sarmad Khoosat". Telepk.com website. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
- ^ Tayyaba Rana (8 February 2016), "The extremely talented Kanwal Khoosat gets 'HIP'", hip. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
- ^ "If we can love Devdas, why not Manto without the whitewash?". Times of India. 28 February 2016.
- ^ "'Pani Jaisa Pyar' TV Drama Review". dramapakistani.net website. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
- ^ "International Segment: Humsafar, a journey you wouldn't want to miss". 18 October 2011. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
- ^ Odho, Atiqa (24 February 2012). "Humsafar — Mohabbaton ka safar". The Express Tribune (newspaper). Retrieved 2 September 2017.
- ^ "Humsafar: Here's what the noise is about". The Express Tribune (newspaper). 14 December 2011. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
- ^ Raza, Rahib (13 February 2011). "Festival at LUMS: Learning from others key to reviving film industry – The Express Tribune". Tribune.com.pk. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
- ^ "Saadat Manto comes to life in biopic 'Mein Manto'". The Express Tribune. 9 June 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
- ^ NewsBytes (30 October 2018), "Sarmad Khoosat expresses gratitude for overwhelming response on No Time To Sleep", The News International. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
- ^ Ahmed Sarym (30 November 2015), "Saqib Malik is working on four scripts at the moment", hip. Retrieved 31 October 2018
- ^ Instep Desk (4 October 2018), "Sarmad Khoosat announces two films", The News International. 31 October 2018.
- ^ "Sarmad Khoosat announces he's uploading Zindagi Tamasha to YouTube on Aug 4". Dawn Images. 3 August 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ^ Dr. Hasan Zafar (8 September 2023). "Sarmad Khoosat On The Moral Ambiguity In Zindagi Tamasha". The Friday Times. Archived from the original on 6 December 2023.
- ^ Ghafoor, Usman (9 March 2020). "Pakistan showbiz: Saba Qamar to launch YouTube channel". Gulf News. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
- ^ "Churails Episode 2, 3 and 4 Reviews". Oyeyeah. 19 August 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
- ^ Mossadiq, Zainab (22 February 2022). "Baarwan Khiladi Trailer Drop Has Viewers 'Hooked' At 'First Shot'". Fuchsia Magazine.
- ^ Sarmad Khoosat to receive 'Pride of Performance' award, Pakistan Today (newspaper), Published 15 August 2016, Retrieved 1 September 2017
- ^ "Lux Style Awards 2012: Glamour's night out". Express Tribune. 9 July 2012. Archived from the original on 18 February 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
- ^ "12th Lux Style Awards 2013 Pictures And Winner's List". Desi Free TV. 6 July 2013. Archived from the original on 18 January 2017.
- ^ "Lux Style Awards 2016 nominations are out — did your favourite star make the cut?". Dawn News. 30 May 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
- ^ "LSA 2022: And the nominees are". 23 November 2022.
- ^ Agha, Saira (10 October 2023). "Record-breaking track 'Pasoori' and Sarmad Khoosat's 'Kamli' wins big at star-studded LSAs". Daily Times. Retrieved 21 October 2023.