Echoes from the PTV Classics: Irfan Khoosat Remembers Andhera Ujala | Six Screens
Television history often shines brightest through the memories it leaves behind, especially when those memories come from the actors themselves. In a recent heartfelt appearance on Wasi Shah’s “Zabardast” talk show on Neo TV, veteran actor Irfan Khoosat delved into the cherished, almost mystic legacy of Andhera Ujala. Six Screen Media brings you his touching reflections, a trip down nostalgia lane for fans old and new.
A Legacy Beyond Laughter
Irfan Khoosat is not just a comedian, director, and producer, he is a part of the entertainment legacy in Pakistan. Identified most for his marked character Havaldar Karamdad, in the much-revered Andhera Ujala aired in 1984, Khoosat added a touch of humour and humanity to a police constable that was equally silly and lovable. But as he recalled on “Zabardast,” he says he remembers the people most, not just the laughs.
Memories and Absence
“There’s something that is with me like a weight on my heart,” Khoosat began tenderly and mournfully. He identified dear co-stars – the likes of Qavi Khan, Jameel Fakhri, Abid Butt, and Asif Hussain – that are gone. “You all saw wonderful pieces of work in and from Andhera Ujala as audience members, but I will always regret that so many of the friends who were there in that frame are gone. They have all left me; I miss them.
I think of each one of them. Qavi Khan is gone, Jameel Fakhri is gone, Abid Butt is gone, and Mian Khan, the Sipahi, is gone. The Karamdad police station will remain empty forever.”
With that, the scene of Karamdad’s police station—a place of camaraderie, of laughter, of crime-solving—suddenly feels hollow without those shining personalities. Khoosat’s words serve as a forceful reminder: while the brilliance of Andhera Ujala was not just in the writing, it was also the genuine relationships involved that made it special.
Commemorating a Creator
As he mourned the loss of friends who were not there, Khoosat also commemorated the creative spirit of the drama. “The stature and popularity of Andhera Ujala were itself an award to its writer.
We were only the performers in it, but we should salute its writer, Younis Javed, who created that world.” It’s a humble nod to the pen, a gentle reminder that even the most memorable characters and scenes begin on paper, and someone has to bring them to life.
A Son’s Legacy, A Father’s Reflection
Shifting gears from past to present, Khoosat addressed the topic of his son, the acclaimed Sarmad Khoosat. “Whatever Sarmad is doing, he is perfect in it and I can’t do it.
Likewise, he can’t do whatever I have done.” He paused, with a playful glint, adding: “Sarmad isn’t as beautiful as me; also, he should play younger characters, the characters that will suit his age.”
The teasing comment brought laughter, but also a tender honesty. Khoosat acknowledges the different strengths they each bring to the screen, one a generation’s icon of comedic timing, the other a modern auteur commanding attention with depth and vision. It’s a dialogue between father and son, across eras of Pakistani television.
At Six Screens, these memories are more than nostalgia. Khoosat’s memories remind us that television and art are collective and only last as long as the audience remembers them. While Andhera Ujala keeps finding new audiences through reruns or internet clips, it is not until the memories of how it was made are shared that the stories live on beyond the frame and reel.
Each actor, Qavi, Jameel, Abid, Mian, and Karamdad, was more than a role. They were part of a collective heartbeat that defined an era. And Khoosat’s tribute is both a thank-you and a farewell, wrapped in warmth.
