Sarmad Sultan Khoosat

Sarmad Sultan Khoosat is a Pakistani actor, director, producer, and screenwriter. He works across both cinema and television. He is best known for directing the hit TV dramas Humsafar and Shehr-e-Zaat.

Early life and education

Khoosat was born on 7 May 1979 in Pakistan. He is the son of Irfan Khoosat, a veteran actor and producer. His mother, Zahida Butt, is a PTV newscaster. His sister Kanwal Khoosat also works as a director, actress and screenwriter.

He attended Government College University in Lahore for his studies. He earned a master's degree in psychology during his time there. Khoosat also won a gold medal for his academic achievements. During his university years, he was a member of the Debating Kutta Society of GCU.

Career

His professional rise began in 2001. He wrote, directed and acted in the sitcom Shashlik, which aired on PTV for over three years. He later worked on the Indus TV sitcom Two Aur Two Chaar. This production featured Nadia Afgan and his father, Irfan Khoosat.

In 2003, he directed the Geo TV tele-films titled Tamasha Ghar. These works utilized themes of subconscious fears inspired by Freudian psychology. He then directed Piya Naam Ka Diya in 2007. This project featured Saima Noor and Erum Akhtar.

Khoosat served as an executive director for the soap serial Mujhe Apna Naam-o-Nishan Milay. This series was directed by his sister, Kanwal Khoosat. In early 2010, he directed Kalmoohi on PTV. This production was an adaptation of Chokher Bali by Rabindranath Tagore.

Significant acclaim followed in 2011 with the Hum TV drama Pani Jaisa Piyar. He also directed the highly successful serial Humsafar for Hum TV. His work on Shehr-e-Zaat gained immense popularity among female viewers. He has also been associated with films such as Joyland, Lali and Motorcycle Girl.

In 2015, he portrayed Saadat Hasan Manto in the film Manto. He later delivered a 24-hour live performance titled No Time To Sleep in October 2018. This act depicted the final day of a death row prisoner. It earned him significant critical appreciation.

His 2019 film Zindagi Tamasha faced several challenges. The TLP party called for the film to be censored in 2020. Although authorities cleared it, Khoosat received death threats. The film was eventually released on YouTube on 4 August 2023. It won the Kim Ji-Seok Award at the 24th Busan International Film Festival.

Personal life

Khoosat is influenced by the direction of Satyajit Ray and Ingmar Bergman. He remains a prominent figure in contemporary Pakistani cinema.

Awards and recognition

He received the Pride of Performance Award in 2017 from the President of Pakistan. The drama Pani Jaisa Piyar earned him a best director award at the LUX Style Awards. Zindagi Tamasha won Best Film and Best Actor at the 6th Asian World Film Festival. It was also selected as Pakistan's entry for the 93rd Academy Awards.