Renowned television producer and director Nusrat Thakur is being remembered today on his 16th death anniversary. Thakur, one of the most influential creative minds behind Pakistan Television’s golden era of drama, passed away on 7 November 2009 in Lahore.
Born in 1937 in Lahore, Nusrat Thakur began his professional career with Radio Pakistan before joining Pakistan Television (PTV) as a duty officer. He later served as assistant producer, producer, and eventually rose to the position of General Manager of PTV Lahore Centre.
Thakur earned nationwide acclaim for presenting and directing a series of memorable drama serials that shaped Pakistan’s television culture. His breakthrough came with the Amjad Islam Amjad–written drama serial Waris in the late 1970s. Although the serial was initially directed by Ghazanfar Ali, the project was handed over to Thakur after the first few episodes, and he transformed it into one of the most iconic productions in PTV history.
His portfolio includes several hit dramas such as Dehleez, Samundar, Pyaas, Khwaish, Nishan, Duniya, and Ghulam Gardish. The police-themed serial Andhera Ujala also gained immense popularity and is still regarded as one of PTV’s finest productions.
Nusrat Thakur was laid to rest at the Lahore Cantonment graveyard.
