MEHMOOD THE LEGEND IN HINDI CINEMA COMEDIAN BORN 1932 SEPTEMBER 29

MEHMOOD THE LEGEND IN 

HINDI CINEMA COMEDIAN

BORN 1932 SEPTEMBER 29

Mehmood Ali (29 September 1932 – 23 July 2004), popularly known simply as Mehmood, was an Indian actor, singer, director and producer best known for playing comic roles in Hindi films. During his career of more than four decades, he worked in over 300 Hindi films.

Early life[edit]

Mehmood was one of eight children born to Latifunnisa and film and stage actor-cum-dancer Mumtaz Ali, who was a huge star of the 40's and 50's cinema, in Mumbai, India.[1] Mehmood had an elder sister and six younger siblings.

His sister, Minoo Mumtaz, was also a successful dancer and character actress in Bollywood movies. His youngest brother, Anwar Ali too is an actor and a producer of movies like Khud-daar and Kaash.

Career[edit]
Early career[edit]

As a child, he worked in Bombay films like Kismet. He later had a number of odd jobs, working as a table tennis teacher to Meena Kumari and as a driver for director P. L. Santoshi. Santoshi's son, Rajkumar Santoshi, would later cast him in the film Andaz Apna Apna.[citation needed]

After getting married and becoming a father, he decided to act to earn a better living starting with a small break as a killer in the film CID. He started off by doing small, unnoticed roles in films like the peanut seller in Do Bigha Zameen and Pyaasa. He later went on to act in lead roles, but he was appreciated for his comedy, some of which was in the Hyderabad region's Urdu accent.

Later career[edit]

Towards the end of the 70s, Mehmood's popularity began to decline as other comedy actors like Jagdeep, Asrani, Paintal, Deven Verma and Kader Khan shot to prominence. Between 1989 and 1999,

he made a handful of movies, but most of them were either shelved or made no impression. He acted as Johnny in Rajkumar Santoshi's Andaz Apna Apna – his last hit film as an actor.

Death[edit]

On 23 July 2004, Mehmood died in his sleep in Pennsylvania, US, where he had gone for treatment of heart disease after suffering poor health for several years.[1] His fans were able to pay homage to him at Mehboob Studio in Bandra, Mumbai, India.[2]

Legacy[edit]

One of his sons, Lucky Ali (Maqsood Ali) is a singer and composer who has acted in films.

Partial filmography[edit]
Sanyasi (1945)[3]
Nastik (1954)
Qaidi No. 911 (1959)
Kagaz ke phool (1959)
Miya Bibi Razi (1960)
Manzil (1960)
Chote Nawab (1961) with Ameeta
Dil Tera Diwana (1962)
Ghar Basake Dekho (1963) with Savitri
Kahi Pyar na ho jaye (1963)
Zindagi (1964)
Ziddi (1964)
Shabnam (1964)
Chitralekha (1964)
Gumnaam (1965) with Helen
Johar-Mehmood in Goa (1965) with I.S. Johar
Namasteji (1965) with Ameeta
Kahin Pyar Na Ho Jaye (1965)
Bhoot Bangla (1965)
Pyar Kiye Ja (1966) with Mumtaz
Love in Tokyo (1966) with Shobha Khote
Pati Patni (1966)
Gunahon Ka Devta (1967)
Patthar ke Sanam (1967)
Sangharsh (1968)
Padosan (1968) with Sunil Dutt, Saira Banu and Kishore Kumar
Aankhen (1968)
Neel Kamal (1968)
Do Phool (1968)
Do Kaliyan (1968)
Izzat(Hindi Film)
Sadhu aur Shaitan (1968)
Humjoli (1970)
Main Sunder Hoon (1971) with Leena Chandavarkar
Mere Apne (1971)
Johar Mehmood in Hong Kong (1971) with I. S. Johar
Bombay to Goa (1972)
Kunwaara Baap (1974)
Do Phool (1974)
Pocketmaar (1974)... Sunder
Salaakhen (1975) ... Abdul Rehman
Ginny Aur Johnny (1976)
Jai Bajrang Bali (1976) ... Shakun
Sabse Bada Rupaiya (1976)
Thief of Baghdad (1977)
Aafat (1977) with Navin Nischol, Leena Chandavarkar ... Mahesh
Des Pardes (1978) ... Anwar
Ek Baap Chhe Bete (1978) ... Mahesh
Khanjar (1980) ... Jagat
Andaz Apna Apna (1994)
Guddu (1995)
Dushman Duniya Ka (1996)
Awards[edit]
Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award – Won
1963 Dil Tera Diwana – Anokhe
Filmfare Best Comedian Award – Won
1967 Pyar Kiye Jaa – Atma
1970 Waris – Ram Kumar #3/Mother (double role)
1972 Paras – Munna Sarkar
1975 Vardaan
Filmfare Best Comedian Award – Nominated
1967 Love in Tokyo – Mahesh
1968 Mehrban
1969 Neel Kamal – Girdhar Gopal Agarwal
1969 Sadhu Aur Shaitaan – Bajrang/Ram
1970 Meri Bhabhi – Shambu
1971 Humjoli – Shivram
1972 Main Sunder Hoon – Sunder
1973 Bombay to Goa – Khanna, Bus Conductor
1974 Do Phool – Pavitra Kumar Rai 'Puttan'/Mani
1975 Duniya Ka Mela
1975 Kunwara Baap – Mahesh/Rickshaw Walla
1976 Qaid – Bajrangi
1977 Sabse Bada Rupaiya – Neki Ram
1980 Nauker – Dayal
1983 Khud-Daar – Jaggan

Family[edit]
His family included many other entertainers.

His father Mumtaz Ali was a dancer and character-artist in films from the 40's era. His dance troupe "Mumtaz Ali Nites" performed all over India. His career slumped due to his alcoholism, leading Mehmood to work as a child artist and daughter Meenu Mumtaz to work as a dancer in his stage shows and later movies. He was last seen in the 1974 Hindi movie Kunwara Baap directed by Mehmood in the song "Saj Rahi Gali Meri Maa".

His sister Malikunnisa Ali aka Minoo Mumtaz[1] was re-christened as Minoo by Meena Kumari, Mehmood's sister-in-law. She started off as a stage dancer and later danced in many films of the 50s and 60s. Her first film was Sakhi Hateem. She played the lead role opposite Balraj Sahni in Black Cat (1959). She can be seen in the song "Boojh Mera Kya Naam Re" from the movie C.I.D.

Brother Anwar Ali debuted in the movie Sadhu Aur Shaitaan in 1968. His first major role was in the K. A. Abbas’s film Saat Hindustani. He worked in movies such as Wafaa, Albela, Caravan, Parwana, Bansi Birju, Manzil, Sabse Bada Rupaiya. He played Driver "Rajesh" in Bombay to Goa where Mehmood played conductor "Khanna".[2] He co-produced the Kunwaara Baap, Khud-daar and Kaash.

Mehmood's eldest son Masood Ali aka Pucky Ali played a role in the movie Ek Baap Chhe Bete and Hamare Tumhare.
Second son Maqsood Mehmood Ali aka Lucky Ali started his movie career as an adult in Yehi Hai Zindagi. He later became a singer songwriter and composer.
Third son Maqdoom Ali aka Macky Ali[3] played a disabled child in Mehmood's 1974 movie Kunwara Baap as he was in real life affected by polio. He acted in the movie Ek Baap Chhe Bete. He later made a music album and appeared in the music video Yaaron sab dua karo and later in Tirchi topiwale, sung by Altaf Raja.
Fourth son Masoom Ali produced the movie Dushman Duniya Ka. He too acted in Ek Baap Chhe Bete.

Second wife Tracy Ali played the role of the American wife in the movie Ek Baap Chhe Bete.

Fifth son Mansoor Ali (by Tracy Ali)[4] acted in Ek Baap Chhe Bete. Returning from USA after 14 years he released a video song album Sabrina dedicated to his daughter & late father in February 2012.