Showing posts with label MEHMOOD. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MEHMOOD. Show all posts

Tuesday, 29 September 2020

MEHMOOD ALI ACTOR BORN 1932 SEPTEMBER 29 - 2004 JULY 23

 


MEHMOOD ALI  ACTOR BORN

 1932 SEPTEMBER 29 - 2004 JULY 23




மெகுமுது அலி (Mehmood Ali, 29 செப்டம்பர் 1932 – 23 சூலை 2004), என்று அறியப்படும் மெஹ்மூத் பாலிவுட் உலகின் புகழ்பெற்ற நகைச்சுவை நடிகர், பாடகர், இயக்குனர் மற்றும் தயாரிப்பாளர் ஆவார். 300 க்கும் மேற்பட்ட இந்தித் திரைப்படங்களில் நடித்துள்ளார் .


பிறப்பும், ஆரம்ப வாழ்க்கையும்

மும்பை, பட உலகில் 40 மற்றும் 50 களில் ஹிந்தி சினிமா திரைப்படங்களில் நடிகராக இருந்த முக்தாஸ் அலி - லதி- உன் - நிஷா தம்பதியரின் எட்டு குழந்தைகளில் இரண்டாவதாக மெஹ்மூத் பிறந்தார். மெஹ்மூட்டில் மூத்த சகோதரி மற்றும் ஆறு இளைய சகோதரர்கள், சகோதரிகள் இருந்தனர். அவரது சகோதரி மினூ மும்தாஜ், பாலிவுட் திரைப்படங்களில் வெற்றிகரமான நடனக் கலைஞரும், நடிகையுமாக இருந்தார். அவரது இளைய சகோதரர் அன்வர் அலி யம் ஒரு நடிகர் மற்றும் குட்-தார் மற்றும் காஷ் போன்ற திரைப்படங்களின் தயாரிப்பாளர் ஆவார்.[1]



மெஹ்மூதின் மூதாதையர் தென்னிந்தியாவின் ஆற்காட்டு நவாப் ஆக இருந்தனர் , ஆங்கிலேயர்கள் நாடுபிடிக்கும் கொள்கைப்படி திப்புசுல்தானுக்கு உடந்தையாக இருந்தார் என்ற போலி குற்றச்சாட்டின் கீழ் உம் தாத் -உல் -உமாரா நவாப் பதவியில் இருந்து 1795 - 1801 இல்தூக்கி எறியப்பட்டார்.பின்னர் இவர் குடும்பம் பல்வேறு வகையில் சிதைந்தது .இந்த வழியில் வந்தவரே மெஹ்மூத்


சிறுவனாய் இருந்த போது பம்பாய் பிலிம்ஸ் நிறுவனத்தில் எடுபிடி வேலை செய்தார் .அப்போது கிசுமத் படத்தில் நடித்தார் . பின்னர் எந்த வேலையிலும் நிலை கொள்ளாமல் பல வேலைகளில் வயிற்றுப் பாட்டுக்காக வேலை செய்தார். சில சமயங்களில்மீனாகுமாரிக்கு டேபிள் டென்னிஸ் ஆசிரியராக பணிபுரிந்தார், மீனாகுமாரியின் தந்தை அவர் காதலுக்கு தடை போடவே ,மீனா தன் தங்கை மதூ - மெஹ்மூத் தம்பதியரின் வீட்டில் சில காலம் தங்கியிருந்தார் இயக்குனர் பி. எல். சந்தோஷி மற்றும் அவரது மகன் ராஜ்குமார் சந்தோஷி,க்கும் கார் ஓட்டுநராக பணி புரிந்தார் . ராஜ்குமார் அந்தாஸ் அப்னே அப்னே படத்தில் நடிக்க சந்தர்ப்பம் அளித்தார்



திரைப்பட வாழ்க்கை

1959 ஆண்டு முதல் சிரிப்பு நடிகராக நடிக்க ஆரம்பித்து ,பின் ஜொலிக்க ஆரம்பித்தார் . ஒரு கால கட்டத்தில் கதாநாயகனுக்கு நிகராகவும் , அதற்கு மேலும் சம்பளம் வாங்கினார் .கும்நாம் படத்தில் இவர் நடிகை ஹெலன் உடன் ஆடிப்பாடியது இவரது மதிப்புக்கு ஒரு உரைகல்.இந்த கால கட்டத்தில் தன் குதிரைகளை வளர்க்க ஒரு பெரிய பண்ணையையே விலைக்கு வாங்கினார் .மேலும் எல்லா மாடல் கார்கள் சுமார் 24 வைத்திருந்தார் சம்பளத்திற்கு 150 பேர் வேலை பார்த்தனர்.இப்படி பெரிய ராஜா போல் கொஞ்ச காலம் வாழ்ந்தார் .இந்த காலகட்டத்தில் அமிதாப் பச்சன் சினிமாவில் நடிக்க சான்ஸ் கேட்டு மும்பையில் அலைந்து திரிந்தார் . அவருக்கு தங்குவதற்கு தன்வீட்டிலேயே தங்க இடம் அளித்தார். முதன் முதலாக பாம்பே டூ கோவா படத்தில் கதாநாயகன் வேடம் வாங்கித்தந்தார் . இந்த படம் மதராஸ் டு பாண்டிசேரி படத்தின் தழுவலாகும் . பின்னர் ஒரு பேட்டியில் அமிதாப் பச்சன் மெஹ்மூத் என் தெய்வ தந்தை ( GOD FATHER) என்று புகழாரம் சூட்டினார்


திரைப்படத் தயாரிப்பும் ,பின்னடைவும்


1970 களில் சிரிப்பு நடிகர்கள் ஜெகதீப் ,அஸ்ராணி,பைந்தால்,தேவன் வர்மா ,காதர் கான் என்று பாலிவுட்டை முற்றுகையிட மெஹ்மூத் பட வாய்ப்புகள் குறைய ஆரம்பித்தன .எனவே சொந்த பட தயாரிப்பில் ஈடுபட்டார் .ஆரம்பத்தில் கைகொடுத்த பாலிவுட் பின்னர் இவரை கை கழுவியது . 1960 களில் க்ரிஹஸ்தி ,பரோசா ,ஜிட்டி,மற்றும் லவ் இன் டோக்கியோ இவருக்கு ஜோடியாய் நடித்தவர் ஸுபா க்ஹோடே . . 1970 களில் இவருடன் ஜோடி சேர்ந்தவர் அருணா இராணி . பாம்பே டு கோவா ,கரம் மசாலா , தோபோல்,முதலியன .அருணா இராணி - இவருக்கு பல படங்களில் சான்ஸ் வாங்கி தந்துள்ளார் . பிரதி பலனாக அவர் வாங்கிய சம்பளத்தில் கமிஷன் பெற்றுள்ளார் .பின்னர் இந்த பந்தத்தில் முற்றிலும் விடுபட்டு ,நேரடியாக டான்ஸ் ,மற்றும் வில்லி ரோல்களை பெற்றார் அருணா .பின்னர் மெஹ்மூத் நடித்த பல படங்கள் தோல்வியை தழுவின . சில படங்கள் பாதியிலே கைவிடப்பட்டன .


இறப்பு

ஒரு இயக்குனராக, 1996 ஆம் ஆண்டில் மெஹ்மூத்தின் கடைசி படம் துஷ்மன் துனியா கா. அவருடைய மகன் மன்சூர் அலி அறிமுகமான இந்த படம், ஷாருக் கான் மற்றும் சல்மான் கான் ஆகியோரின் சிறப்பு நடிப்புகளை கொண்டிருந்தது. எட்டு குழந்தைகளின் இரண்டாவது மகன், மக்பூத் அலி (பிரபலமாக லக்கி அலி என்று அழைக்கப்படுகிறார்) இன்று பிரபல ஹிந்தி பாப் பாடகர் ஆவார்.


அமெரிக்காவின் பென்சில்வேனியாவில் அவர் நுரையீரல் நோய்க்கு சிகிச்சை அளிக்கப்பட்டது, சிகிச்சை பலன் அளிக்காமல் 2004 ஆம் ஆண்டு ஜூலை 23 ஆம் தேதி 72 வயதில் மெஹ்மூத் தனது தூக்கத்திலேயே மரணமடைந்தார்.[1] சூலை மாதம் 28 ஆம் தேதி அவருடைய உடல் இந்தியா கொண்டுவரப்பட்டது. மறுநாள் இறுதி ஊர்வலத்தில் ஏராளமான ரசிகர்கள் கலந்து கொண்டனர்.[2]

இந்த கட்டுரை 2018  செப்டம்பர் 29இல் என்னால் எழுதப்பட்டது 




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.

Monday, 23 July 2018

MEHMOOD ,HINDI COMEDIAN LEGEND GENERATION OF ARCOT NAWAB FAMILY 1932 SEPTEMBER 29 - 2004 JULY 23






MEHMOOD ,HINDI COMEDIAN LEGEND
GENERATION OF ARCOT NAWAB FAMILY
1932 SEPTEMBER 29 - 2004 JULY 23




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 also 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 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 to legendary actress Meena Kumari's younger sister Madhu 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.

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 a.k.a. 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 a.k.a. Pucky Ali played a role in the movie Ek Baap Chhe Bete and Hamare Tumhare.
Second son Maqsood Mehmood Ali a.k.a. 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 a.k.a. 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.
Sixth son Manzoor Ali (by Tracy Ali) played the lead role of drug addicted youth in the movie Dushman Duniya Ka and earlier acted in Ek Baap Chhe Bete.
Daughter Jeanie a.k.a. Latifunnisa a.k.a. Ginny Ali (by Tracy Ali) played the child actor role in Ginny Aur Johnny.

Tuesday, 25 July 2017

MEHMOOD, THE LEGENDARY COMEDIAN


MEHMOOD, THE LEGENDARY COMEDIAN




When we talk about comedy in Indian cinema, some of the names that pop up in our minds are Johnny Walker, Gufi Paintal and Asrani among others. These veterans were deemed as the trendsetters of this genre. But what about Mehmood? Doesn't he belong to this elaborate list of the labelled comedians? Damn right he does! Today would have been this legendary actor's 83rd birthday and we can't help but wonder that we don't know much about him at all. So we dug out 11 facts about Mehmood which would shed some light on the person he was, apart from the famous comedian.

1. As a child, he has worked for films like Kismet in Bombay. So the acting bug caught him early!

Mehmood
ITIMES

2. He had his share of odd jobs like table tennis coach to Meena Kumari, and driver for director PL Santoshi (father of director Rajkumar Santoshi who later cast him in Andaz Apna Apna)

Mehmood

3. His father, Mumtaz Ali, was a stage actor and dancer and was a huge name in the 40s and 50s.

Mehmood
MIDDAY

4. He was actress Meena Kumari's brother-in-law. He married her elder sister Madhu, who he later divorced.

mehmood
MEMSAABSTORY

5. It was only after his marriage with Madhu that he decided to earn a better living and started off with doing small time roles in movies, including Do Bigha Zameenand Pyaasa.

Do Bheega Zameen
RAVEPAD

6. He later flourished as a comedian, be it as Master Pillai in Padosan, Mahesh in Love In Tokyo, the butler in Gumnaam, or Atma in Pyar Kiye Jaa

Mehmood
YOUTUBE

7. Thought to be his arch rival, Mehmood was actually really good friends with fellow comedian Johnny Walker.

Mehmood
BOMBAYMANN2

8. Mehmood and actress Arun Irani were really close, so much so that they were rumoured to be married. But none of them admitted to be having a relationship.

Aruna Irani
FIL


MFARE

9.  When Amitabh was in his struggling phase of life, and was new in Mumbai, it was Mehmood who helped him and offered him a room at his own house.

Mehmood
TIMESOFINDIA

10. It's Mehmood who actually gave legendary music director his first break as a music director in the film Chhote Nawab. Later, both developed a close friendship.

Mehmood
REDIFF

When we talk about comedy in Indian cinema, some of the names that pop up in our minds are Johnny Walker, Gufi Paintal and Asrani among others. These veterans were deemed as the trendsetters of this genre. But what about Mehmood? Doesn't he belong to this elaborate list of the labelled comedians? Damn right he does! Today would have been this legendary actor's 83rd birthday and we can't help but wonder that we don't know much about him at all. So we dug out 11 facts about Mehmood which would shed some light on the person he was, apart from the famous comedian.

1. As a child, he has worked for films like Kismet in Bombay. So the acting bug caught him early!

Mehmood
ITIMES

2. He had his share of odd jobs like table tennis coach to Meena Kumari, and driver for director PL Santoshi (father of director Rajkumar Santoshi who later cast him in Andaz Apna Apna)

Mehmood
YOUTUBE

3. His father, Mumtaz Ali, was a stage actor and dancer and was a huge name in the 40s and 50s.

Mehmood
MIDDAY

4. He was actress Meena Kumari's brother-in-law. He married her elder sister Madhu, who he later divorced.

mehmood
MEMSAABSTORY

5. It was only after his marriage with Madhu that he decided to earn a better living and started off with doing small time roles in movies, including Do Bigha Zameenand Pyaasa.

Do Bheega Zameen
RAVEPAD

6. He later flourished as a comedian, be it as Master Pillai in Padosan, Mahesh in Love In Tokyo, the butler in Gumnaam, or Atma in Pyar Kiye Jaa

Mehmood
YOUTUBE

7. Thought to be his arch rival, Mehmood was actually really good friends with fellow comedian Johnny Walker.

Mehmood
BOMBAYMANN2

8. Mehmood and actress Arun Irani were really close, so much so that they were rumoured to be married. But none of them admitted to be having a relationship.

Aruna Irani
FILMFARE

9.  When Amitabh was in his struggling phase of life, and was new in Mumbai, it was Mehmood who helped him and offered him a room at his own house.

Mehmood
TIMESOFINDIA

10. It's Mehmood who actually gave legendary music director his first break as a music director in the film Chhote Nawab. Later, both developed a close friendship.

Mehmood
REDIFF

MEHMOOD BIOGRAPHY - SOMETHING ABOUT RAJESHKANNA



MEHMOOD BIOGRAPHY - SOMETHING ABOUT RAJESHKANNA 




Hanif Zaveri, author of Mehmood’s biography, told me that the late actor and comedian Mehmood used to address Rajesh Khanna as Kathor (translating to ‘heartless’ in English) in a friendly way. He signed Rajesh for a home production Janta Hawaldar, a major portion of which was to be shot at his own farmhouse. The entire production unit along with Rajesh was staying at Mehmood’s farmhouse. Problems started when one of Mehmood’s sons greeted Rajesh with a friendly hello. Rajesh took the boy’s casual attitude as an insult, because he felt it did not contain the respect he thought he deserved. He showed his displeasure and his starry tantrums took a turn for the worse.

It would take Mehmood, a respected senior actor, hours to get Rajesh to come out for a shot. Perhaps throwing his weight around in this manner was Rajesh’s way of trying to command the respect he felt he was losing. One day, as the tantrums got out of hand, Mehmood’s patience dried up completely. He lost his temper and gave Rajesh a tight slap. Rajesh was stunned. Zaveri says, ‘I have this statement from Mehmood. He gave Rajesh Khanna one tight slap for his tantrums and said, “You might be a superstar of your own house. I have paid you and you will finish my film.” After that the film shoot was completed without difficulties.’

It can be questioned whether this incident points towards the increasing loss of respect for Rajesh Khanna in the industry. Had his starry tantrums overstayed their welcome? Did he script his own downfall by alienating people who could have helped him?

According to Hanif Zaveri, ‘Rajesh Khanna didn’t know how to maintain interpersonal relationships. Now look at Jeetendra, he wasn’t a very good actor, but he knew how to keep good relations, and see how far he went. Jeetendrasaab told me once that he doesn’t know how to cry. If a scene demands crying, then he hides his face with his hands and cries.’ But Rajesh Khanna knew how to cry. He knew how to die, how to love, how to sing, how to emote, how to laugh and how to be angry . . . on screen. What he did not know perhaps was how to communicate well off-screen.

This lack of communication affected all his personal relationships, especially the one he shared with Dimple, his wife of nine years. Not only had the film industry started speaking against Rajesh, but so had his in-laws. The Kapadia family always believed that eventually Rajesh would relent and allow Dimple to get back to films. But when it became evident that this might not be the case, the Kapadias began to rant against their son-in-law. Towards the latter half of the 1970s Chunnibhai Kapadia became the prime source of stories against Rajesh’s behaviour towards Dimple. This led to the gossip columnists coining the term CIB: Chunnibhai Information Bureau. He gave ample fodder to keep the gossip columns aflow with titbits from the personal life of Rajesh and Dimple. This was not to the liking of the ex-superstar. Journalist Ingrid Albuquerque wrote about this cold war in a piece called ‘Rajesh vs. the Caucus of Four’ ‒ the ‘four’ being Dimple, her parents and her sister, Simple.

Time and again Dimple would walk out, threaten divorce and emotionally blackmail Rajesh, but she would always come back to him with the kids. Gossip magazines wrote about how every second month Dimple would leave Aashirwad only to come back in some time, suggesting that it all was a publicity stunt. ‘Fear drove Dimple back to Kaka, not love. My daughter lacks the guts of a Raakhee to stand up for herself,’ stated an agitated Chunnibhai Kapadia.

Khanna maintained a calculated silence on all this. When Bhawana Somaaya directly asked him about his marriage being the biggest joke in town, Rajesh Khanna in his veritable filmy style answered, ‘When everyone casts stones, the temptation to come out with the truth in all its gory detail is great. But ultimately, it serves no purpose, because your greatest pain becomes a source of ridicule. So I would rather be crucified than speak.’

With both his in-laws and the media taking potshots at his tempestuous marriage and declining career, Rajesh’s self-confidence deteriorated every day. Lots of new and younger men had come into the industry after him and were now standing at par with him or had overtaken him altogether. One can imagine his battered state of mind ‒ he was alone, irritated, frustrated, and fighting a losing battle with a slowly expanding inferiority complex. Every day he tried to drown the inner turmoil of loss with alcohol, but it would just fuel the fire. Even alcohol couldn’t take away the sting of his now-absolute downfall.

And then one fateful night, the incident occurred that shook the very foundation of his being. Years later he recalled, ‘I remember once at three in the morning, I was pretty high on spirits and, suddenly it was too much for me to stomach, because it was my first taste of failure. One after another, seven films had flopped in a row. It was raining, pitch dark and up there alone on my terrace, I lost control. I yelled out, “Parvardigar hum gareebon ka itna sakht imtihaan na le ki hum tere vajood ko inkar dein.”’ [Don’t test my patience to such an extent that I question your very existence.]

Hearing his screams his wife Dimple and the house staff came running to the terrace. He was crying terribly. He couldn’t forget this night for the rest of his life. One can imagine the drama and pathos of that night. It must have been a deadly cocktail: alcohol, depression and the crushing humiliation of failure. Perhaps he also felt betrayed by his fans who had written him off. Perhaps the pain he felt stirred other anguished memories from his past. Perhaps the fact that he had been pushed this far truly frightened him. One wonders if Rajesh was struck by the bizarre realization that he had recreated scenes just like this in his movies so many times before. He was a protagonist then. He was the protagonist now. Reel to real. It all played out like notes of the same melody, as though he was destined to live his roles. The actor who showed luminous dreams to millions of fans was faced with life’s brutal realities that night. But he was struggling to comprehend and accept this reality. Perhaps he did not wish to learn how.

Later he admitted that in his lean phase he had even gone to the extent of thinking of suicide under depression. He said, ‘Once, I even attempted walking into the sea, but at the last minute pulled myself out of the depression. “I will not die a failure,” I promised myself. I don’t want people to say Rajesh Khanna was a coward.’






Excerpted with permission from Rajesh Khanna: The Untold Story of India's First Superstar, Yasser Usman, Penguin Books India.