Happy for being the first on writing on Great Mehmood on MS.
I have this review half prepared since a long time but I find today as the best day for posting this review and completed it in hurry. I wish to pay my tribute to one of the most versatile person of Indian Film industry on his 76th Birthday. Today is the birthday of late Mehmood who was born on this day in the year 1932. And the holy soul deaprted to heaven on July 23, 2004.
He was undoubtedly among the most talented personalities of Bollywood. We all know him simply as Mehmood, he was a great actor, and also a good story writer, director & producer. The inimitable Mehmood was Bollywood’s best-known comedian and he was best known & well appreciated for playing comic roles in many of the Bollywood movies. He has acted in more than 300 movies in his career spanning three long decades. He became the most integral part of all the movies of his time and he had got all the respect & values equivalent to lead actors & actresses of that time.
About his childhood and Personal Life
His real name was Mehmood Ali and he was the second child among the eight children born to actor, comedian & dancer Mumtaz Ali. Mehmood was a born comic. His mother once caught him at a railway station, attempting to run away from home, when he was a small child. When she angrily reminded him that even his clothes had been bought by his father, Mehmood quickly began to drop his clothes at the station itself.
His Career
He has started acting as a reluctant child actor in Bombay Talkies early movies like’Kismat’. Some of his early jobs before he started acting were driving, doing odd jobs like selling poultry, etc. He worked as the driver of director P. L. Santoshi. He was also hired to teach table tennis to legendary actress Meena Kumari. He later married her sister Madhu. After his marriage and becoming a father he decided take actin gas a career to live a better life. Luckily he got a small role of a murder victim in the movie CID. He started off by doing small unnoticed roles in movies like "Do Bigha Zameen" and "Pyaasa". He later went on to act in lead roles but he was most appreciated for his comic roles.
Mehmood was first noticed in Parvarish(1958) starring Raj Kapoor & Mala Sinha and then the success of Chhoti Bahen the following year led to a series of films with Shubha Khote, herself a fine comedienne - Sasural(1961), Ziddi(1964), Love in Tokyo(1966) among others. Later on Dil Tera Deewaana(1962) starring Shammi Kapoor & Mala Sinha firmly made Mehmood him a superstar and he took over the thrown of the leading comedian of Bollywood from Johnny Walker.
And the time came when all well known movies of 60s had a parallel comic track with Mehmood - Arzoo(1965), Paththar ke Sanam(1967), Padosan(1968) etc. In fact when Filmfare added on the award for best performance in a comic role - Mehmood was the first winner for his outstanding work in Pyaar Kiye Ja.
And then because of his talented acting skills he went on to win the Filmfare award twice more for Waaris(1969) and Vardaan(1974).
There were people who thought Mehmood to be loud & bawdy but he struck a chord with audiences and knew exactly how to tickle their funny bone.Mehmood was a master at playing the hero’s best friend, who would help him out of sticky situations with his street-smart ways.
Comedy actors of all time admit the influence of Mehmood in their work. To quote him Rajpal Yadav once said -
"He was an institution for us actors, who have learnt so much just by watching his films. I have been very unfortunate as I have never met him. Being a comedian, I know the contribution he has made to people like us."
Mehmood had given first break to RD Burman with Chhote Nawab(1961), in 70s he introduced Rajesh Roshan with Kunwara Baap(1974). He is also responsible in a way for Amitabh Bachchan’s rise to fame as it is after seeing him in Mehmood’s Bombay to Goa(1972), Salim-Javed found in him the perfect angry young man for their stories.
Some of the famous films, from the long list he worked in -
Zindagi(1964), Gumnaam(1965), Pyar Kiye Ja(1966), Love in Tokyo(1966), Patthar ke Sanam(1967), Padosan(1968), Aankhen(1968), Do Phool(1968).
Some memorable Bollywood songs for which we still remember Mehmood are -
’Ek chatur naar’ from film Padosan,
’Aao Twist Karen’ from Bhoot Bangla,
’Yeh do deewane dil ke’ from Johar Mehmood in Goa,
’Hum kaale hai to kyaa huaa dilwaale hain’ from Gumnaam
’Thenge se’ in Paththar ke Sanam(1967)
’Aiyayo Aiyayo’ from Pyaar Kiye Ja
His Effect on Other Actors
Mehmood has a great impact on Hindi films that at the peak of his career in 60s & 70s, many leading actors refuse to work with him afraiding of being overshadowed. And it has been proved in many movies like -
Gumnaam(1965) for all its fine ensemble cast is primarily remembered for Mehmood and his superhit song - Hum Kaale Hain To Kya Hua Dilwaale Hain
Pyaar Kiye Ja(1966) the scene of Mehmood the wannabe filmmaker’s hilarious narration to father Om Prakash
Humjoli (1970) with Mehmood’s triple role - a take off on Prithviraj, Raj & Randhir Kapoor rather than Jeteendra & Leena Chandavarkar.
Mehmood’s son Lucky Ali, is a popular singer who has also acted in some Bollywood movies right from his childhood till now.
His Last Breath
The great actor left this world while he died in his sleep on July 23, 2004 in Pennsylvania, USA where he had gone for treatment of lung disease after suffering poor health for several years.
*Thanks for reading this review.
Regards,
Akash*