Saturday 23 July 2016

Remembering Mehmood on his Death Anniversary

MEHMOOD (29 September 1932 – 23 July 2004)


 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.
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,          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.
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.

Mehmood got  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, 

Mehmood was the only actor for whom the audience came to the theatre before the movie started. His huge fan following spoke of his dedication and talent. He was able to carve a niche for himself, which has made him be remembered as an artist who not only introduced himself in the industry but gave a platform for many upcoming actors. He was and is the ‘King of Comedy’ undoubtedly, but he was also the ‘King of Hearts’.  


Sasural (1961), a three-hankie melodramatic mega-success, was Mehmood's big breakthrough film as a comedian. What's more, Sasural created one of the most successful comedy teams of the sixties -- Mehmood and Shubha Khote. The plump and genial Shubha went on to partner Mehmood in most of his mad capers till the mid-sixties -- including Grihasti, Bharosa, Ziddi and Love In Tokyo




                                         Main Tere Pyaar Mein Kya Kya Na Bana, Mehmood, Shubha Khote, Ziddi Song




                                                               Mehmood, Shubha Khote,  Ziddi - Comedy Scene 

Mehmood dominated commercial Hindi cinema during his peak years, to the extent that it was said that some lead actors were unwilling to act with him as he tended to overshadow them.His name in the star cast and face on the film poster ensured that scores turned up at the theatres. One song for him in the film was mandatory in that era.At the insistence of distributors, a song picturised on Mehmood became a must in most films of the sixties. Manna Dey, a recognised classical singer, was singled out for singing many of Mehmood's naughty numbers.He was among the rare few who even went to have films named after him - Johar Mehmood in Goa and Johar Mehmood in Hongkong.
Song from Johar Mehmood In Goa

At the turn of the 1960s, Mehmood even played the hero in small films opposite starlets like Chitra, Naaz and Ameeta. Mehmood cast Ameeta as the heroine in his first production Chhote Nawab (1961), where he gave a break to his friend-cum-composer, R D Burman.After that he produced and Directed Bhoot Bangla(1965)


song from Bhoot Bangla

 His company’s Padosan – in which Mehmood locked horns with Kishore Kumar in a South-Indian-versus-North-Indian war – became a massive hit in the 70s

Mehmood was a Tamilian and his grandfather was the Nawab of Carnatic, thus the South Indian accent came very naturally to him. His funny songs and dialogues in Hyderabadi Urdu accent (such as Hum Kale Hain Toh Kya Hua Dilwale Hai) became his signature and are remembered till date.
Pyaar ki aag mein from ziddi

By the late sixties, he was heralded as the monarch of madness, with successes like Patthar Ke Sanam, Do Kaliyan, Neel Kamal, Aankhen and Aulaad releasing one after the other. Mehmood was a master at playing the hero's friend, who would help him out of sticky situations with his street-smart ways.

Unfortunately, his popularity, according to the grapevine, rankled the ruling heroes of the day. What further restricted Mehmood was his preference for playing central roles in early seventies films like Main Sundar Hoon, Lakhon Mein Ek, Mastana and Do Phool. As his career lost its early heat, Mehmood also resorted to producing his own films (Bombay To Goa, Kunwara Baap, Ginny Aur Johny) to stay in the limelight.

Some of his most memorable films are-1961 Sasural Shubha Khote 1965 Gumnaam Helen 1966 Pyar Kiye Jaa Mumtaz 1966 Love In Tokyo Shubha Khote 1967 Patthar Ke Sanam-- 1968 Padosan Sunil Dutt, Saira Banu, Kishore Kumar 1968 Aankhen-- 1970 Humjoli Aruna Irani 1971 Main Sundar Hoon Leena Chandavarkar 1974 Kunwara Baap





































Some of the hit songs Mehmood acted are Song Film Singer Mama o mamaParvarish(Manna Dey, Mohammed Rafi) Apni ulfat pe zamane ka na pehra hotaSasural(Mukesh, Lata Mangeshkar) Woh din yaad karoHamrahi(Mohammed Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar) Pyar ki aag mein tan badan jal gayaZiddi(Manna Dey) Aao twist kareBhoot Bangla(Manna Dey) Yeh do deewane dil keJohar Mehmood in Goa(Manna Dey, Mohammed Rafi) Hum kaale hai toh kya hua dilwaleGumnaam(Mehmood, Mohammed Rafi) O meri maina tu maanle mera kehnaPyar Kiye Jaa(Manna Dey, Usha Mangeshkar) Tujhko rakhe Ram tujhko Allah rakheAankhen(Asha Bhosle, Manna Dey) Jodi hamari jamega kaiseAulad(Manna Dey, Asha Bhosle) Ek chatur naarPadosan(Mehmood, Manna Dey, Kishore Kumar) Yeh kaisa aaya zamanaHumjoli(Mehmood, Mukesh, Kishore Kumar) Muttu kullikaDo Phool(Mehmood, Asha Bhosle) Saj rahee galee meri ammaKunwara Baap(Mehmood, Mohammed Rafi) Famous for his fusillade of funny moments, two of Mehmood's most remembered roles were in Pyar Kiye Jaa (1966) and Padosan (1968).

















Some famous Bollywood songs for which people 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 and so on. He received the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for Dil Tera Diwana(1963) and Filmfare Best Comedian Award 4 times for films Pyar Kiye Jaa(1967),Waris(1970),Paras(1972) and for Vardaan(1975).

By the time the 90s set in, Mehmood had played his entire hand -- as actor, director, storywriter and producer. But, he was now keeping indifferent health. He made one last attempt at a comeback, with a film called Dushman Duniya Ka (1996). By now, there was a new generation of filmgoers in the theatres -- and new stars in Bollywood’s firmaments. Mehmood managed to get the brightest new star into his movie. Shah Rukh Khan – a self-confessed Mehmood admirer – played the role of the “young” Mehmood in the film, 
On 23rd 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
Mehmood will forever be remembered as he appeared in his heydays – as the King of Comedy. He taught a nation how to laugh! Thank you for the laughter!
Read more at http://www.iloveindia.com/indian-heroes/mehmood-ali.html#WmEk6fHKwEpePA7Z.99

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