Mehmood Ali

महमूद अली Mehmood Ali
Born	29 September 1932(1932-09-29)
Died	23 July 2004(2004-07-23) (aged 71) Pennsylvania, US
Occupation	Actor

Mehmood Ali (Hindi: महमूद अली Urdu: محمود علی) (29 September 1932 – 23 July 2004), popularly known simply as Mehmood (Hindi: महमूद Urdu: محمود ), was an Indian actor, 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.

Life and career

Mehmood was one of eight children born to actor and dancer Mumtaz Ali in Bombay.^[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. He started acting reluctantly as a child in Bombay talkie films like Kismet^{[disambiguation needed ]}. Some of his early jobs before he concentrated only on acting were driving, doing odd jobs, and selling poultry. He worked as director P. L. Santoshi's driver. Later, Santoshi's son Rajkumar Santoshi cast Mehmood in his venture Andaz Apna Apna. He was hired to teach table tennis to Meena Kumari in those days. He later married her sister Madhu. After getting married and becoming a father, he decided to act to earn a better living. He got a small break as a murder victim in the film C.I.D.. He started off by doing small unnoticed roles in films like 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 Urdu accent.

His first break as both a director and an actor was Bhoot Bangla with Actress Tanuja. The movie paved the way for Mehmood to succeed Johnny Walker as the most successful Bollywood comedian. He followed his successes with superhit comic roles in films like Padosan (As a Tamil Brahmin Music Teacher- one of his greatest roles), Love in Tokyo, Aankhen, Bombay to Goa and Pyaar Kiye Jaa. He also became a sterling director of Hindi films—Kunwara Baap being a prime example.

Mehmood was riding on his success from 1965 to 1985 when he was considered one of the more successful movie artists. Amitabh Bachchan was a tenant for 11 months at the Mehmood Outhouse from 1967–1968 and again from 1972-1973 (4 Months). Mehmood acted and directed Bombay to Goa in which Amitabh was lead actor.

However from 1985- Mehmood began to decline because of the new trend in which lead actors were given substantial amount of role in which comedy was part of it. Other character actors like Anupam Kher, Jagdeep and Johnny Lever were also successful. Mehmood like all other contemporaries had not made wise investments and his financial prosperity began to decline. He made a handful of movies from 1989 to 1999 but most of them were either shelved or made no impression. He acted as Johny in Rajkumar Santoshi's Andaz Apna Apna that was his last hit film as an actor.

He died in his sleep on 23 July 2004 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]

Mehmood's son Lucky Ali is a singer and composer who has also acted in films.

Selected filmography

• Chote Nawab (1961) with Ameeta
• Sasuraal (1961) with Shobha Khote
• Pyase Panchi (1961) with Ameeta
• Dil Tera Diwana (1962)
• Zindagi (1964
• Shabnam (1964)
• Gumnaam (1965) with Helen
• Johar Mehmood in Goa with I.S. Johar (1965)
• 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)
• 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)
• Sadhu aur Shaitan (1968)
• Humjoli (1970)
• Main Sunder Hoon (1971) with Leena Chandavarkar
• Johar Mehood in Hong Kong with I. S. Johar (1971)
• Bombay to Goa (1972)
• Kunwaara Baap (1974)
• Do Phool (1974)
• Salaakhen (1975) ... Abdul Rehman
• Ginny Aur Johnny (1976)
• Jai Bajrang Bali (1976) ... Shakun
• Sabse Bada Rupaiya (1976)
• Aafat (1977) with Navin Nischol, Leena Chandavarkar ... Mahesh
• Des Pardes (1978) ... Anwar
• Khanjar (1980) ... Jagat
• Andaz Apna Apna (1994)
• Guddu (1995)

Awards

• 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
  

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Indian comedian Mehmood dead". Daily Times. 2004-07-24. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_24-7-2004_pg7_5. Retrieved 2 January 2009. 
2. ^ Mumbai bids emotional farewell to Mehmood The Times of India, Jul 28, 2004.

• "Legendary Comedian Mehmood Dead, Burial at Bangalore", INDOlink, 24 July 2004
• "Indian comedy actor Mehmood dies", BBC, 23 July 2004
• "Man who made nation laugh is no more", Indian Express, 24 July 2004
• "Comedian Mehmood is no more", The Times of India, 23 July 2004

Further reading

• Zaveri, Hanif. Mehmood, a Man of Many Moods, Popular Prakashan, 2005. ISBN 8179912132

External links

• Mehmood Ali at the Internet Movie Database

Persondata
Name	Ali, Mehmood
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	29 September 1932
Place of birth
Date of death	23 July 2004
Place of death	Pennsylvania, US