Mehmood: The comedian who made heroes insecure, his presence on posters could make film a hit

Before becoming the king of comedy, Mehmood started his film career as an extra, sometimes playing roles like a bus conductor or a peanut seller. However, his big break came in the 1958 film Parvarish, in which he portrayed Raj Kapoor’s brother. Thereafter, Mehmood landed numerous supporting roles, mostly in comedies, that propelled him into the spotlight as a bankable actor indispensable for a film’s success. He won four Filmfare Awards, three of which were for Best Comedian, for his work in Pyar Kiye Jaa (1966), Waris (1969) and Vardaan (1975).

In the 1960s and 70s, Mehmood proved to be the only actor providing comic relief in the midst of the heavy drama prevalent in films of that era. During this period, comedy was not considered a mainstream genre for filmmakers, so Mehmood primarily played supporting roles as the comic relief. However, it didn’t take long for him to become the audience’s favourite, even surpassing the lead heroes of his time. Films like Gumnaam (1965), Kunwaara Baap (1974), Pyaar Kiye Jaa (1966), Do Phool (1973), Sadhu Aur Shaitaan (1968), and Bombay to Goa (1972) catapulted this supporting actor to stardom and made him the ultimate star.

It was a symbiotic relationship between Mehmood and the comedy genre. While Mehmood gave comedy its due recognition in Hindi cinema, his roles as a comedian made him the highest-earning actor of his era. In an old interview with Filmfare, Mehmood’s brother, Anwar Ali, revealed the actor’s exorbitant fees, surpassing that of lead actors. “Once Bhaijaan turned successful, there was no looking back. Rajshri Productions’ specially created a role for him in their first production Aarti (Pradeep Kumar-Meena Kumari starrer in 1962). Bhaijaan even taught Meenaji to play tennis. He was paid more than heroes, around Rs 7.5 lakh for 14 days of shooting. Once Gregory Peck was in Mumbai and met Bhaijaan at Mehboob Studio. He couldn’t help remark, ‘You’re too handsome for a comedian’,” he said.

Mehmood’s brand value was so immense that filmmakers often promoted their films by highlighting his name. He had become not just an actor but a brand himself, and every filmmaker wanted to piece of him. “If the end credits of the film read, ‘And Mehmood’, distributors would pounce to buy it,” Anwar said during the interview.

Having established himself as an actor, Mehmood harboured the desire to direct and produce a film, embarking on this new venture with the 1965 film Bhoot Bungla. While the horror-comedy genre has gained popularity with films like Stree and Bhool Bhulaiyaa in recent times, it was relatively unexplored during the 1960s. Mehmood fearlessly delved into this new territory with Bhoot Bungla, set inside a haunted house, effectively delivering both scares and laughs with his impeccable comic timing.

Mehmood’s prolific career spanned over four decades, during which he worked in over 300 Bollywood films. His rise to fame was gradual. The actor had a humble beginning, which involved him doing menial jobs like that of a chauffeur and a table tennis teacher to actor Meena Kumari. The hardships he went through early on instilled in him the courage to experiment and bare his heart out in front of the camera. While the Hindi film industry and comedy actors like Jagdeep, Asrani, Paintal, Deven Verma, and Kader Khan owe much to Mehmood for paving the way for their success, I thank him for making my staunch father fall in love with cinema.