A lot of people stopped laughing on July 23, 2004, the day comic genius Mehmood Ali -- known to fans of Indian cinema the world over as, simply, Mehmood -- breathed his last. And who could blame them, considering he had made them smile for over three decades, with more than 300 films to his credit?
One of eight children born to dancer Mumtaz Ali in Mumbai. Mehmood began his career as a child actor. He held a couple of odd jobs -- these included teaching actress Meena Kumari how to play table tennis and driving director P L Santoshi's car for a while -- before turning to acting as a full-time career. Interestingly, he did this only after marriage and fatherhood, and got his first break playing a murder victim!
After directors, and millions of viewers, recognised his penchant for comedy, Mehmood was finally acknowledged for his particular brand of genius. His star still shines bright.
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