Roaring with Laughter

After Paravrish, Mehmood came to be recognized for his comic talent. He landed himself meatier roles in films like Gumnam, Pyar Kiye Jaa and Pyar Hi Pyar. In 1961, he played the lead comedian in Sasural. He was paired with a character actress named Shobha Khote. Their zany combination was so successful, that they went on to become a “comedy pair” in many hit films thereafter – hits like Love in Tokyo and Ziddi. Later, Aruna Irani replaced her in the comedy team. As the 60s progressed, Mehmood kept expanding the role of the comedian in Hindi movies. Soon, his fans just could not get enough of him as a “side-comedian” in the movies. And a time came, when he was so much “in demand” that producers approached him, offering him full-length comedy films. 

Mehmood teamed up with another comedian, I. S. Johar, in what was then advertised as “India’s first feature-length comedy” – Namasteji. The comic duo went on to make several more capers – which immortalized them in Bollwood’s muster, by incorporating their names in the film’s titles – Johar Mehmood in Goa was followed by Johar Mehmood in Hong Kong. By the early 70s, Mehmood was at then at the peak of his comic career. He exhibited a rare ability to gauge the moods of the cinema-going audience – especially the frontbenchers! He realized that it was these frontbenchers that gave any film its “repeat-viewing” potential – and made (or unmade) the new films at the first-day-first-show.