'Padosan' to 'Bhoot Bungla': Mehmood's best roles in Hindi cinema
Actor, director, comedian, singer, and producer Mehmood was inarguably one of the biggest talents to grace Hindi cinema and his expansive talents uplifted his staggering film career. After appearing in landmark Hindi films such as Do Bigha Zameen and Pyaasa, he gradually garnered prominence for his work as a comedian in hundreds of films. On his birth anniversary, let's revisit his best roles.
'Padosan'
Padosan is best remembered for its evergreen melody Ek Chatur Naar, which Mehmood sang alongside Manna Dey and Kishore Kumar. In Padosan, he starred alongside Sunil Dutt, Saira Banu, Kumar, Om Prakash, and played Master Pillai who tries to woo Bindu (Banu) and trains her in music. It was a remake of the Bengali film Pasher Bari and is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
'Bhoot Bungla'
In contemporary times, the horror-comedy genre is dominated by movies such as Roohi, Stree, and Go Goa Gone, but back in 1965, Mehmood starred in, directed, and produced a film in this genre—Bhoot Bungla. Tanuja, Nazir Hussain, Harindranath Chattopadhyay, and Nana Palsikar co-starred in this film where Mohan Kumar (Mehmood) investigates a series of mysterious phone calls. Stream it on JioCinema.
'Chhoti Bahen'
For his role as Mahesh in Chhoti Bahen, Mehmood was nominated for a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor. A remake of the Tamil film En Thangai, it starred Balraj Sahni, Nanda, Dhumal, Shubha Khote, and Rehman, among others. Directed by LV Prasad (Ek Duuje Ke Liye) and written by Inder Raj Anand (Sangam), it was an exploration of the bond between siblings.
'Dil Tera Deewana'
Mehmood's portrayal of Anokhe in Dil Tera Deewana earned him a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor. It featured an ensemble cast of actors comprising Shammi Kapoor, Mala Sinha, Mehmood, Om Prakash, and Pran. The monochrome film explores the case of confusing identities and was helmed by BR Panthulu. You can stream it on Amazon Prime Video, SonyLIV, or YouTube.
