Junior Mehmood Dies From Stomach Cancer: Jeetendra, Sachin Pilgaonkar Fulfil His ‘Aakhiri Ichcha,’ Meet The Man Who Started With Rs 60 & Charged 1 Lakh At 13 (& Owned A Car)
Junior Mehmood used to get 60 rupees for his work but he started charging 1 lakh at the age of 13! The veteran passed away at 67.
Junior Mehmood’s Last Wish Was To Meet Jeetendra, His First Co-Star ( Photo Credit – Instagram; IMDb )
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Actor Junior Mehmood has passed away at the age of 67. Known for his comic skills on screen, he was an integral part of Hindi and Marathi films from the 60s. He was a part of Hindi Television for a long time. He was last seen as Mulla Nasiruddin in 2019 in Tenali Rama, a TV Serial on SAB TV.
Recently, a picture of the veteran supporting actor surfaced on the internet where Johnny Lever was seen taking care of the deceased star, who was struggling with stage 4 stomach cancer. His friend Salim Qazi confirmed the news of his death.
The Aakhiri Ichcha
His last wish was to meet two superstars he has worked with in his career – Jeetendra and Sachin Pilgaonkar. Both the actors fulfilled the ailing actor’s last wish since his condition was deteriorating every day. Sachin was Junior Mehmood’s best friend, and they starred together in Shammi Kapoor’s Brahmachari.
Pictures of Jeetendra meeting Junior Mehmood went viral and were shared by a reporter on his Twitter account. Jeetendra was too emotional during this meeting.
Jitendra fulfilled ailing Junior Mehmood’s wish of meeting him. In a city where stars seldom have time to meet anyone, his gesture is heartwarming. Sad to see Junior Mehmood in such condition. pic.twitter.com/CLuFknH45R
Later, reports of Sachin Pilgaonkar meeting his best friend also grabbed headlines. The veteran actor and filmmaker even posted a message asking people to pray for his childhood friend.
How He Entered The Magical World Of Films!
Junior Mehmood entered showbiz as a child. He was born Naeem Sayyed and used to visit film sets with his photographer brother. One day, he had just dissed a child actor’s work after repeated fumbles, and the director asked him to do the scene. He didn’t know; he was about to enter a magical world!
The First Break?
The actor got his first big break in a film called Suhaag Raat. He was eight years old, and the film starred Jeetendra and Mehmood. During the shoot, it was Mehmood’s daughter’s birthday party, where Junior Mehmood was not invited. He later told the veteran comedian, “Mera baap koi producer, director nahi isliye main aap ki beti ke birthday main nahi aa sakta kya?”
Junior Mehmood As A Child Actor ( Photo Credit – IMDb )
How Did Naeem Turn Into ‘Junior Mehmood’ & Why?
Mehmood was shocked at this direct attack. He invited the boy, who made sure to rock the party, imitating Mehmood in his song ‘Hum Kaale Hain To Kya Hua Dilwale Hain.’ Looking at his knack and eagerness to entertain, Mehmood took him as a disciple. In an interview with Rediff, Junior Mehmood once said, “We actually went to Ranjit Studios, and in true guru-shishya tradition, I tied a gaanth on his wrist and paid him five rupees and 25 paise as Dakshina. That’s when he bestowed his own name upon me and called me Junior Mehmood. Otherwise, who was I to do anything in this industry? This name transformed my life completely.”
The Breakthrough
Junior Mehmood’s breakthrough came with Shammi Kapoor‘s superhit film Brahmchari, where he played one of the 12 boys. The film was released on Friday, and by the next morning, he was a superstar already. His mimicry of Mehmood’s ‘Hum Kale Hain To Kya Hua Dilwale Hain’ was so popular that a special scene was written in the film for him!
Junior Mehmood In Brahmachari ( Photo Credit – IMDb )
Check out his performance from the film, shared by a classic Bollywood page on Instagram.
From Rs 60 To 1 Lakh
Initially, Junior Mehmood was paid only Rs 60 for his gigs, but he realized his worth soon and started charging 1 lakh per film. He was paid the price he would ask at the age of 11. He continued charging the same amount and bought a car for himself at 13!
Junior Mehmood In Parvarish ( Photo Credit – IMDb )
Such was his thirst to strive as an artist, and he was probably one of the few child superstars this country witnessed. Rest In Peace, Sir.
