Life Lessons from Mehmood Ali: The Self-Made Artist in Indian Movie Industry
From doing a series of odd jobs during his early years to becoming one of the highest-paid Indian actors in the 60s and 70s, the journey of late superstar Mehmood Ali is nothing less than a script of a blockbuster movie.
In his four-decade-long career, the versatile artist worked in over three hundred movies, received 25 nominations for Filmfare Awards and won five for Best Performances in Comic Roles, which earned him the title of The King of Comedy. His fame spread far and wide. When the late Hollywood actor Eldred Gregory met him at Mumbai’s Mehboob Studios, he exclaimed: “You’re too handsome for a comedian!”
By then Mehmood Sahab was much more than a comedian. He was a successful director, producer and an entrepreneur who rose against all odds to carve his name in the Indian cinema industry and set a perfect example of a self-made individual.
In this article, we are going to discuss the life lessons of the legendary artist who has set an example for all aspiring artists and entrepreneurs and has left a rich legacy behind him.
Hard Work Pays Off … Always: There’s no substitute to hard work and Mehmood sahab showed it to the world that all the name, fame and riches he earned was the byproduct of his efforts. It’s a no small feat to act in more than three hundred movies in a career span of four decades. He started his acting career in 1943 as a child artist in ‘Kismet’ and went on performing small roles till he got his major break in ‘Parvarish’ in 1958.
No Work is Small or Big: Even though he came from a family of artists with a royal lineage, he didn’t hesitate to do odd jobs during the tough phase in his life. He worked as a driver for director PL Santoshi and coached table tennis to Meena Kumari. He, however, did it in his own style and with complete honesty.
Know How and Where to Invest: Apart from being a great artist, he was a smart investor, who bankrolled some of his greatest projects including ‘Padosan’, ‘Kunwaara Baap’, ‘Ek Baap Chhe Bete’, among others. He also invested his money in real estate, stud farms, and agriculture projects.
Collaboration and Synergy — Key to Creative Success: Collaboration is the key for an entrepreneur to succeed. In an industry where cut-throat competition has always been the name of the game, Mehmood Ali was a breath of fresh air. His collaboration with stalwarts like Kishore Kumar, R.D. Burman, Sunil Dutt and many more artists created synergies that took his projects to new heights.
Goodwill Cannot Be Bought, It’s Earned: Money can buy all the luxuries in the world, but not love, respect and trust of people. It is only a person’s pure intent and goodwill that can win hearts. Mehmood sahab was one of those rarest artists in the industry who was equally loved and respected by his co-actors, directors, critics, and the public. He gave many artists such as Amitabh Bachchan and R. D. Burman breaks in the industry. His generosity was also legendary as he was known to gift extravagantly to his relatives, friends, acquaintances and people around him.
