When Mehmood made people cry

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><script language="javascript">doweshowbellyad=0; </script><br />MUMBAI: The Hindi film industry and fans from all over the city paid their last respects to comedian Mehmood Ali at Mehboob Studios in Bandra on Wednesday. <br /></div> <div align="left" style="position:relative; left: 0"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="left" border="1" width="31.2%"> <colgroup> <col width="100.0%" /> </colgroup> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal"><img src="/photo/793895.cms" alt="/photo/793895.cms" border="0" /></div> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" center=""><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">Mehmood''s body placed in a casket, in Mumbai on Wednesday.PTI Photo</span></div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal">The body was later flown to Bangalore for the last rites. Clustered around the flower-bedecked coffin, the bereaved family was being consoled not just by stalwarts from Bollywood but also by die-hard Mehmood fans who had turned up in large numbers to pay tributes to the comedy king.<br /><br />Jaya Bachchan, clad in white and clutching a bunch of flowers, hugged Mehmood''s son Lucky Ali. "His death has left a huge vacuum in the industry which no one will be able to fill," an emotional Dharmendra told mediapersons. <br /><br />Actor-turned-MP Govinda said Mehmood''s demise was a great loss to the world of acting, while Johny Lever could not hold back his tears. "Mehmoodsaab is being hailed as a milestone in Hindi cinema. But if you ask me, he was a mountain of talent," Lever said.<br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section2"><div class="Normal">Others who came to the memorial service were actors Tinnu Anand, Raza Murad, Farida Jalal and Paintal, film-maker Yash Chopra and music director Rajesh Roshan. State minister Kripa Shankar Singh was also present.<br /><br />Mohammed Naeem, better known as Junior Mehmood, was inconsolable. "He had a great sense of humour on screen as well as off it. Even when he was ailing he had not stopped laughing at life."<br /><br />Shubha Khote, Mehmood''s co-star in several hit films of the ''60s, remembers him as someone who had a zest for living. "He never laughed at people. He laughed with them."</div> </div>