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The veteran actor Junior Mehmood took his last breath today in Mumbai, Friday. He was 67 years old and widely known for his incredible performances in the Hindi cinema. The actor whose real name is Naeem Sayyed was a disciple of Mehmood. They both worked together in the 1968 film Suhaag Raat.
Junior Mehmood was suffering from cancer. Before he passed away, the actor’s friends Sachin Pilgaonkar and Jeetendra visited him.
There’s an interesting story of how Junior Mehmood got his legendary name. When Sayyed was little he used to mimic actors and go on sets with his brother. He made his debut in the Hindi cinema as a child actor at the age of 8. He debuted with Suhagraat, which featured Jeetendra, Mehmood and Rajshree in key roles.
At the age of 8, Naeem showcased his incredible talent and impressed Mehmood when he danced on ‘Hum Kale Hai Toh Kya Hua Dilwale Hai.’ After the shoot of the song was over, Mehmood rushed towards him and picked him up in immense joy. He called Naeem’s father and said, “You don’t worry about this boy, I will take care of him.”
Following that day, Mehmood called him to Ranjit Studio in Dadar. He tied a band on Naeem’s wrist and made him a ‘shishya’ (disciple). From there on, people started calling him Junior Mehmood and he used it as his screen name.
Junior Mehmood said in an interview that he was happy to use his ‘Ustad’s’ name as this helped him in gaining popularity. People even started recognizing him as Mehmood’s son.
The actor played a remarkable role in films such as Caravan, Aan Milo Sajna, Do Raste, Haathi Mere Saathi and Kali Patang. He is survived by his wife, two sons, a grandson and a daughter-in-law. His last rites will be performed at noon today.
