Nakuul Mehta pays tribute to Junior Mehmood, remembers working with him in show ‘Pyaar Ka Dard’
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], December 9 (ANI): Actor Nakuul Mehta on Saturday paid a heartfelt tribute to his ‘Pyaar Ka Dard Hai Meetha Meetha Pyara Pyara’ co-star and late actor Junior Mehmood.
Junior Mehmood, who was battling with stage four cancer passed away in Mumbai on Friday. He was 67.
The actor breathed his last in the early hours of Friday.
Junior Mehmood’s family friend confirmed the news and said, “He passed away last night at 2 am in Mumbai. He was suffering from stomach cancer and was not keeping well for the last few days. His last rites will be performed in Santacruz burial ground after today’s afternoon prayers.”
Taking to Instagram, Nakuul shared pictures from the serial sets along with a lengthy note.
The note read, “I had the great fortune of sharing sets with Junior Mehmood Saab in my very first television outing. I vividly recall filming our first shot together for the pilot and in time he set the tone for our relationship by fondly calling me Adi Baba on and off sets and I lovingly addressed him as Junior Sir! Whilst the set had a mix of some experienced and distinguished actors and then there were absolute newcomers.. In between all of them was one man with a cumulative experience of all of us. He served the arts for 55 years before he passed on yesterday but never for a moment made you believe or feel that he came from years of work, having worked with some of the greatest and being an inspiration himself to some wonderful comic talent which subsequently found their home in our industry.”
“He was always encouraging, very considerate of another actor’s space and never for once made you feel like you did not belong. We called him Shanky Kaka and he was that actor and person on and off set who would never command attention but you take him off the show and something would not feel right. He was that invisible glue who would hold the show together and rarely got the credit that he in all fairness deserved. Knowing him, he’d be happy just to be on a set, living his childhood dream,” he added.
Nakuul continued, “Thank you for your kindness and that always encouraging smile. Being on a set with you made me so much better. Thank you for the memories, Junior Sir [?] P.S. Thanks @alekhsangal for sharing this picture from the distant past. Our man @ayushdas always with a knack for saving precious memories for posterity.”
Veteran actor Junior Mehmood, known for his roles in films like ‘Kati Patang’ and ‘Aan Milo Sajna’ among others, is currently battling with stage four cancer.
Jr Mehmood’s close friend Salam Kazi earlier told ANI, “He was ill for 2 months and initially we thought that he might have some minor problem but after that suddenly his weight started decreasing. And when the medical reports came, it said there was cancer in the liver and lungs and a tumour in the intestine and he had also developed jaundice. So the treatment going on, but the doctors said it’s a stage four cancer.”
Actor Naeem Sayyed, popularly known as Junior Mehmood has been featured in over 200 films in different languages.
He is best known for movies like ‘Brahmachari’ (1968), ‘Mera Naam Joker’ (1970), ‘Parvarish’ (1977), and ‘Do Aur Do Paanch’ (1980).