Mumtaz Ali (29 September 1902 – 7 February 1975) was an Indian dancer and character actor in Hindi cinema from the 1940s to 1970s. He was the father of Indian actor Mehmood Ali. He also had his own dance troupe "Mumtaz Ali Nites" which performed all over India.
Early life
Mumtaz Ali was born in
Madras in 1905. Orphaned very early, he was raised by his nine-year-old sister Karimunnisa. Around 1928, he lived on the streets in Bombay when he met Benjamin Guy Horniman, an Englishman amateur of Indian cinema
and former publisher of the
Bombay Chronicle. B G Horniman took him in, invited him to his home and supported him financially. Mumtaz Ali founded at that time a small troupe of street theater, the
Mumtaz Ali Theatrical Company, for which he plays almost all roles. In 1933, BG Horniman recommended Mumtaz Ali to
Himanshu Rai who was establishing the
Bombay Talkies studio in Malad, the suburbs of
Bombay.
Career
Mumtaz Ali joined Bombay Talkies from the first movie of the studio. He was a part of the production team of
Jawani Ki Hawa which was released in 1935. But he had to wait the next year to appear on the screen on the third film,
Achhut Kanya. Among his best work was his song "Mein to Dilli se Dulhan laya re" from the 1942 film
Jhula. This song was a must to be played at all marriage functions in those days in Mumbai and India. Mumtaz Ali sided with Devika Rani during the Bombay Talkies split in early 1943. He decided to leave the studio in 1945, when Devika Rani left him.
Later Years and Death
He was last seen in the 1974 Hindi movie
Kunwara Baap, directed by and starring his son Mehmood in the song "Saj Rahi Gali Meri Maa".
He died the next year on 7 February, aged 72.
Personal life
Mumtaz Ali married Latifunnisa, in October 1929. They had eight children: Husseini, Mehmood, Khairunnisa, Usman, Malikunnisa ( Minoo Mumtaz ), Zubeida, Shaukat and Anwar. Mehmood made his acting debut in Kismet (1943). Minoo Mumtaz made her stage debut for
Mumtaz Ali Nites and became a recognized dancer in Indian cinema in the 1950s.
Filmography
|
|
| 1998 | [[Ghar Bazar]] | |
|
1975
| Dayar E Madina | |
|
1974
| Kunwara Baap | |
|
1974
| [[Do Phool]] | |
|
1959
| Dil Deke Dekho | |
|
1955
| Sakhi Hatim | |
|
1952
| Kafila | |
|
1950
| Apni Chhaya | |
|
1950
| Nirala | Rani |
|
1950
| Sangeeta | |
|
1949
| Putli | |
|
1948
| Khidki | |
|
1948
| Padmini | |
|
1948
| Shakti | |
|
1948
| Mulaqat | |
|
1947
| Shehnai | |
|
1943
| Hamari Baat | |
|
1942
| Basant | Dilip |
|
1941
| Jhoola | Postman |
|
1940
| Azad | |
|
1940
| Punar Milan | |
|
1939
| Navjeevan | |
|
1938
| Nirmala | |
|
1938
| Vachan | |
|
1937
| Jeevan Prabhat | Nandlal |
|
1937
| Prem Kahani | Mr. Sharma |
|
1937
| Savitri |
|
| 1936 | Janmabhoomi | Madhu
|
See also
== Gallery ==
in 1937 film Prem Kahani]]
External links
