"Intelligent comedy in Hindi films began only in the sixties and at the peak of this new comedy stood Mehmood. To say evoked laughter is not to know Mehmood at all because the mention of this great comedian brings to mind not just caricature or queer mannerisms but...mature humour."

Actress Nanda in her Foreword

Veteran journalist Hanif Zaveri was very close to Mehmood's family and this biography Mehmood: A Man of Many Moods brings out little known facets of a legend. How Mehmood was a devout muslim but also worshipped Lord Shiva, his candid confessions on his weakness for women and how actors Manoj Kumar and Rajendra Kumar disliked him. A man who always told it like it is, Mehmood speaks about legends like Meena Kumari, Mumtaz, Kishore Kumar, Hema Malini and Rajesh Khanna; there are separate chapters on his relationships with Shubha Khote, Amitabh Bachchan and Aroona Irani.

A rags to riches story unfolds, more fantastic than any film script with secrets affairs, betrayals and rendevous, rememberings and forgettings, all the action centered around a big hearted comedian who was in the thick of the filmi goings in Bollywood.

About the Author

Hanif Zaveri started his career as an assistant script writer. He has been an active member of Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA) where he worked with prominent personalities like M S Sathyu, Ramesh Talwar, Shabana Azmi, Javed Siddiqui and Basu Bhattacharya.

The author is a well-known freelancer for several leading newspapers and magazines.