Mumtaz Ali, the father of the legendary Mahmood, was a well-known character actor and dancer in the early days of Hindi cinema. He was known for his exceptional dancing skills and was featured in several song sequences from the 1940s and 1950s. He also had his own dance troupe called “Mumtaz Ali Nites,” which captivated audiences across India.
Early Life and Career
Mumtaz Ali was born in Madras (Chennai) on March 5, 1905, and tragically lost his parents early in life, leaving his nine-year-old sister, Karim un Nisa, to raise him. By 1928, he found himself living on the streets of Bombay until he encountered Benjamin Guy Horniman, a British journalist and editor of The Bombay Chronicle, particularly notable for his support of Indian independence. Horniman generously took him under his wing, providing both shelter and financial support.
Encouraged by this newfound stability, Mumtaz Ali formed a small street theatre troupe known as the Mumtaz Ali Theatrical Company, where he portrayed various characters. In 1933, thanks to Horniman’s recommendation, Ali caught the attention of Himanshu Rai, who was establishing the Bombay Talkies studio in Malad, a suburb of Bombay.
Mumtaz Ali was one of the earliest talents to join the Bombay Talkies. He became part of the production team for their debut film, “Jawani Ki Hawa,” in 1935. Following this, Mumtaz Ali became a familiar face in Bombay Talkies productions, starting with “Achhut Kanya” in 1936, where he appeared as a dancer in the song “Choodi Main Laaya” with Sunita Devi.
Success Of Mumtaz Ali
His first film as an actor was the Devika Rani and Ashok Kumar starrer Janamboomi (1936), followed by Savitri (1937), Prem Kahani (1938), Jeevan Prabhat (1937), Vachan (1938), Nav Jeevan (1939), and Punar Milan (1939). One of his early success came with the song “Main to Dilli se dulhan laaya re” from the 1942 film Jhoola, starring Leela Chitnis and Ashok Kumar. This song was a must-play at all marriage functions in those days.
The same year, he acted in the film “Basant (1942).” In the film Mumtaz Ali and Mumtaz Shanti played the sibilings who wanted to be singers and actors on stage. Mumtaz Ali supported Devika Rani during the Bombay Talkies split in early 1943. However, he chose to leave the studio in 1945, following Devika Rani’s departure.
In Shehnai (1947), the super hit song “Meri Jaan Meri Jaan Sunday ke Sunday Aana” composed by C. Ramchandra was picturized on him. Some of his other memorable films include Putli (1949), Padmini (1948), Khidki (1948), Nirala (1950), and Sakhi Hatim (1955). In 1955, He featured in famous Rafi number “Hame Bhi De Do Sahara, Ke Besahare Hain” in Seema.
Personal Life
Mumtaz Ali tied the knot with Latifunnisa in October 1929. His career was going great and gained a lot of appreciation from fraternity and fans, but his career went downhill due to his excessive drinking. Due to his drinking, the family fell into hard times, leading his son Mehmood to work as a child artist and his daughter Minoo Mumtaz to work as a dancer in his stage shows and later in movies.
Mumtaz Ali was the co-writer of the 1961 hit Chhote Nawab with B. H. Bukhari. The film stars Mehmood, Ameeta, Johny Walker, and Meenu Mumtaz.
He was last seen in the song “Saj Rahi Gali Meri Maa” from the 1974 Hindi movie “Kunwara Baap,” directed by his son Mehmood. He died on May 6, 1974, aged 69.
Mumtaz Ali on IMDB
