Mumtaz Ali (15 March 1905 – 6 May 1974) was an Indian dancer and character actor in Hindi cinema from the 1940s to 1970s. He was the father of Indian actor Mehmood. He also had his own dance troupe "Mumtaz Ali Nites" which performed all over India. His career slumped due to his excessive drinking and his family fell into hard times, leading to his son Mehmood to work as a child artist and daughter
Minoo Mumtaz
is a city in northwestern Osaka Prefecture, Japan. Its name is commonly romanized as "Minō" or "Minoo"; however, the city government officially uses the spelling Minoh in English. As of October 2016, the city has an estimated population of 134 ...
to work as dancer in his stage shows and later in movies.
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
Bombay Talkies was a movie studio founded in 1934. During its period of operation, Bombay Talkies produced 40 movies in Malad, a suburb of the Indian city of Bombay.
The studio was established in 1934 by Himanshu Rai and Devika Rani. After R ...
studio in Malad, the suburbs of
Bombay
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second-m ...
.
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.
After years
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 same year on 6 May, aged 69.
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.
Minoo Mumtaz
is a city in northwestern Osaka Prefecture, Japan. Its name is commonly romanized as "Minō" or "Minoo"; however, the city government officially uses the spelling Minoh in English. As of October 2016, the city has an estimated population of 134 ...
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Mehmood Ali
Mehmood Ali (29 September 1932 – 23 July 2004), popularly known simply as Mehmood, was an Indian actor, singer, director and producer best known for playing comic roles in Hindi films.Anwar Ali
* Lucky Ali
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List of Hindi film clans
This article lists notable families whose members are prominent in the Indian Film Industry. For South Indian film families, see List of South Indian film families and for Indian music families, see List of Indian music families.
A
Akhtar–Az ...
Gallery
File:Mumtaz Ali dans Nirmala (1938).jpg, Mumtaz Ali in 1938 film ''Nirmala''
File:Mumtaz Ali et Sunita Devi dans Prem Kahani (1937).jpg, With Sunita Devi in 1937 film ''Prem Kahani''
File:Mumtaz_Ali.jpg, Mumtaz Ali in 1941 film '' Jhoola''