by: Roshmila Bhattacharya

The little comedian made his debut with Dilip Kumar in Jairaj's Pratima produced by Bombay Talkies. He had been working with the studio as an assistant director. Devika Rani who was the studio head then liked his smile and offered him a role in the film. In the 50 years Mohamed Umer Mukri has worked in over 600 films including Aan, Amar and Amar Akbar Antony to name a few. His last film was Vivek Vaswani's Sar Aankhon Par. He had been ailing for a while following a gall bladder infection. On August 8 he was admitted to Mumbai's Leelavati Hospital with kidney failure. He was beginning to recover when on Monday, September 4, at 1.10 a.m.,he suffered a fatal cardiac arrest. He was 78 and is survived by his wife Mumtaz, daughters Naseem and Amina and sons Nasir, Faarokh and Bilal. His friends remember the man who could always make them smile.

Nadira: I couldn't go for his funeral but I said a little prayer for him

I have known Mukri since the time I started shooting for my first film, Mehboob Khan's Aan opposite Dilip Kumar. He and Dilip sahab were good friends and he was in every film Dilip sahab starred in. I remember for one scene in Aan Mehboob sahab wanted a donkey. Everyone searched high and low but couldn't come across one. Mehboob sahab turned to his production controller and signed despairingly, "For all the animals in the world I don't have a donkey." Pat came the reply: "Hai na, Mukri hai."

Before he joined the film industry Mukri had been a qazi teaching the Koran in Arabic to little children. A deeply religious and god-fearing man he knew how to make people happy. He may have had his faults but on reflection one realized that it was circumstances that forced him to behave as he did sometimes. He had a large family to look after.

I was very sorry to hear that Mukri is gone. I couldn't even attend his funeral. Versova is too far to travel for an ailing woman. I even missed seeing his last journey on television. But I did say a little prayer for him. I prayed that God would let his soul rest in peace.

Shyama: We used to stay at the same hotel and go to the same parties

What can I say about Mukri? Jitna boloon kam hai. He was a very nice person. My association with him goes back by more than three decades. I first met him on the sets of Sazaa. I played a gopi's (cowherd) daughter in the film and Mukri was the caretaker. After that we often bumped into each other especially when I was in Chennai for a shoot. We used to stay at the same hotel and go to the same parties. One such party was thrown by Yusuf bhai during the shooting of Ram Aur Shyam.

Recently I caught up with him at Shakila's party. He was sitting quietly in a corner wrapped up in a shawl. I went up to him and asked him, "Kya Mukku kya haal hai?" "Not too good," he replied. He had recently undergone an operation on his hand and had not recovered yet. We had a quiet chat, recalling old memories. Little did I know then that this would be our last meeting.

I was terribly sad to hear about his sudden demise. I couldn't even attend his funeral because even I haven't been keeping too well. I will always remember him as a man who could always make me smile. He had a wonderful sense of humour and a ready wit. He had this talent for suddenly coming up with funny remarks that would send us into peals of laughter. I'll miss him.

Shammi: I still remember how once he had asked for irrigated water

I have known Mukri for almost half a century. This is my 51st year in the film industry now and I met Mukri on the sets of my first film, Ustad Pedro. The film also starred Sheikh Mukhtar, NE Ansari and Begum Para. While Begum Para was paired with Sheikh Mukhtar I had been paired opposite NE Ansari. In those days Sheikh Mukhtar and Mukri used to be a hit pair. The tall Mukhtar and the short Mukri were a perfect foil for each other.

I grew very fond of this little man. He became like a family member and would often drop in at our place with his wife during the shooting of Heera and Ganga Ki Saugandh which my husband Sultan Ahmed had produced. Mukri was not only a good actor but a good man too. A happy-go-lucky fellow who never indulged in petty politics and backbiting. He was devoted to his family and used to make people laugh in real life too. Not being very well educated he would often speak English funnily. Sometimes he just used words out of context and sometimes he would deliberately make a mistake to make us laugh.

I remember once when we were shooting for Baaghi, produced by Dilip Kumar's elder brother, in Ghodbunder with Ranjan and Naseem Bano, someone told us not to drink the water because it was contaminated. Mukri took it upon himself to ask the producer for soda. He walked up to him and announced importantly, "Sir, can you get us some irrigated water please?" We never let him forget that mistake. He was a real sport and never got angry when one of us would turn to him and ask innocently, "Mukri did you get your irrigated water?"

Another time Sunil Dutt sahab threw a party at Ajanta Arts. The guest of honour was an Arabian ambassador. When toasting the ambassador Dutt sahab requested Mukri to say a few words. Mukri got up and said, "Sir, I hope you have enjoyed it all as we have enjoyed you!" The whole party including the ambassador burst out laughing.

Archives