Legendary comedian Mehmood remains one of the most beloved artists in Hindi cinema, but according to veteran author Hanif Zaveri, the actor has suffered major turmoil in his personal life, especially when it comes to his children.Speaking on Meri Saheli Podcast, Zaveri spoke about Mehmood’s relationship with his family and made several claims about the actor’s strained relationship with his son Lucky Ali during his younger years.
“Lucky Ali caused Mahmoud a lot of pain.”
Recalling the challenges Mahmood faced as a father, Zaveri said Lucky Ali went through a difficult phase before achieving success as a singer and actor.“Lucky Ali later became successful, but when it came to family matters, he caused Mahmood a lot of pain,” Zaveri claimed.According to him, the singer and some of his siblings were highly dependent on their father and often created problems at home.“These children were completely dependent on Mahmoud,” he said. “If he brought something home, it would be sold. Someone would run away from home, and someone else would create another problem. There was constant disturbances.”Zaveri further alleged that Mahmood was so frustrated at times that he would discipline Lucky Ali harshly.
“Mahmoud would sometimes beat him. Selling household belongings and other incidents occurred before Lucky succeeded,” he alleged.
“I’m so upset because of this boy.”
The veteran journalist said he heard many stories about the father-son relationship from people close to the family.“I heard many stories about Lucky Ali. Mahmoud would often say, ‘Yar, I am so upset because of this boy.’ The children would frequently leave the house and create trouble,” Zaveri said.He also claimed that Mahmoud gave money to his children in order to provide them with security, but much of it was squandered.“Mahmoud gave thousands of rupees to his children for their future and security. Some of them spent it all. The money disappeared,” he alleged.
Why did Mahmoud blame family circumstances?
While discussing family tensions, Zaveri also pointed out that many problems stem from the environment in which children are raised.“The mother and father separated, the children went to boarding schools, and Mahmoud was busy with films.
“In broken families, such situations happen very often.”According to him, the children lack constant parental guidance.He added: “They did not get the guidance they needed. Some got into bad habits, some got into alcohol, and the family slowly disintegrated. Parents play a huge role in raising a child, and unfortunately, this support was missing.”Zaveri also commented on Lucky Ali’s personal life, saying, “Lucky Ali has been married several times and divorced several times.
Relationships must be strengthened and maintained.”
“Mahmoud was not happy with all his children.”
The author further claimed that Mahmoud was disappointed by the choices made by some of his children later in life.“Mahmoud was not happy with all his children. He was particularly fond of Makdum Ali and Masoom Ali. He felt that some of the others caused him a great deal of anxiety,” Zaveri said.At the same time, I acknowledge that every family has its own journey and challenges.He pointed out, “Everyone has their own life story. Some children managed things well and others did not. This happens in every family.”
The pain behind laughter
Despite the difficulties he faced at home, Mehmood continued to entertain audiences with his memorable performances in films like Padosan, Bombay to Goa, Gumnaam and Kunwara Baap.For Zaveri, that ability to hide personal pain behind comedy is what made Mahmoud exceptional.He added: “He went through tremendous suffering in his personal life, but when the camera showed, he made people laugh. Very few people can do that. That is why Mahmoud’s legacy remains unparalleled.”
