He played insignificant roles, taught Meena Kumari table tennis, drove a car for filmmaker P L Santoshi.

Then one day, all that hard work paid off.

Movie moguls began to acknowledge his talent. In just a few years, Mehmood was the caliph of comedy, more famous than many Bollywood stars.

On July 23, after enduring a long illness with his characteristic wit, the legendary comic passed into the ages.

rediff.com remembers with gratitude a man who made millions of Indians laugh in times when there was little else to smile about.