One of Hindi cinema’s greatest comedians, Mehmood, passed away in the US on Friday. He was 72.

The actor was in Pennsylvania for treatment accompanied by his daughter. He was suffering for a long time from lung problems and died in his sleep.

Mehmood worked in more than 150 films in a career spanning three decades and is loved most for his roles in Padosan, Gumnaam, Bhoot Bangla, Pyar Kiye Ja, Kunwara Baap and Bombay To Goa. He directed a number of films too.

But Mehmood, who thrived on risque humour blended with heavy sentiment, and would indulge in too much of both, was at his best when it came to pure slapstick.

The actor, very ill, recently appeared with his characteristic exaggeration on the sets of the TV show Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai for Johny Lever, supported by an oxygen pipe and leaning on an escort, but modestly insisted that he was not a “legend”.

“He was the greatest comedian of Hindi films,” said Saira Banu, his co-actor in Padosan, where she played a nubile but totally indifferent young woman to Mehmood’s role of a besotted music teacher, a landmark in Indian comedy. “He was an extremely dedicated actor, too. The news is hard to bear.”

Mehmood was the son of Mumtaz Ali, a dancer in films, and brother of actress Minoo Mumtaz. He entered films after his marriage to Meena Kumari’s sister, Madhu, when he realised that odd jobs would not feed a family. He took off with bit roles in Do Bigha Zameen and Pyaasa, but first caught the eye as Raj Kapoor’s brother in Parvarish (1958). Sasural (1961), a melodrama, was his first big hit.

From then on, his brand of comedy became an essential element in a masala film, to the extent that some heroes were reported to have felt threatened by him.

In the mid-60s, Mehmood found an unlikely partner, I.S. Johar. While Mehmood was exaggerated and all physical humour, Johar was understated and poker-faced. They were a perfect foil to each other in films like Johar Mehmood in Goa and Johar Mehmood in Hong Kong.

Mehmood is respected for his filmmaking as well. “He was a very good technician,” says Jeetendra, actor and close friend of Mehmood. “He knew every aspect of filmmaking.” He virtually directed Padosan, though technically it was his brother-in-law’s.

Mehmood had another talent — of talent-spotting. He gave R.D. Burman his first break in Chhote Nawab. He was also instrumental in Kishore Kumar’s comeback with Padosan.

He was as entertaining off-screen. Actor and comedian Tabassum, who knew him closely, remembers one of his antics. “He was struggling then and was advised to go to see a sadhu and told to take a packet of the expensive 555 cigarettes, for that was what the sadhu liked. Mehmood bhaiya went, but without the cigarettes. When he met the sadhu, he was smoking a 555. Mehmood took that off his mouth, saying that the sadhu got to smoke such cigarettes always, but he could never afford them. So he deserved them more. The sadhu gave him his blessings.”

If he had written a CV, he could have put it there that he had sold poultry products and taught table tennis to Meena Kumari. “Aisa artist kabhi nahin hoga. Mehmood saab ko jannat mile,” said music director Naushad.