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Names like Shah Rukh Khan Salman Khan Prabhas are highest-paid actors today charging over Rs 150 crore per film precisely. These superstars headline mass entertainers the genre that majorly dominates the box office. So it would be difficult to imagine a time when the title of Indias highest-paid actor was once held by a comedian. Well today we will be discussing this talented artist whose impeccable films and hilarious performances etched his name in the Indian Industry forever. In 1960s he wasnt just Indias leading comedian but also a bankable star in his own right. He was none other than Mehmood son of Mumtaz Ali who was a dancer and actor in Bombay Talkies. Mehmoods family faced severe financial challenges due to which his father fell into alcoholism and lost his career. Due to unfortunate circumstances he became the sole earner of his family. To make ends meet Mehmood did several odd jobs to survive. He worked as a driver sold eggs on street also became a horse-riding instructor and tennis coach. During this difficult phase he managed to enter the film industry and stared working as a junior artiste. In 1950s he made his name as comic character actor by appearing in supporting roles like CID and Pyasa. Following that he led many successful films like Padosan Bhoot Bungla Johar Mehmood in Hong Kong Bombay to Goa and became the highest-paid actor in the country. Reportedly Mehmood used to charge Rs 7.5 lakh for just two-week cameos in films at the time. Even superstars like Rajesh Khanna Amitabh Bachchan Dharmendra Shammi Kapoor were not able to cross this mark until mid-70s. The ace comedians presence intimated heroes to an extent that they would reject starring with him in the same film. In 1996 he released Dushman Duniya Ka his final directorial. His final on-screen appearance was in Ghar Bazar a box office flop. The actor passed away in 2004 leaving millions of his fans shattered and heartbroken.