Mumbai, Dec 8 (IANS): Filmmaker Hansal Mehta expressed grief over the demise of veteran Bollywood comedian and character actor Naeem Sayyed, popularly known as ‘Junior Mehmood’, and said that he was an integral part of his childhood.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Hansal shared a clip from the 1968 movie ‘Brahmachari’. The video shows Jr Mehmood performing on the track ‘Ham Kaale Hai To Kya Hua’.

He wrote: “Will always remember Jr Mehmood fondly for all the cuteness and laughs. He was an integral part of my childhood. RIP Jr Mehmood.”

Junior Mehmood passed away after a protracted battle with cancer, here on Friday morning.

Starting his film career as a child actor in 'Mohabbat Zindagi Hai' (1966), Jr Mehmood went onto work in over 250 films in multiple Indian languages, besides directing half a dozen Marathi films and crooning a few songs.

He enacted big and small roles with films like 'Naunihal' (1967), 'Brahmachari' (1968), 'Kati Patang' and 'Aan Milo Sajana' (1970), 'Caravan', 'Haathi Mere Saathi', 'Hare Rama Hare Krishna' and 'Jr. Mehmood in Hong Kong' (all 1971), 'Aap Ki Kasam' and 'Amir Garib' (1974), 'Geet Gaata Chal' (1975), 'Shehzade' (1989), 'Aaj Ka Arjun' (1990), 'Judaai' (1997), 'Journey Bombay to Goa' (2007), and many more.

Sayyed considered the legendary comedian Mehmood Ali as his guru, who bestowed on him the title of ‘Jr Mehmood’.