Funny man of Punjabi cinema no more

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 22

Veteran Punjabi actor Mehar Mittal, who was best known for his comedy roles, breathed his last at Mount Abu today just short of his 81st birthday. 

His grandson Sanjeev Gupta, an advocate in the High Court, said the actor was in coma for some days. “On Saturday afternoon, he suffered a stroke he couldn’t bear,” Sanjeev said, recalling how he looked “happy and at peace” during their last meeting on September 21.

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Born in Bathinda on October 24, 1935, Mehar Mittal worked as a comedian in over 300 Punjabi films. A law graduate, he practised in Chandigarh for almost eight years before the acting bug struck him. His fans first saw him in Sacha Mera Roop Hai in 1974. 

Thereafter, he was seen in many films like Lambhardaran, Putt Jattan Da and Qurbani Jatt Di. Mehar Mittal was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Award for his work. He also produced Ambe Maa Jagdambe Maa (1980) and Walayati Babu (1981).

“The young generation or the old-timers, he was a role model for all Punjabi comedians,” said comedian Binnu Dhillon. He recalled how the makers had to cast him when the distributors refused to take up Chann Pardesi because it did not have Mehar Mittal in it. 

“Such was his popularity that a film would sell only on his name. People would watch a film because it had Mehar Mittal in the cast.” 

Mehar Mittal got into meditation, and it was four years back that he moved to Mount Abu in Rajasthan.