Ramesh Mehta (comedian)

Ramesh Mehta (comedian) Biography

Ramesh Mehta was a very popular comedian associated with Gujarati cinema. King of Gujarati comedy, he acted in more than 200 films and a number of plays. His name is quite synonym with Gujarati cinema. Though he learnt drama, he started his career as a scriptwriter before moving to acting. He was also a philosopher.  He passed away in 2012 aged 79. He was at his career peak in the 1970s and 1980s.

He was born in Navagam village of Saurashtra to Girdharlal Bhimji Mehta who was involved in the property business. During childhood days he used to tie dhoti and invite his friends to see his act. Mehta started his career with Bharat Bhushan Theater where he worked for six months. Then he joined Public Works Department at a monthly salary of 65 rupees. He also tried to do dairy business when he worked in Vanthali site. He married Vijayaben in 1949 and the couple had four children.

His talent was first spotted by Mansukhbhai Joshi who brought him to Mumbai. He also received a scholarship of Delhi Natya Sangh, which enabled him to study a one year course in drama at KC College. In the course he studied make-up, stage craft, acting, direction, lighting, speech art and more. He moved to Mumbai to study drama after he was settled with his wife and four children. With no other sources of income for family’s expenses, his decision was opposed by his family members.

While at KC College he started writing plays and he came into contact with the actor Arvind Pandya who introduced him to Gujarati films. ‘Hast melap’, produced by Jasubhai Trivedi marked his debut as a writer, which earned him 250 rupees. Very soon he became successful as a writer and later got opportunity to appear onscreen in bit roles. Jesal Toral (1971) was his major break as an actor. Later he became an integral part of Gujarati cinema and during his career peak without him no one would make a film.

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Updated: March 06, 2016