Joy Mukherjee passes away

When he romanced a kimono-clad Asha Parekh and gave in to the pleas of Saira Banu cooing Woh Hain Zara Khafa Khafa, it was hard for Joy Mukherjee’s female fans to suppress a sigh. The chocolate boy of the 1960s, who is best remembered as a romantic lead in films like Love in Shimla, Ek Musafir Ek Hasina, Love in Tokyo and Shagird, passed away on Friday.

The 73-year-old actor was undergoing treatment for respiratory problems at the Lilavati Hospital in Bandra. He is survived by his wife Neelam, two sons and a daughter. The cremation will take place on Saturday.

“Joy breathed his last surrounded by loved ones,” said his brother Deb, who was also a film actor in the 1970s. Another brother Shomo was married to actress Tanuja and is the father of Kajol and Tanisha. Joy Mukherjee won hearts and more film offers after he was first seen on screen as a smitten young man in Love in Shimla.

He debuted opposite two other newcomers — actresses Sadhana and Azra. His boyish good looks and natty dressing style were perfect for light romantic movies. Some of the best loved numbers from the 1960s, including Woh hain zara khafa khafa (Shagrid), O Mere Shahe Khuba (Love in Tokyo) and Bahut shukriya badi meherbani (Ek Musafir Ek Hasina), were picturised on him.

His pairing with top actresses of their time — Asha Parekh and Saira Banu — yielded hit movies like Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon, Ziddi and Shagird. “Joy was not only strikingly handsome, he was also very earnest about his work,” said Parekh.

Hailing from an influential film family, Joy was the son of Sati Devi (who was veteran actor Ashok Kumar’s sister) and Sashadhar Mukherjee, who co-founded the Filmalaya Studios and is said to have discovered both Sadhana and Parekh.

“It is hard to believe that Joy is no more. Dilipsaab (Dilip Kumar) and I visited him in hospital just yesterday,” said Saira Banu.

Another Bollywood personality to have visited him in hospital was music composer Bappi Lahiri. “His passing away is a great loss to the industry. We will always remember him as the dashing hero who made women swoon,” Lahiri said.
Joy held his own as a romantic hero till Rajesh Khanna and a new crop of actors, including Dharmendra, joined the industry.

He turned to production and direction in the late 1960s with films like Humsaaya with Mala Sinha and Sharmila Tagore. In 1970s, he did Ehsaan, Anjana, Puraskar, Aag aur Daag, Kahin Aar Kahin Paar and Ek Baar Muskura Do. The last movie he directed was Chaila Babu in the late 1970s starring Zeenat Aman and Rajesh Khanna. Joy was last seen on screen in the TV series Aye Dil-e-Nadan in 2009.