A year ago, in an exclusive interview, Junior Mehmood said, “If I were to be reborn, I would want to be nobody else.”

One of the few, highly sought-after Impala cars in Mumbai in the 1970s belonged to a twelve-year-old. During that same period, when well-known celebrities would fetch several thousand dollars, the 12-year-old would ask for one lakh and be granted it. Additionally, the producers would reduce their risk if there was any possibility that a movie wouldn’t do well in theaters by including a song-and-dance sequence that would redeem the picture and feature the same 12-year-old.

Over the years, the Hindi film industry has seen a number of superstars come and go, but only one child superstar has arguably been able to claim the title: Naeem Sayyed, also known as Junior Mehmood (not to be confused with the legendary comic actor). After fighting stomach cancer, he passed away in Mumbai on Friday, closing a chapter in the history of Hindi cinema.