Kamal Ghorui
Veteran actor Mumtaz, who began working in films as a child artist in 1952, had a challenging start before rising to stardom. In her early years, she was frequently cast in B-grade roles, but her fortunes changed when she starred opposite Dilip Kumar in the 1967 hit ‘Ram Aur Shyam’. Once she worked with Dilip Kumar, other actors were also ready to work with her. The actress was known for her hit pairing with Rajesh Khanna and their iconic songs together like ‘Jai Jai Shiv Shankar’. During her growing success, Mumtaz reportedly received a marriage proposal from Shammi Kapoor in 1968, who wanted her to quit acting after marriage. They were in a relationship but did not get married because of this condition. At that stage, she chose to prioritise her career, as it was just the beginning for her. However, in 1974, she made a different choice, stepping away from films to marry Gujarati businessman Mayur Madhvani and move to London. While their interfaith marriage drew attention, Mumtaz has maintained that it was never a concern within her family.In a recent interview, she opened up on her interfaith wedding and leaving the industry at the peak of her career. She said during a chat with Vickey Lalwani, “I didn’t have a choice. My mother, grandmother, and aunt had approved the proposal. They knew the family and suggested I quit acting and settle down.”She further explained her family’s outlook on religion, adding, “In our family, we never paid heed to the Hindu-Muslim divide. We never differentiated between religions. My sister also married a Hindu, Randhawa Ji. We never believed in such things. I was destined to marry him and followed what my family advised. They told me that now it’s time for me to get marry and leave. They did not think the way people think today that if the girl is earning well, let her stay with us. They thought it’s time for me to get married and leave. I come from an orthodox family, Iranians are like that.”Reflecting on her married life, Mumtaz was asked if she took time to get used to their lifestyle and food habits. She said, “I don’t want to boast about the wealth in the Madhvani family, but there were several cooks, separate ones for vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. I was never expected to give up non-veg. My husband is a vegetarian, but he never asked me to change.”She also addressed long-standing speculation about her bond with Feroz Khan, clarifying that their relationship was purely platonic. “I have known Feroz since before his marriage. He had a girlfriend from England. We were very good friends and even worked together. There isn’t a woman who wouldn’t find him attractive, he was extremely good-looking. We connected because of our Iranian roots, but there was never any romance. Today, my daughter is married into his family, and they have beautiful children.”
