Mumtaz

Mumtaz Biography

Mumtaz is one among those actresses of 60’s and early 70’s who started her film journey through B grade movies and junior artist. As a B grade actress, she was paired mostly with Dara Singh as stunt woman and most of them were successful too. But she started her career as a child artist in 50’s. In many hit films of 60’s, she acted as junior artist, vamp, supporting actress or heroine’s friend. A few of such films include Mere Humdum mere dost, Kajal, Pathar ke sanam, Ram aur Shyam, Brahmachari, Yeh raat phir na aayegee, Mujhe jeene do, Gahari daag, Mere sanam and Saawan ki ghata .

In the musical hit Mere sanam, she did the role of a vamp who tries to seduce the hero Biswajeet by the song, Yeh hai reshmi sulfom. This super hit O.P.Nayyar composition sung by Asha Bhosle was well noted and Mumtaz began to get the role of supporting actress. In Pathar ke sanam, she did the role of dearest friend of Waheeda Rehman. Very soon she got supporting actress role in Ram aur Shyam opposite Dileep Kumar and Brahmachari opposite Pran. The song pictured on Mumtaz and Shammi Kapoor, Aaj kal tere mere pyar ke charche was a huge hit that time.

But it was Do Raaste in 1969, opposite the rising star Rajesh Khanna that gave the big break to Mumtaz. It’s the first movie of Mumtaz as heroine. Though she did only a small role in the movie as Rajesh Khanna’s lover, 4 superhit songs pictured on her placed her as one among the most beautiful heroines of Bollywood. Bindiya Chamkegi, Yeh reshmi zulfen and Chupke saara nazzaara were those songs. Same year, another movie opposite Rajesh Khanna was also released – Bandhan. Rajesh Khanna’s recent success through Aradhana helped other films and his co-pairing with Mumtaz too.

For the emotional role in Khilouna opposite Sanjeev Kumar, Mumtaz won her first and only Filmfare, for the best actress. Then she acted in many superhit movies including Apradh, Sacha Jootta, Dushman, Aap ki kasam,  Roti, Chor Machaya Shor and Apna Desh. She has been most successful with Rajesh Khanna. Once she quit acting with her marriage in 1974, Rajesh Khanna’s career also witnessed a down fall.    

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Updated: April 26, 2013