When Mumtaz declined any strife with Sharmila Tagore.
When Mumtaz declined any strife with Sharmila Tagore.
Once Mumtaz while earlier had said that she and Sharmila Tagore cannot be friends or hang out with one another, she made clarification to the effect that there is no bad blood amid her and Sharmila. She also went on to recount that while both of them worked with Rajesh Khanna, the veteran actor never encouraged any strife amid them either.
Mumtaz had also quoted that she respects Sharmila Tagore to a great extent and that, she is far more educated and sophisticated than her. She (Mumtaz) started working at the age of eight, so learned everything on the job. Whether it is Sharmila or any other heroine, she never had time to interact with them.
Adding further, she (Mumtaz) had co-starred with
Rajesh Khanna in many films than Sharmila. It was God’s blessing that not one film of hers (Mumtaz) with Rajesh Khanna proved a debacle, Sharmila had flops with him. She further added while Rajesh Khanna worked with both actresses, he was possessive about her (Mumtaz). He never fueled the strife or spoke a word against Sharmila. But he would get upset when she (Mumtaz) signed films with other heroes like Dharmendra or Dev Anand . But he worked with other heroines; and she never sulked. He thought he owned her. But never mind, it meant that he cared for her.
For the unversed, in an old interview the veteran actress had opened up on her “strife” with Sharmila Tagore, and saying that heroines cannot be friends, not then, not now. They never dined together or go out or hang out together. It’s always been like that.”
Mumtaz made her Bollywood debut when she was 11 years old and remained in the industry for as long as nearly 30 years. She often headlined for her candid statements on her colleagues.
In the midst of her recent chat, the 77-year-old actress also shared her experience of having shared screen space with Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu and saying that working with them was a “pleasure” as they treated her with “so much care.” “Saira was so warm in the midst of shoots.
The first scene required her to hit Dilipsaab and she turned petrified He said, ‘Why won’t you hit him? Hit him hard.’
She will never forget the kindness of people like Prithviraj Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor, Mehmoodsaab, Sunil Duttsaab… lost them so early
News Edit K.V.Raman
