Mumtaz doubts her in-laws would have accepted her if she was bold on screen

Mumtaz has said films made on bold subjects weren’t a common thing in her heydays, and in case she had done bold scenes on screen, her in-laws may not have accepted her into the family.

Mumtaz, who has worked in several films with Rajesh Khanna, Shatrughan Sinha, Feroz Khan, Shammi Kapoor, Sashi Kapoor and others, claims she never kissed on screen.

Mumtaz told a leading daily, “I never did bold stuff. Like, I never kissed on screen. Aaj kal to pata nahi kya kya karte hain (Nowadays, almost every limit has been crossed). Ab jo log ye bold kaam kar rahen hain, woh kar rahen hain. Main nahi kar sakti (Those who are comfortable doing it, are doing it. I can’t do it). I am quite orthodox. I don’t think the Madhvanis would have accepted me marrying Mayur if I had been bold on screen.”

Mumtaz did wear a bikini though on screen. She had made headlines when she donned a black bikini in the 1972 film Apradh. She was, however, reluctant to wear a bikini at first. Sharing the reason behind it, Mumtaz said, “I thought I had fat thighs but men didn’t think so. And, I even had a complex about my thighs. It was only because Feroz said that I reserve the right to get it deleted if I don’t like it, that I agreed.”

Mumtaz doesn’t shy away from speaking her mind about herself, her work or her co-stars. She even confessed that getting a cosmetic procedure. “I am 74 today, so my mini-lift is not a big deal in today’s times when people are doing so many cosmetic changes raste pe chalte chalte (casually).”

Mumtaz ruled the Hindi film industry in 1960s and 70s with dozens of super hit films to her credit. She is known for her work in Do Raaste, Bandhan, Aadmi Aur Insaan, Sachaa Jhutha, Khilona, Tere Mere Sapne, Hare Rama Hare Krishna, Apna Desh, Loafer, Jheel Ke Us Paar, Chor Machaye Shor, Aap Ki Kasam, Roti, Prem Kahani and Nagin.