New Delhi: In a recent interview, veteran Indian actor Mumtaz said that the term “star” is used very casually. She pointed to her contemporary Zeenat Aman as an example of how the term has been misused. Mumtaz questioned Aman’s body of work, as well as the recognition and awards she has received.
She told Vickey Lalwani how the term “star” is often used too loosely in the industry.
“Zeenat Aman, okay. Zeenat Aman was not a very good actress, sorry to say. I would say sorry to her as well. How many awards did she get? If you call everyone a star, how will that work? Not everyone is a star,” Mumtaz said.
The Loafer (1973) actor further clarified her past statement on Sanjeev Kumar, where she said, “He wasn’t a big hero.’
“What did I say wrong? I’m not denying he was an excellent actor. There’s a world of difference between being a star and being an actor. Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Shammi Kapoor— these were all stars. Sanjeev Kumar did character roles and even supporting roles. He was a very good human being, very well-mannered, but there is a difference between a star and an actor,” she told Lalwani.
She added that stardom is rare and takes years to achieve: “You lose your hair by the time you get there.”
According to Mumtaz, only a handful of actors truly earned the title of “star,” especially among female leads, before listing Meena Kumari, Madhubala, Nargis, and Rekha as the epitome of a “star”.
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Butting heads
But this isn’t the first time Mumtaz and Aman have made jabs at each other. If this time it was about “star status”, last time it was live-in relationships.
In 2024, Zeenat endorsed live-in relationships on social media, asking youngsters not to be overwhelmed by societal disapproval.
“I’m aware that Indian society is a little uptight about ‘living in sin’ but then again, society is uptight about so many things! Log kya kahenge (What will people say)?,” she wrote.
Mumtaz was quick to react. The actress, who has been married for over 40 years to businessman Mayur Madhvani, said that Zeenat will do anything to be perceived as “cool” among young people.
“Zeenat should be careful with what she is advising. She has all of a sudden come into this huge social media popularity, and I can understand her excitement about sounding like a cool aunty. But giving advice that is counter to our moral values is not the solution to increasing your following,” Mumtaz was quoted as saying.
She added that her Haré Rama Haré Krishna (1971) co-star was in no position to be giving such advice based on her own personal life and marriage with actor Mazhar Khan.
“Aap Zeenat ko hi le lo misaal ke taur par (Take Zeenat for example)… She knew Mazhar Khan for years before marrying him. Her marriage was a living hell. She should be the last person doling out advice on relationships,” she told Zoom.
Aman responded to Mumtaz’s digs calmly: “Everyone is entitled to their own opinions.”
“I’ve never been one to comment on others’ personal lives or tear down my colleagues, and I’m not going to start now,” she said to Hindustan Times in April 2024.
(Edited by Insha Jalil Waziri)