Veteran actor MumtazHaving started working in films as a child artist in 1952, he had a difficult start before becoming a star. In her early years, she was often cast in B-grade roles, but her fortunes changed when she starred opposite. Dilip Kumar In the 1967 hit ‘Ram Aur Shyam’. Once he worked with Dilip Kumar, other actors were also willing to work with him. The actor was known for his successful partner Rajesh Khanna and their iconic songs together, like ‘Jai Jai Shiv Shankar’. With her growing success, Mumtaz received a marriage proposal from Shammi Kapoor in 1968, who wanted her to quit acting after marriage. They had a relationship but did not get married because of this condition. At that stage, he chose to prioritize his career, as it was just the beginning for him. However, in 1974, she made another choice, moved away from films and married Gujarati businessman Mayur Madhvani and moved to London. While interfaith marriage attracted attention, Mumtaz said it was never a concern within her family.In a recent interview, she opened up about her interfaith marriage and leaving the industry at the peak of her career. In a chat with Vickey Lalwani she said, “I had no choice. My mother, grandmother and aunts accepted the proposal. They knew the family and suggested that I stop acting and settle down.”He also explained his family’s view on religion, adding, “In our family, we never paid attention to the Hindu-Muslim divide. We never discriminated between religions. My sister married a Hindu, Randhawa Ji. We never believed in such things. I was going to marry her and follow what my family advised. If the girl earns well, let her stay with us. They thought it was time to marry me 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 adjust to her lifestyle and eating habits. He said, “I don’t want to brag about the wealth of the Madhvani family, but there were several cooks, separate for vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. I never expected them to go without vegetables. My husband is a vegetarian, but he never asked me to change.’He also addressed long-standing speculation about his relationship Feroz Khanclarifying that their relationship was purely platonic. “I know Feroz before we got married. He had a girlfriend from England. We were very good friends and even worked together. There is no woman he didn’t find attractive, she was very beautiful. We connected because of our Iranian roots, but it was never a romance. Today, my daughter is married to her family, and they have beautiful children.“
