in the 1970s, Mumtaz She was one of the most popular women in Hindi cinema, giving big hits like Tere Mere Sapne and Roti. At the height of her success, she surprised many by stepping away from films after marrying businessman Mayur Madhvani in 1974. In a recent interview, the veteran actor reflected on the reasons behind this life-changing decision.Mumtaz shared how her upbringing played a key role. In an interview with Sandeep Kocchar, she said, “I come from an orthodox Iranian family, so my father believed that a girl should get married at a certain age, and not continue working until 40 or 50. My mother and everyone wanted me to get married, and I knew my husband’s family since I was 7 or 8, we were neighbors. My mother approved of them because she knew them well and because she thought that I would be happy in that family. He told me not to continue in films and told me that they were good and cultured people who would keep me happy. I knew my family very well and always listened to them, so I married Mayur.’She also explained that her husband was stationed abroad and came from a prosperous background. “My husband didn’t live in India; he was studying in England. His family had businesses in Uganda and were quite well off.”While admitting she would have liked to continue acting, Mumtaz said she chose to respect her family’s wishes. “If I had asked, I would have liked to work a little harder. But my family is very traditional and believed that a girl should be married from a certain age, so I agreed.”Mayur also revealed that he waited patiently to be able to fulfill his professional commitments. “I returned the signed numbers of the films I was committed to, and finished the shootings that were hanging. My husband waited for two years so that I could collect all my films.”Mumtaz also opened up about her past relationship Shammi Kapoor and why she chose not to marry him. “The problem was that I was too young. I didn’t mind marriage, but Papaji (Prithviraj Kapoor) was a wonderful man, and his rule was that the daughters of the house would not work after marriage. Also Geeta Bali ji stopped working after marriage. When I was told I couldn’t work, I felt I was still young and had ambition. I wanted to work and get something, so I refused.’Reflecting on how times have changed, he highlighted changing attitudes towards relationships. “Back in the day, girls didn’t start affairs so easily. Today, women clearly express their love for good-looking men, so those men are very happy, they have a lot of options now.”He added that his upbringing was much stricter compared to today’s standards. “My mother would scold me severely if I behaved like that. They didn’t allow me. I got married early because they thought that if you get married early, people might think bad. They never let me go outside shooting alone, my grandmother, aunt or mother would always accompany me. They felt that a girl who traveled alone could get into trouble. I never traveled alone.“Compared to the younger generation, he said: “My daughter Natasha allows her daughter to go to the bedroom, but I don’t agree because she never let me in anyone’s house. I still argue with Natasha about this.”
