‘Amitabh Bachchan came from wealthy family, he had no reason to work’: Mumtaz reflects on her sole film with Big B

Actor Amitabh Bachchan had an aura about him before he even set foot on a film set. Son of renowned poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan, he had big shoes to fill. But he was determined to make it on his own. From working as a radio jockey and sleeping on a Marine Drive bench among rats, Bachchan became the biggest name in Bollywood, with a rather impressive rags-to-riches story. However, his one-time co-star Mumtaz shared in a recent interview that she does not believe in the first part.

Mumtaz told Radio Nasha that the ‘angry young man’ never needed to struggle in the first place, as his father was a well-known poet, and he himself was a well-read man. She said, “See, I had to drop out of school in fourth grade, and I started working as an extra in films. I was 7 years old and we used to get Rs 500 for a role, out of which Rs 100 I had to give to person who got us the job, and the rest I used to give to my mother. On the other hand, Amitabh ji was a highly educated and classy person. His father was a known figure, and they had a bungalow and a nice life, so I don’t understand why he needed to become an actor,” he said.

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The duo worked together in the 1973 film Bandhe Haath directed by OP Goyle. Talking about her experience working with him, Mumtaz again pointed out that even though he didn’t need the acting gig, she enjoyed working with him. “He was very wealthy, well known and educated. He wanted to work; I said yes, and we made that film. I was very happy to work with him; he is a very nice person. He has a certain class, and I wish I could have done more films with him so that I could have learnt more from him.”

In the same year of Bandhe Haath’s release, Amitabh starred in Zanjeer, a role that would make him an overnight sensation. The actor would go on to star in iconic films like Sholay (1975), Deewaar (1975), Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), and Don (1978), among many others. Mumtaz would go on to quit acting four years after Bandhe Haath as she got married to businessman Mayur Madhavani. She made a return to Bollywood for Aandhiyan (1990), only to leave the industry again.