Mumtaz says Rajesh Khanna would get upset if she worked with other heroes: ‘He thought he owned me’

Regarding Shammi Kapoor, whom she dated, she said, “I think Shammi Kapoor let himself go and decided to live life the way he wanted to. But to his credit, when he came on set, he worked hard. The same goes for Rajesh Khanna.”

Mumtaz acted in a total of 10 films opposite Rajesh Khanna. (Express Archives)

Criticising filmmakers who flatter actors and stars, a practice she referred to as ‘chamchagiri,’ she applauded Heeramandi director Sanjay Leela Bhansali for “maintaining a distance from everyone.” “He does his work, treats his actors with respect, and goes home. You are paying the actors; why do you need to do their chamchagiri?” she stressed.

The actor also praised the late singer Mohammad Rafi, calling him a “disciplined, humble, and god-fearing” human being, whom she loved teasing while attending his song recordings. “I would tease him by screaming, ‘Rafisaab, I love you.’ He would turn towards me, then turn away blushing,” she recalled.

In an old interview with Times Entertainment, the legendary actor had spoken about her “rivalry” with Sharmila Tagore, saying, “Heroines cannot be friends, not then, not now. We didn’t do dinners or hang out together. It’s always been like that.” However, she refuted any bad blood with Sharmila, who acted in multiple films opposite Rajesh Khanna, with whom Mumtaz shared a great friendship. “I respect her a lot. She is far more educated and sophisticated than me. I started working at the age of eight, so I learned everything on the job. Whether it is Sharmila or any other heroine, I never had time to interact with them,” she said, pointing out that both of them had different sets of audiences and fan followings.

Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore were frequent collaborators. (Express Archive Photos)

She added, “But yes, I did more films with Kaka (Rajesh Khanna) than Sharmilaji. It was god’s blessing that not one film of mine with Kaka flopped. Sharmilaji had flops with him.” She further stressed that while the late actor never encouraged animosity between his two leading ladies, he was possessive about Mumtaz. “Rajesh Khanna never fueled the rivalry or spoke a word against Sharmilaji. But he would get upset when I signed films with other heroes like Dharmendraji or Devsaab. But he worked with other heroines; I never sulked. He thought he owned me. But never mind, it meant that he cared for me.”

Mumtaz and Shammi Kapoor once dated each other; the former wanted to marry her. (Express Archive photo)

The 77-year-old, sharing her experience of working with Dilip Kumar and his wife Saira Banu, said collaborating with them was a “pleasure” as they both treated her with “so much care.” She reminisced, “Sairaji was so warm during the shooting. The first scene required me to hit Dilipsaab. I was petrified. He said, ‘Why won’t you hit me? Hit me hard.’ I will never forget the kindness of people like Prithviraj Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor, Mehmoodsaab, Sunil Duttsaab… we lost them so early.”

When asked if she will ever make a comeback to films, the actor, who has often expressed her desire to work with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, said, “I have received offers and big money to write my story. I will do it when I am ready. Even when I make a comeback to acting, it would have to be something worthy of me. I watch the films that are being made these days. They’ve nothing to offer me. Why should I play the mother or the bhabhi? I have always done what I wanted in life.“