Mumtaz

Mumtaz or Mumtaz Madhvani (née Askari; born 31 July 1947) is a Hindi Film actress. She won a Filmfare Award for Best Actress for her character in Khilona in 1971. Though she started with small supporting roles, she later rose up the hierarchy, and worked with all the top actors of her time, in the lead roles. She is remembered as one of the best actresses and dancers as well as a sex symbol of the 60s and 70s. She is still recognised as a diva of her times.

Mumtaz was born to Abdul Saleem Askari (a dry fruits vendor) and Shadi Habib Agha who hailed from Mashhad, Iran. They got divorced just one year after she was born. Her younger sister is actor Mallika who was married to wrestler and Indian actor Randhawa - younger brother of wrestler and actor Dara Singh.

Mumtaz appeared as a child actress in Sone Ki Chidiya (1958). As a teenager she acted as an extra in Vallah Kya Baat Hai, Stree and Sehra in the early 1960s. As an adult, her first role in A-grade films was that of the role of the sister of the hero in O. P. Ralhan's Gehra Daag. She got small roles in successful films such as Mujhe Jeene Do. Later, she got the role of the main lead heroine in 16 action films, including Faulad, Veer Bhimsen, Tarzan Comes to Delhi, Sikandar-E-Azam, Rustom-E-Hind, Raaka, and Daku Mangal Singh, with freestyle wrestler Dara Singh, and was labelled as a stunt-film heroine. In the films that Dara Singh and Mumtaz did together, Dara's remuneration was INR 450,000 per film, and Mumtaz's salary was INR 250,000 per film.

It took Raj Khosla's blockbuster Do Raaste (1969), starring Rajesh Khanna, to finally make Mumtaz a full-fledged star. Although Mumtaz had a minor role, director Khosla filmed four songs with her. The film made her popular, and she acknowledged that even though she had a small role, it was still one of her favourite films. In 1969, her films Do Raaste and Bandhan, with Rajesh Khanna, became top grossers of the year, earning around 65 million and 28 million respectively. She played Rajendra Kumar's leading lady in Tangewala. Shashi Kapoor, who had earlier refused to work with her in Saccha Jootha because she was a "stunt-film heroine", now wanted her to be his heroine in Chor Machaye Shor (1973). She acted opposite Dharmendra as the lead heroine in films such as Loafer and Jheel Ke Us Paar (1973).

She won the Filmfare Best Actress Award for one of her favourite films Khilona in 1970, and she was "very happy that the audience accepted her in an emotional role". Mumtaz frequently acted with Feroz Khan in hits such as Mela (1971), Apradh (1972) and Nagin (1976). Her pairing with Rajesh Khanna was the most successful in a total of 10 films. She quit films after her film Aaina (1977) to concentrate on her family. She made a comeback 13 years later with her final film Aandhiyan in 1990.

Mumtazmarried businessman Mayur Madhvani in 1974. They have two daughters, one of whom, Natasha, marriedactor Feroz Khan's son Fardeen Khan in 2006.

Relationships

Shammi Kapoor loved her and wanted to marry her too but Mumtaz was not ready to leave her filmy career at her early age as Kapoor didn't want from his wife to work in the film industry after getting married. Dara Singh gave her the nickname 'Stunt Princess' and also agreed to be paired opposite her in B-grade movies. Rajesh Khanna also acted in many movies with her. It was also rumoured that Dharmendra had also fallen in love with her.

Mumtaz won the Filmfare Best Actress Award for Khilona in 1970. Actually, no one was interested in accepting the role of "Chaand" for Khilona, just because she was a prostitute in the storyline. But with that role Mumtaz bagged her one and only Filmfare Best Actress Award.

During her career, she was awarded with one Filmfare Award for Best Actress, out of three nominations, and one BFJA Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Winner

• BFJA Award for Best Supporting Actress – Brahmachari (1968)
• Filmfare Best Actress Award – Khilona (1970)
• Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award (1996)
• IIFA Outstanding Contribution by an Indian in Cinema, Honorary Award (2008)

Nominated

• Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award – Ram Aur Shyam (1967)
• Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award – Aadmi Aur Insaan (1969)