Mumtaz On Dating Rumours With Rajesh Khanna After Roti: People Thought We Had An Affair... - EXCLUSIVE

Senior actress Mumtaz who has starred in many hit films like Sacha Jhutha, Apna Desh, Roti Kapda Aur Makaan with superstar Rajesh Khanna, recently opened up about dating rumours with him. In an exclusive chat with Zoom, the veteran actress revealed that she had such good friendship with Rajesh Khanna that people thought they were dating.We are celebrating the centenary of Raj Kapoor, do you think he deserves the Bharat Ratna

?Of course, he does! Kyon nahin? Raj Kapoor Saab’s contribution to cinema and to society is invaluable. Unki filmon ne kitna naam kamaya hai, not only in India but all over the world. And his family continues to be active in our cinema. Look at Ranbir Kapoor!You continue to be in touch with the entire Hindi film industry although you live in London?Mujhe pataa hai nahin kahan mera ghar hai.Right now I am in London . It is 8 am here. How do you start your day?

Main 8 baje uthti hoon. I wake up early and do an hour and a half of exercise.At my age it is very important to look after oneself. I am very disciplined about my sleeping and food habits.I don’t eat after 6 pm. Aur main thoos thoos ke nahin khati(I don’t stuff myself).You are a warrior. You defeated the Big C?My husband was a big support then. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without him. I got the best treatment. Otherwise I wouldn’t be here today.You still look as gorgeous as ever. What do you feel when you see yourself in your past classics?

Yeh toh aapka pyar bol raha hai. I don’t see films. I haven’t been to a movie theatre in fifteen years. But yes, I do see myself on television . There is a half-hour show here in London every morning on television featuring old Hindi songs . In that morning capsule every morning there are invariably my songs. Main dekhti hoon toh sochti hoon . The dancing in our movies has changed so much! I am not saying they are bad. But the movements are very different from what they used be when I used to dance.Your fans love you now as much as they loved you back then?

I guess I am lucky. How many people out of millions get to be Mumtaz? It’s all Gods’s blessing. There is a truism in our Irani community…do your harkat(deeds) and await the barqat(blessings). Mujhe barqat beshumar mili hai.Just look at yourself, you have been active in journalism for so many years because of your talent, hard work and goodwill.Look at your humility. Your favourite co-star Rajesh Khanna was the biggest ever superstar in India. But he lost it all in no time because of his arrogance?

(falls silent) You know Kaka and I had a different equation. With others he was arrogant. We were buddies. We were buddies. We used to sit and discuss our scenes together before every shot. In that song Gorey rang pe na itma ghuman kar in the film Roti,we decided how he would slap me playfully, etc. We were so good together that people thought we were having an affair. Arrey bhai, agar hum dono ka koi chakkar hota toh main Anju Mahendroo ke saath dost kaise hoti? After all these years Anju and I are still friends. Anju, Punam Sinha(Shatru’s wife) and I have our homes very close to one another in Mumbai. Whenever I am in Mumbai three of us constantly meet up and chatter away.ALSO READ:

Rajesh Khanna should have married Anju Mahendroo. Perhaps he would still be alive if he had?Bilkul bilkul…muqaddar, Subhashji. A man says no to marriage in a fit of rage or impulse and regrets it all his life. It was their destiny to not get married.Kismat ka kya karna?When are you next in Mumbai?I haven’t been to Mumbai for five months. I am getting restless. Mumbai is where all my friends are . Over here I used to get lonely because my husband is constantly travelling, so much so that sometimes I can’t keep track of which city he is in. But now my daughter has shifted to London.You mean Natasha? She has shifted from Dubai to London?Yes, she is here now. We live a stone’s throw away from one another. She had to shift here for her children’s proper education. So now London doesn’t feel lonely anymore.2024 was good for me. Each year, each moment is as good as you make it.