Mumtaz says nobody believed that she'd turned down Shammi Kapoor's marriage proposal

Mumtaz said no one believed that Shammi Kapoor wanted to marry her. However, she chose to marry Mayur Madhvani.

Veteran actor Mumtaz has said that nobody believed that she and Shammi Kapoor were in love and he even wanted to marry her. She said ‘no’ to him and instead, married Mayur Madhvani.

Shammi Kapoor and Mumtaz in a still from Brahmachari. 

She said that people were in disbelief because Shammi Kapoor was rich, and they couldn't understand why she'd turn him down.

"The world wanted to marry me but I had to decide who I shall remain happy with. Shammi Kapoor was very loving and caring with me. Nobody would believe that we were in love. Nobody believed that I had said ‘no’ to him for marriage because Shammi’s status in riches was higher; they said ‘how can Mumtaz refuse Shammi?’. Today when I am married to Mayur Madhvani who by the grace of God has money, people believe that I had refused Shammi. Still, all said and done, I don’t think I have ever experienced so much love as Shammi gave me."

Mumtaz denied ever planning to settle down with Feroz Khan. Her daughter Natasha is married to Feroz's son Fardeen Khan. “To marry Feroz Khan was like jumping into a lake. It was asking for a heartbreak. I had one with Shammi Kapoor and I didn’t want another. Our children went on to marry each other, and our friendship remained till he died,” she said.

Mumtaz is of Iranian origin. She made her acting debut at the age of 11 with the 1958 film Sone Ki Chidiya. She found fame with the 1969 family drama Do Raaste. She finally went on to become one of the most popular female actors in the Hindi film industry with films such as Bandhan (1969), Aadmi Aur Insaan (1969), Sachaa Jhutha (1970), Khilona (1970), Tere Mere Sapne (1971), Hare Rama Hare Krishna (1971), Apna Desh (1972), Loafer (1973), Jheel Ke Us Paar (1973), Chor Machaye Shor (1974), Aap Ki Kasam (1974), Roti (1974), Prem Kahani (1975) and Nagin (1976).