Bollywood icon Mumtaz made headlines when she joined late actor Dharmendra for a rare appearance on Indian Idol Season 13 in 2023. In a new interview, Mumtaz revealed that her TV outing, her first-ever on the small screen, came with a hefty price tag of ₹20 lakh.
Mumtaz on charging ₹20 Lakh for TV appearance
During an interview with Vickey Lalwani on his YouTube channel, Mumtaz opened up about why she usually steers clear of television and revealed the fees that come with making a rare exception.
Mumtaz said, “Even today, they call me on television. When I went on TV for the first time with Dharam ji and danced with him on the stage, that was the only time I went on television. And till now, they have contacted me over one hundred times, and I told them about my price… They said that people do it in ₹3-4 lakh, so I told them that I can’t say anything for those people; that’s their wish. They can do it for free also, but this is my price. I have always been like that…. I did only one show, and I took ₹18-20 lakh for that. They said they can’t pay me, and I haven’t done it; I don’t want to do it. Paisa pheko, tamasha dekho (Throw money, enjoy the show)!”
In the interview, she was also asked about rejecting Seeta Aur Geeta because of lower remuneration. To this, Mumtaz responded, “Not just fees. But yes, that was also one of the reasons. But, Ramesh Sippy sahab was a big producer and director at that time, so he thought I might to it in ₹2 lakh because he was a big producer. Every big producer has their own ego issues. But thankfully, I was getting so many films already that I didn’t feel this film would do anything special for me. So, things didn’t work out between us. But you see, Hema Malini did it na.”
{{/usCountry}}In the interview, she was also asked about rejecting Seeta Aur Geeta because of lower remuneration. To this, Mumtaz responded, “Not just fees. But yes, that was also one of the reasons. But, Ramesh Sippy sahab was a big producer and director at that time, so he thought I might to it in ₹2 lakh because he was a big producer. Every big producer has their own ego issues. But thankfully, I was getting so many films already that I didn’t feel this film would do anything special for me. So, things didn’t work out between us. But you see, Hema Malini did it na.”
{{/usCountry}}She shared that she doesn’t regret turning down the movie, adding that she would have loved to do that subject, but she didn’t want to lower her value.
More about Mumtaz
Mumtaz was the highest-paid female actor in the early 1970s. She established herself as a leading lady with hit films such as Do Raaste, Bandhan, Khilona, and more. She collaborated with late actor Dharmendra on several memorable films throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Their collaborations included Kaajal (1965), the acclaimed drama Aadmi Aur Insaan (1969), and the romantic thriller Mere Humdam Mere Dost (1968). In 1973, they reunited for Jheel Ke Us Paar and the popular entertainer Loafer, which went on to become one of their most recognised pairings. Mumtaz later married businessman Mayur Madhvani in 1974 and has two daughters with him. She took a 13-year sabbatical from acting after her marriage.
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