‘Shammi Kapoor Wanted To Marry Me But…’

‘It
was
not
a
love
affair,
it
was
much
more.’

As
the
ever-gorgeous

Mumtaz
turns
76
on
July
31,
she
takes
us
down
memory
lane.

She
tells

Subhash
K
Jha,
“Rajesh
Khanna
never
fuelled
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.”

So
many
years
have
passed
since
you
enthralled
us
with
your
songs,
dances
and
vivacious
performances.
Yet,
you
remain
a
true
blue
diva.

I
get
so
much
love
from
everyone
within
and
outside
the
film
industry
to
this
day.
I
am
blessed.

I
don’t
deserve
this
kind
of
adulation.

I
guess
I
must
have
done
something
right
for
people
to
love
me
even
after
so
many
years.

I
left
the
film
industry
40
years
ago.
For
people
to
still
remember
me
is
a
miracle.

You
favourite
co-star
Rajesh
Khanna
was
such
a
huge
star.
Why
do
you
think
he
lost
his
stardom?

We
stars
are
what
we
are
because
of
your
love.
Without
your
love,
we
are
nothing.

It
wasn’t
entirely
Rajesh
Khanna’s
fault.
I
remember
when
he
was
known
as
the
phenomenon.

My
bungalow
was
very
close
to
his.

I
have
seen
big-name
producers
and
directors
behaving
like
his

chamchas.

His
girlfriend
Anju
Mahendroo
would
play
host
all
night.
She
would
serve
food
and
drinks
till
3
am.

I
have
seen
the
same
night-long
sessions
in
Shammi
Kapoor’s
home.

He
used
to
spend
a
fortune
on
entertaining
guests.

Why
did
Shammi
Kapoor
need
to
do
this?

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.

Sanjay
Bhansali
is
such
a
huge
film-maker
but
he
maintains
his
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?

Do
you
know
who
my
favourite
artiste
was?
Mohammad
Rafi
(who
ironically
died
on
Mumtaz’s
birthday).
Do
you
know
why?

Why?

Because
he
was
so
disciplined,
humble
and
God-fearing.

I
loved
attending
his
song
recordings.
I
was
very
child-like,
I
still
am.

I
would
tease
him,
by
screaming,
‘Rafisaab,
I
love
you.’

He
would
turn
towards
me,
then
turn
away
blushing.

Sharmila
Tagore
and
you
did
the
maximum
number
of
films
with
Rajesh
Khanna.
Was
there
any
rivalry
between
the
two
of
you?

Not
at
all.
I
respect
her
a
lot.

She
is
far
more
educated
and
sophisticated
than
me.

I
started
working
from
the
age
of
eight,
so
I
learnt
everything
on
the
job.

Whether
it
is
Sharmila
or
any
other
heroine,
I
never
had
time
to
interact
with
them.

I
didn’t
get
time
to
attend
my
own
film
premiers.

We
had
different
audiences.

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.

Rajesh
Khanna
never
fuelled
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.

You
started
as
child
artiste.

Yes.
I
did
four
films
as
a
child
—

Sone
Ki
Chidiya,
Stree,
Talaq
and
Mujhe
Jeene
Do.

I
never
worked
as
a
junior
artiste.
I
don’t
know
who
makes
up
such
stories
about
me.

Your
journey
from
supporting
roles
to
female
superstar
is
exemplary.

It
took
a
lot
of
hard
work
and
discipline.

I
had
the
looks,
for
which
I
thank
my
parents.

If
you
are
good
looking
and
you
work
hard,
plus,
if
you
can
dance,
nothing
can
stop
you
from
attaining
success.

Does
luck
count?

I
don’t
believe
in
luck.
My
advice
to
those
who
want
to
make
something
of
their
lives
is
never
give
up.

I
started
at
eight
and
never
gave
up.

As
a
heroine,
my
first
film
was

Faulad
with
Dara
Singhji.

Dilip
Kumarsaab
played
a
big
hand
in
my
stardom.
If
he
hadn’t
worked
with
me
in

Ram
Aur
Shyam,
I
wouldn’t
have
been
able
to
become
a
heroine.

Mehmoodsaab
took
portions
of
my
film
to
show
to
Dilipsaab.

I
was
nothing
in
comparison
with
Dilipsaab
and
when
he
said
yes
to
working
with
me,
the
industry
woke
up.

Offers
started
pouring
in.

I
even
got
Ramesh
Sippy’s

Seeta
Aur
Geeta,
which
I
didn’t
do
because
we
couldn’t
agree
on
the
price.

What
was
it
like
working
with
Dilip
Kumar?

Working
in

Ram
Aur
Shyam
was
such
a
pleasure.
Both
Dilipsaab
and
Sairaji
(Banu)
treated
me
with
so
much
care.
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.

Is
it
true
that
Shammi
Kapoor
wanted
to
marry
you?

Yes.
But
he
wanted
me
to
give
up
my
career
when
I
was
just
17.

I
don’t
think
anyone
can
give
me
the
same
amount
of
love
that
he
showered
on
me.

I
never
forgot
him.

Even
today
when
his
name
is
mentioned,
tears
well
up
in
my
eyes.

It
was
not
a
love
affair,
it
was
much
more.

We
loved
each
other
deeply.
Unfortunately,
womenfolk
in
the
Kapoor
family
did
not
work
during
those
days.

He
had
to
respect
his
family’s
wishes,
I
had
to
respect
my
career.

So
you
gave
up
love
for
your
career?

What
else
could
I
do?
I
had
a
family
to
support.

I
was
being
paid
Rs
8
lakh
even
as
a
struggler.

I
was
the
highest
paid
actress
of
my
time.

As
a
child,
when
my
mother
asked
whom
I
wanted
to
marry
when
I
grow
up,
I’d
say
I
wanted
to
marry
the
son
of
the
Shah-en-Shah
Of
Iran.

I
wanted
only
the
best
in
life.

Why
haven’t
you
written
your
autobiography
as
yet?

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.

My
husband
treats
me
like
a
queen.
He
has
spoilt
me.