Veteran Actress Mumtaz Reacts On Rumours Of Her Death, Says, “I Was Just Laughing At The Situation”
When yesteryear actress Mumtaz was asked about rumours of her death emerging twice a year, she just laughed at them
Last week, reports of yesteryear actress Mumtaz’s death started doing the rounds of social media. Her younger daughter Tanya Madhwani and film director Milap Zaveri, came forward and quashed these speculations by saying that “She’s alive” and “absolutely fine.” Now, when Bombay Times got in touch with the veteran actress, she revealed that she’s happy and healthy and leading a peaceful life away from media glare.
When the actress was asked about these silly rumours, she told BT, “I was getting calls throughout the night from different quarters of the world. I had to make so many calls to my relatives, my husband, daughter and sister to tell them that ‘Hey, don’t believe anything, I am alive.’ Can you imagine doing this? I had to do it. My daughter Natasha is here with her kids. You should ask her what a nuisance this was. I got calls some from unknown numbers and people just disconnected the line the moment they heard my voice. Ab pooch to nahi sakte ki Mumtaz aap zinda hain kya. Several of my fraternity members and their families called me because they were concerned. This went on till the wee hours. I was just laughing at the situation at times…ki yeh kya ho raha hai.”
When asked about a similar situation, that happened last year too, she said, “Natasha had nearly fainted when she heard about it. She called me and she was so relieved to talk to me. I was with Tanya in Rome. Natasha said, ‘Mamma, mere to pair ke neeche se zameen khisak gayi’. These hoaxes and unconfirmed news pieces about people dying is dangerous.”
She further added, “I am so blessed that I have such a beautiful family that loves me to bits. My husband, children, sons-in-law and my grandkids fill my life with so much happiness. I have everything I could have ever asked for. Aur kya maangu uparwale se? Bade bol nahi bolungi lekin, kabhi kabhi thak jaati hoon sab kuch sambhalte sambhalte. A friend of mine once asked me, what I ask for in my prayers. I said, ‘Nothing’. He’s given me more than what I wanted. Aap hi sochiye, I have a husband who calls me 10 times a day to ask about my well-being. The number is even more when I’m under the weather. He looks after me like one would look after an orchid; it’s very difficult to maintain it (laughs!).”
Further, when Mumtaz was asked if she misses her life away from the spotlight, “Shall I tell you one thing? I don’t miss the attention because I continue to get it; it’s just a little different in nature. There are very few people in the world who get the kind of love and respect I get from everyone -- my peers, industry youngsters, my family, friends and well-wishers. Aise mein insaan kya miss karega? When I’m in Mumbai, I meet my colleagues and we have such amazing conversations. The younger actors like Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan greet me with so much of love and respect. Dil kuch nahi chahta uske baad. Life is beautiful and I lead a happy, stress-free life. I just pray that the day I go from this world, I go in peace and in my sleep.”
When the actress was asked about these silly rumours, she told BT, “I was getting calls throughout the night from different quarters of the world. I had to make so many calls to my relatives, my husband, daughter and sister to tell them that ‘Hey, don’t believe anything, I am alive.’ Can you imagine doing this? I had to do it. My daughter Natasha is here with her kids. You should ask her what a nuisance this was. I got calls some from unknown numbers and people just disconnected the line the moment they heard my voice. Ab pooch to nahi sakte ki Mumtaz aap zinda hain kya. Several of my fraternity members and their families called me because they were concerned. This went on till the wee hours. I was just laughing at the situation at times…ki yeh kya ho raha hai.”
When asked about a similar situation, that happened last year too, she said, “Natasha had nearly fainted when she heard about it. She called me and she was so relieved to talk to me. I was with Tanya in Rome. Natasha said, ‘Mamma, mere to pair ke neeche se zameen khisak gayi’. These hoaxes and unconfirmed news pieces about people dying is dangerous.”
She further added, “I am so blessed that I have such a beautiful family that loves me to bits. My husband, children, sons-in-law and my grandkids fill my life with so much happiness. I have everything I could have ever asked for. Aur kya maangu uparwale se? Bade bol nahi bolungi lekin, kabhi kabhi thak jaati hoon sab kuch sambhalte sambhalte. A friend of mine once asked me, what I ask for in my prayers. I said, ‘Nothing’. He’s given me more than what I wanted. Aap hi sochiye, I have a husband who calls me 10 times a day to ask about my well-being. The number is even more when I’m under the weather. He looks after me like one would look after an orchid; it’s very difficult to maintain it (laughs!).”
Further, when Mumtaz was asked if she misses her life away from the spotlight, “Shall I tell you one thing? I don’t miss the attention because I continue to get it; it’s just a little different in nature. There are very few people in the world who get the kind of love and respect I get from everyone -- my peers, industry youngsters, my family, friends and well-wishers. Aise mein insaan kya miss karega? When I’m in Mumbai, I meet my colleagues and we have such amazing conversations. The younger actors like Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan greet me with so much of love and respect. Dil kuch nahi chahta uske baad. Life is beautiful and I lead a happy, stress-free life. I just pray that the day I go from this world, I go in peace and in my sleep.”
Lastly, when asked if she ever plans to return to the silver screen, she concluded saying, “I don’t feel the need to do that. What is the point of working right now? I will soon turn 72. I don’t have that kind of stamina to run around because films are shot 24X7. I’ll have to report at work at whatever time I’m required. That is the discipline of this business that I haven’t forgotten. I will come back to work only if I ever have a shortage of money because acting is the only job that I know. I will not hesitate to ask for work even if I am 100 years old, and I know our industry; they will happily give me work. It’s also the industry’s badappan that they don’t usually forget their seniors. People talk in such a negative way about the industry giving its own kids a chance sooner than they give an outsider. Par kyun nahi? Which other industry in the world does this for its own people? Natasha’s daughter Dayani is 6 years old and is a good dancer. If she wants to become an actress in the future, I know that I can make one phone call for her to get her first break. After that, she has to have the guts to survive in the industry and find her way around. You have to be talented and be ready to work hard and long hours. You will flop if you don’t give your best to your work. You can’t blame the industry for it; it’s your own failure.”
Image Source:msn.com
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