Mumtaz, Bollywood's sex symbol of the 60s, turns 65

Jul 31, 2012 11:56am

Mumtaz, the heartthrob of millions in the 1960s and 1970s, turns 65 on July 31.
Mumtaz was born on July 31, 1947 in Mumbai and has been hailed as one of Bollywood's ultimate sex symbols of the 60s. Long before it was acceptable for actresses to don a bikini, Mumtaz wore one in 1966, a two-piece red number in which she posed seductively.
Mumtaz fought and won a battle with breast cancer and lives in London with her husband.
Mumtaz says she has no complaints from life except for loneliness. After she got married to businessman Mayur Madhvani she moved to London. She enjoys the life of affluence but says she gets lonely sometimes, now that her children have left home.
Rajesh Khanna, who recently passed away, and Mumtaz acted in 10 films, including memorable ones such as 'Ap Ki Kasam', 'Roti', 'Apna Desh' and 'Sachcha Jhootha'. Mumtaz said that every film that she and Khanna acted in became a superhit.
Mumtaz started working at the age of 12. She started as an extra in films in the early 1960s.
She made a name for herself by working in stunt films like Boxer, Samson, Tarzan, and King Kong opposite Dara Singh.
In the 1960s, she starred in as many as 16 action films with Dara Singh.
She recalled that they used to joke about him carrying her on her shoulders for nearly a week in snow while shooting for the closing scenes of the film 'Roti'.
In an interview, Mumtaz said she worked hard for the first 26 years of her life. She was an obedient child to her parents and handed over to them whatever she earned.
She was the supporting actress to Sharmila Tagore in many films in the late 1960s. The most notable amongst them being Saawan Ki Ghata, Yeh Raat Phir Na Aayegi, and Mere Humdum Mere Dost.
Among her noteworthy male co-stars were Dharmendra, Feroz Khan, Sanjeev Kumar and Biswajeet.
Mumtaz married Mayur Madhvani on May 29, 1974; they have two daughters, Natasha and Tanya.
Natasha, Mumtaz's daughter, is married to actor Fardeen Khan.
In 1996 she received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2008, she was honored for her 'Achievement in Indian Cinema' by the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) in Bangkok.
Despite her opulence after her marriage to millionaire Madhvani, she leads a relatively simple life. She says clubs are not her scene and prefers to stroll in the park for a few hours.
Rajesh Khanna remained a close friend to Mumtaz. The pair had eight super hits in the period 1969-1975.
Amongst her other notable films are Tere Mere Sapne, Roop Tera Mastana, Aap Ki Kasam, Prem Kahani and Aaina.
Mumtaz had quit the industry after her marriage. She returned for one final appearance in the 1989 film Aandhiyan, which flopped.
We wish the seductress with the lovely pout a very happy 65th birthday and many more years of prosperity and health.