Mumtaz's in-laws forbade her from acting when she was making Rs 7.5 lakh per film, was the highest paid actor: ‘I quit too soon'
Although it's been 35 years since she appeared in a movie, Mumtaz still holds a place in the hearts of Bollywood audiences. One of the most celebrated female actors of all time in Hindi cinema, she was once even the highest-paid actress. However, while at the top of her game, Mumtaz bid adieu to cinema in the mid '70s to focus on her family and appeared only once since then, in the 1990 film Aandhiyan.
Nevertheless, the veteran actor recently revealed that she quit acting not by choice but owing to pressure from her in-laws, who forbade her from pursuing a film career after marriage. At the pinnacle of success, Mumtaz tied the knot with Ugandan millionaire Mayur Madhwani in 1974 and moved to London, cutting ties with cinema. 'At the time of my marriage, the Madhwani family said that I couldn't continue working. So I quit my job and got married at a time when I was the highest-paid actress. Who else charged Rs 7.5 lakh per film? Yet, when they said I can't work anymore, I left the job,' she said during a chat with journalist Vickey Lalwani.
She continued, 'However, I know that I quit too soon. But my parents themselves told me, 'Look, Mumtaz, the film business is such that, even if not today, once you reach 40 or 50, you will start receiving only a particular type of role. Now that you're getting to be part of a good family, why not?' My family members were not selfish people who kept pushing me to keep working to bring in more money. My mother was a very orthodox person, hailing from Iran. I actually respect my family for letting go of a girl who was making crores at that time,' she said, adding that people still remember her because she left at the zenith of her professional life.
Recalling turning down the offer to do Ramesh Sippy's Seeta Aur Geeta (1972), penned by Salim–Javed, Mumtaz shared that she rejected the project because the remuneration offered to her was not up to the mark. 'Ramesh Sippy ji offered me very little money. So, I said I won't work at this price. Even today, when they call me to work in TV, I don't accept jobs that offer just Rs 2-3 lakh. I have a fixed price. I am not being rude. But if they want me and believe that I am worth it, then pay properly.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India.com
an hour ago
- India.com
Made for Rs 41 crore, this film was rejected by Hrithik Roshan, Ranveer Singh, Aamir Khan, became a hit, earned Rs.. won 55 awards, lead actor is..
In 2013, a film hit theatres with the force of a storm — a story that didn't just touch hearts but rewrote box office history and award lists. It went on to win 55 awards, including two National Awards and a Filmfare Best Actor trophy. But what if we told you that this cinematic triumph was rejected by not one but three of Bollywood's top heroes? We're talking about Bhaag Milkha Bhaag , the sports biopic that immortalised India's 'Flying Sikh' — Milkha Singh — on the big screen. Directed by Rakesh Omprakash Mehra, the film eventually starred Farhan Akhtar in the lead, but the road to finding that perfect Milkha was full of U-turns. The rejected bids Rakesh Omprakash Mehra initially approached three leading actors: Hrithik Roshan, Aamir Khan, and Ranveer Singh. Each passed: Hrithik Roshan, praised for intensity, was unavailable—'committed to Krrish,' Mehra recalls in his memoir The Stranger in the Mirror. Aamir Khan, conflicted after Rang De Basanti, bluntly said, 'this is not for me.' Ranveer Singh read the script, impressed with the character, but ultimately declined. Mehra admits, 'I never understood why.' Enter the perfect pick After those three rejections, Farhan Akhtar stepped in. Within just 15 minutes of hearing the concept, he was all in. His portrayal as the legendary runner Milkha Singh, supported by Divya Dutta, Pawan Malhotra, Yograj Singh, Prakash Raj—and a cameo by Sonam Kapoor—transformed the film completely. From Rs 30 cr budget to global hit Despite its modest Rs 30 crore budget, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag surpassed box-office expectations, earning Rs 108 crore net in India and Rs 168 crore globally, quintupling its investment. Awards galore Besides its massive box office success, the film swept awards — 55 in total — and solidified Farhan's place in Bollywood not just as an actor but a performer with serious depth. From rejections to record-breaker, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag wasn't just a movie — it was a race to the finish line that no one saw coming.
India.com
an hour ago
- India.com
Meet actor who did C-grade films, worked with Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, has net worth of Rs...
Bollywood has been a place where actors and actresses need to be on their toes always. From grabbing the right opportunity to fitting into a role perfectly like a jigsaw puzzle, one needs to be prepared. Today, we are going to discuss an actor who, with his grit and determination, made his way into the Bollywood industry. There was a time when he worked in C-grade films, but today, he is counted among the most talented actors in the industry. This person was initially underestimated a lot, but then he changed the tide and became a top actor in the industry. People overlooked him for his dark complexion and height, but he proved everyone wrong. From movies to series, this actor has his 'dabdaba' among the audience. We are talking about none other than Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Born in Budhana, Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, Nawazuddin completed his studies from Gurukul Kangri University, Haridwar. To earn his bread and butter, he went to Vadodara and became a chemist. However, Nawaz knew that his passion lay in acting. Hence, he came to Delhi and learned the nuances of acting by enrolling in the National School of Drama (NSD), and then came to Mumbai in search of work. Nawazuddin Siddiqui kept doing small roles for years. During this time, he also did C-grade films. On Kapil Sharma's show, the actor had said, 'Nobody even knows about half of the films. There were many C-grade films, they were being made at that time, so I used to work in them too.' Nawazuddin Siddiqui's 'big break' in Bollywood came when he featured in Anurag Kashyap's Gangs of Wasseypur – Part 2 in 2012. His portrayal of Faizal Khan received widespread praise. Since then, he never looked back. Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who started his career in Bollywood with a small role in Aamir Khan's film Sarfarosh, has appeared in many great films including Gangs of Wasseypur, Badlapur, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Kahaani and Raees. Today, he leads a luxurious life and lives in a home worth Rs 12 crore. Talking about the actor's net worth, according to media reports, his total assets are Rs 160 crore.
New Indian Express
2 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Mumbai stars cash hot realty, endorsements
Yesteryear actor Jeetendra, also a promoter of Balaji Telefilms, created a splash recently selling off two family-owned pieces of prime real estate in Mumbai's sought-after suburb of Andheri for a humungous Rs 855 crore. The 2.4 acre property, which currently houses the Balaji IT Park, and a few commercial buildings, was sold to NTT Global Data Centers. While this deal was the talk of the town because of its size, it was not the only celebrity sell-off. Mumbai in recent months has seen a spate of high value sales by Bollywood actors and cricketers. Earlier, Amitabh Bachchan was in the news for selling a large duplex apartment in a building called 'Atlantis', located in the suburb of Andheri, for Rs 83 crore. In March, actor Akshay Kumar made a splash with the sale of two residential units in a gated community called 'Oberoi Sky City', in the north-west suburb of Borivali, for Rs 6.6 crore. He followed it up in April with the sale of a 1,200 sq ft commercial office space in 'One Place Lodha' for Rs 8 crore. Abhishek Bachchan, also a big real estate player in the Mumbai market, meanwhile, is in the process of offloading a prime duplex apartment on the 40thand 41st floor of one of the towers in Planet Godrej, in the Mahalaxmi Area of south Mumbai. Purchased from Godrej Properties (GPL) around 12years ago, Bachchan Junior has been leasing the apartment at high rentals. Portfolio rejig However, these sales do not herald the exit of the stars from the real estate market. They are deals to cash out of some properties when the going is good, while they rejig their portfolio. 'Amitabh Bachchan's sales are evenly matched by his shopping spree for prime land in Ayodhya,' points out Pankaj Kapoor, founder of the property tracking site LiasesForas.
