Mumtaz was considered one of the finest actresses in Indian cinema. The actress had a three-decade-long career in the Hindi film industry and worked with several famous actors. Mainly, her on-screen pairing with Rajesh Khanna was phenomenal as the duo paired in 9 hit films, including Bandhan, Do Raaste, Sachcha-Jhootha, Prem Ki Kahani, and more. Recently, the actress revealed how extreme flattery by certain filmmakers was responsible for the superstar’s career decline.
Mumtaz shares how certain directors and producers led to the gradual decline of Rajesh Khanna’s superstardom
As a close co-actor, Mumtaz witnessed Rajesh Khanna’s journey to stardom and gradual decline towards the end of his career. Recently, she sat down for an interview with Rediff and shared that the gradual fall of Rajesh Khanna’s superstardom wasn’t wholly his fault. She was quoted as saying:
“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.”
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Mumtaz added that she lived close to Rajesh Khanna’s residence and witnessed several prominent filmmakers who came to flatter the actor. Also, his girlfriend, Anju Mahendroo, was an excellent host to the guests till the late night hours. In her words:
“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. But, Rajesh Khanna worked hard when he came on set.”
Mumtaz said that Rajesh Khanna was possessive for her as a co-star
Mumtaz had a successful pairing with Rajesh Khanna, and they developed a good bond. Mumtaz even worked with renowned actors like Shammi Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, and Dharmendra. However, in an old interview with Times Entertainment, the actress revealed that Rajesh Khanna would get upset and possessive about her when she worked with other actors. She said:
“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.”
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Mumtaz admitted that the audiences loved her chemistry with Rajesh Khanna, but he was always the star attraction
In another interview with Indian Today, Mumtaz revealed that she enjoyed working with Rajesh Khanna, and they shared great on-screen chemistry. At the same time, audiences loved to watch them together and liked the films she did with him. However, he was always the star attraction among them.
What do you think about Mumtaz’s take on Rajesh Khanna’s career decline?
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