Mumtaz’s Remarks on Zeenat Raise Eyebrows!

In a recent online interview, Mumtaz said, “Zeenat Aman was not a very good actress, sorry to say—I would say sorry to her as well. How many awards did she get? If you call everyone a star, how will that work? Not everyone is a star.”

The remark has taken many in the industry by surprise. Whether Zeenat Aman was a “very good actress” or not is a matter of perspective, but her place in Hindi cinema is hard to dismiss. She was among the most influential faces of the 1970s, with performances in films like Hare Rama Hare Krishna, Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Roti Kapada Aur Makaan and Manoranjan continuing to be remembered.

Interestingly, Zeenat Aman’s breakthrough came with Hare Rama Hare Krishna, a film that also featured Mumtaz. Her performance in the film marked a turning point in her career and established her as a distinct presence in mainstream cinema.

The suggestion that stardom can be measured purely by awards has also raised questions. Zeenat Aman delivered several major hits during her peak years and built a screen persona that was markedly different from her contemporaries, influencing fashion and female representation in Hindi films.

Shatrughan Sinha, who has worked with both actresses, feels such comparisons are unnecessary. “Mumtaz is a dear friend, so I cannot comment on what she said. But I’ve known and worked with Zeenat in many films. She was a thorough professional and definitely a big star. Talent is subjective. She worked with the biggest directors—Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, Feroz Khan, Manoj Kumar. They must have seen something in her. She was part of many successful films.” Producer-director Rajiv Rai also finds the comparison misplaced. “Being a good actress is one thing and being a star is another. Sometimes you are both. But you can’t be a star without some acting ability. It’s difficult to compare talent, and who decides that? Everyone has their own space in cinema.”

This is not the first time Mumtaz has made pointed remarks about contemporaries. Some months ago, she had commented on Hema Malini in a similar vein.

For their part, both Hema Malini and Sharmila Tagore—who have been at the receiving end of such remarks—have chosen not to respond publicly.