Mumait (Mumtaz) Khan, who is best remembered as the ‘Dekh Le’ girl from Munna Bhai MBBS, has opened up about the health crisis that forced her to step away from Bollywood at the peak of her career. Once a familiar face across Hindi and South Indian cinema, Mumait said it wasn’t a conscious decision to quit films, but a life-altering illness that changed everything.
Working young, fame early
Born to a Pakistani father and a South Indian mother, Mumait began working at just 13 due to financial hardships at home. She shot to nationwide fame at 18 with ‘Dekh Le’, followed by films such as Hulchul, Lucky: No Time for Love, Rowdy Rathore, and Telugu hits like Chatrapathi and Pokiri.
Recalling her early responsibilities, she told iDream Media, “It wasn’t my parents who asked us to earn money. As we were growing up, my sister and I realised we were running out of money. We knew it. As a child, I would walk to school just to save Rs 1.50. I would put it in my piggy bank and give it to my father. They never asked for it, but I felt like doing it for them.”
‘I didn’t leave the industry, I had an accident’
Addressing her sudden disappearance from films, Mumait clarified that illness—not choice—pushed her out of the industry.
“I didn’t leave the industry. I had an accident. Five nerves in my brain burst. Doctors told me not to work for at least seven years—even lifting anything was impossible,” she said.
The accident left her in a coma for 15 days and led to seizures, forcing her onto long-term medication. “God made me
Mumait Khan, and he himself put a full stop to it. I accepted it. I used those seven years to self-study,” she added.
Seven years away from the spotlight
During her forced hiatus, Mumait said her mother supported her financially and emotionally. “My mom took care of me financially during that gap. She kept me happy and maintained my lifestyle.”
The break also helped her reassess her identity beyond acting. “In those seven years, I had a lot of time to think about what I truly loved. I realised it was makeup and hair.”
A new career, a new purpose
That realisation led to the launch of WeLyke Academy, her makeup and hair training institute in Hyderabad. Explaining her decision, Mumait said, “There’s a gap in Hyderabad. In most of the South industry, we don’t get that kind of treatment. I used to bring my hair, makeup, and styling teams from Mumbai. So I wanted to bring that standard here.”
The journey wasn’t smooth. “I was backstabbed twice. My business should have started earlier. I was supposed to launch in 2023, but I had to start everything over again,” she said. Today, the academy offers short-term professional courses and education loan support for students.
On judgment, controversies and clean chits
Mumait has often found herself judged for her bold image and past controversies, including a public dispute with a cab driver and her exit from Bigg Boss Telugu 1 during a drug probe.
“I was pulled in because of my association with someone,” she said of the drug case, from which she later received a clean chit. “God gave me fame, he humiliated me, he paused my career. I blame no one else.”
‘I don’t owe explanations to anybody’
At 40, Mumait is single by choice and unapologetic about her life decisions. “Everyone judges everyone. I don’t owe explanations to anybody. Society isn’t paying my bills. My family thinks well of me—that’s enough. I love my job. If my work requires me to wear a bikini, I will wear it proudly. I am getting paid for it. Others not respecting me is not my problem.”
Looking back, she holds no resentment. “God gave me everything and took it away when he wanted. He won’t let anything bad happen to me.”Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the
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