Mumtaz, the iconic actress of Hindi cinema, recently opened up about the challenging phase in her career when she was labeled a B-grade actor before achieving fame and success in the film industry.
The veteran actress, who embarked on her acting journey at the tender age of 11, recounted the struggles she faced during the initial years of her career. She admitted that she was tagged as a B-grade actor due to her involvement in numerous small roles and comedy projects with Mehboob sahab.
"I just closed my eyes and did the work. I thought the rest is in god’s hands. My start in the film industry was wrong. I won’t blame the heroes for not working with me because everybody wants to climb the ladder of success," Mumtaz told Dawn News.
However, the turning point in Mumtaz's career came with her role in the classic film Ram Aur Shyam, starring the legendary Dilip Kumar. Mehboob sahab, impressed by Mumtaz's talent, showed one of her scenes to Dilip Kumar and proposed her for the project. Despite initial concerns regarding their age difference, Dilip Kumar eventually agreed to work with Mumtaz after recognizing her qualities such as good height, fairness, and proficiency in dancing.
Mumtaz acknowledged Dilip Kumar's down-to-earth nature, stating, "He told him that the girl was nice and he agreed. Dilip sahab was a very down-to-earth person.”
Reflecting on her own journey, Mumtaz expressed her commitment to not discriminate against fellow actors. "I used to think of my time when nobody wanted to work with me and nobody accepted me. So when god made me something, then it’s not right for me to do the same thing that I faced to other people," she shared.
She concluded, "If I have the ability, I will work with everyone, and if the actor is not good, they won’t get work in the future."
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