Rumours about veteran actor Mumtaz and late legendary star Shammi Kapoor’s affair during the filming of the 1968 film Brahmachari circulated for years. Both the stars eventually spoke about their short-lived romance, which, as per their own accounts, was intense but ultimately ended in heartbreak.
In an old interview with Lehren Retro, Shammi Kapoor spoke about working with Mumtaz in Brahmachari. He said, “At that time, I was a widower and Mumtaz was a very beautiful thing in that movie. For a short while, we both had dreams but then it turned into a nightmare. So, it’s fine. I am happy as I am today.”
Shammi was previously married to Geeta Bali, who had passed away due to smallpox in 1965.
‘It was not a love affair, it was much more’
In another old interaction with Rediff, Mumtaz admitted that Shammi Kapoor had proposed to her when she was just 17. However, she turned down his proposal because he had asked her to give up her acting career, as women in the Kapoor family were not allowed to work in films at that time. She said, “He wanted me to give up my career when I was just 17. I don’t think anyone can give me the same amount of love that he showered on me. I never forgot him. Even today when his name is mentioned, tears well up in my eyes. It was not a love affair, it was much more. We loved each other deeply.”
Shammi Kapoor, Mumtaz and Pran in Brahmachari. (Express archive photo)
Mumtaz also explained that she was earning a substantial income and couldn’t walk away from her profession. “Unfortunately, womenfolk in the Kapoor family did not work during those days. He had to respect his family’s wishes, I had to respect my career. I had a family to support. I was being paid Rs 8 lakh even as a struggler. I was the highest paid actress of my time. As a child, when my mother asked whom I wanted to marry when I grow up, I’d say I wanted to marry the son of the Shahenshah of Iran. I wanted only the best in life.”
Although Shammi Kapoor and Mumtaz’s relationship didn’t last, both eventually moved on. Shammi went on to marry Neila Devi, while Mumtaz tied the knot with businessman Mayur Madhvani.
