Raj Kapoor's strict 'bahu rule' didn't let Mumtaz marry Shammi Kapoor: 'He never wanted...'
In a recent interview with Vickey Lalwani, Mumtaz admitted in late 60s, she and Shammi Kapoor wanted to marry after working together in Brahmachari. 'Shammi Kapoor was a very good-looking man, and I liked him. There is nothing to hide, nothing to deny. There was a 17-18 year difference between us, but I didn't care. I wanted to marry him. Whoever he married is a very nice person, a very good human being, a good housewife. But Papa ji (Raj Kapoor) was very strict in those days. There was a rule till he was alive, that ghar ki bahu kaam nahi karegi (daughter-in-law won't work). It was as straightforward as that,' she said.
The actress, whose recent films include Sarkari Baccha, Talvar, and Loafer, added that Prithviraj Kapoor's rule was strictly enforced by the Kapoor family. Mumtaz also missed out on being cast in Mera Naam Joker because she was set to become Shammi Kapoor's wife, and it was believed she couldn't wear short clothes.
When Mumtaz told Raj Kapoor that she and Shammi had cancelled their plans, he didn't budge. 'The rule was enforced by Prithviraj ji – he never wanted the daughters-in-law to work. He was an old-fashioned man,' she recalled. 'Raj ji said, If you get married in the middle of the movie and you're wearing such short clothes, it would be disastrous. He was right. The Kapoor family is highly respected to this day. They wouldn't want the women of the house wearing revealing clothes and jumping around on screen. There was a rule, and they were right,' she added.
When Yash Chopra asked 1000 times to marry Mumtaz, but she…
Yash Chopra was crazy in love with Mumtaz. When he was assisting his brother, BR Chopra, he would show up at her house and would propose her. In a same interview, Mumtaz said, 'Not once, he must've asked me 1000 times. But I was not in love with him, so how could I have married him? I'm exaggerating about 1000 times, but he told me several occasions, 'Aye moti, I love you yaar, marry me'. But, you see, to have such a close relationship with anybody, you have to fall in love with the person. You have to be close to the person, and for that, you have to have chemistry. If you don't have the chemistry, how can you live together as a married couple? I never had that chemistry with him.'
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India.com
9 hours ago
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7 lesser-known facts about Bollywood icon Mumtaz
7 lesser-known facts about Bollywood icon Mumtaz July 31, 2025 Mumtaz was born on July 31, 1947, in Bombay and made her first on-screen appearance as a child artist at the age of 5 in Sanskar (1952). By the time she was 7, she acted in Yasmin (1955), followed by roles in Lajwanti (1958), Sone Ki Chidiya (1958), and Stree (1961). Her parents separated just a year after her birth, and she was brought up by her mother, who moved in with Mumtaz's grandmother and aunt. Mumtaz's first film as an adult was Gehra Daag (1963), directed by OP Ralhan. In 1964 alone, she featured in as many as eight films. Over her 15-year-long career, Mumtaz acted in more than 100 films. Interestingly, Mumtaz once turned down a film opposite Amitabh Bachchan, back when he was still seen as an 'unsuccessful' newcomer. She married millionaire Mayur Madhvani in 1974 and soon after, stepped away from the film industry to complete her remaining projects.
