Mumtaz Madhvani, known mononymously as Mumtaz, is an Indian former actress who was among the leading female stars of Hindi cinema from the late 1960s through the early 1970s. Beginning her career as a child artiste and later as a stunt-film heroine opposite Dara Singh, she rose to mainstream prominence and became one of the highest-paid leading ladies of her era before retiring after marriage.
| Full name | Mumtaz Madhvani (née Askari) |
|---|---|
| Born | 31 July 1947, Bombay, Bombay Presidency, India |
| Occupation | Actress (retired) |
| Years active | 1958–1977 (with later occasional appearances) |
| Primary industry | Hindi cinema |
| Spouse | Mayur Madhvani (married 1974) |
| Children | Natasha Madhvani, Tanya Madhvani |
| Notable award | Filmfare Award for Best Actress (1971, for Khilona) |
Mumtaz was born in Bombay to Abdul Salim Askari and Sardar Begum (Naaz), who separated when she was young. She and her elder sister Malika were raised in modest circumstances by their mother. Malika also briefly worked in films, and the family's financial situation drew Mumtaz into the industry early.
Mumtaz appeared as a child artiste in films such as Sanjog (1961) and worked in small roles through the early 1960s, including a brief appearance in Stree (1961). She later played supporting and second-lead parts in films such as Mere Sanam (1965) and Sehra (1963).
From the mid-1960s, Mumtaz became the most successful heroine in stunt and B-grade action cinema, pairing with wrestler-actor Dara Singh in a string of commercially viable films. These included Faulad (1963), Veer Bhimsen, Tarzan Comes to Delhi (1965), Sikandar-e-Azam (1965) and Boxer. She reportedly featured in around sixteen films opposite Dara Singh.
Her transition to A-list cinema began with Ram Aur Shyam (1967), opposite Dilip Kumar, where she played the assertive Anjana. This was followed by major successes including:
She was paired most frequently with Rajesh Khanna, with whom she made eight films, all of which were commercial hits. She also worked extensively with Shammi Kapoor, Dharmendra, Dev Anand, Sunil Dutt and Feroz Khan.
Mumtaz married Mayur Madhvani, a member of the Uganda-based Madhvani industrial family, on 29 May 1974. She completed her remaining film commitments and effectively retired after Aaina (1977). She made a brief comeback attempt with Aandhiyan (1990) but did not return to active film work.
Mumtaz settled in London with her husband and continued to be associated with the Madhvani Group's philanthropic work. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000 and underwent treatment; she has since spoken publicly about cancer awareness. Her daughter Tanya Madhvani is married to Fardeen Khan, son of actor Feroz Khan.
Mumtaz is regarded as one of the few actresses in Hindi cinema to have transitioned successfully from stunt films to top-tier mainstream roles. By the early 1970s she was the highest-paid actress of the period, reportedly commanding fees comparable to or exceeding those of her male co-stars in some projects. Her dance numbers in films like Brahmachari ("Aaj Kal Tere Mere Pyar Ke Charche"), Do Raaste ("Bindiya Chamkegi") and Apna Desh ("Duniya Mein Logon Ko") remain part of Hindi film popular memory. She was also noted for her saree styling, including the orange saree she wore in Brahmachari, which became a fashion reference of its era.