Veteran actor Mumtaz has sparked controversy with her candid take on stardom in Bollywood, drawing a clear line between being a “star” and being a “good actor”. In an interview, she defended her remarks about Sanjeev Kumar not being a star and further stated that Zeenat Aman is “not a good actor”.
Mumtaz defended her remark that Sanjeev Kumar was not a star, saying there's a world of difference between being a star and being an actor. She cited Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, and Shammi Kapoor as examples of true stars, while Sanjeev Kumar was a good actor but not a star.
Mumtaz also spoke about how the term “star” is often used too loosely in the industry. Talking about Zeenat Aman, she added, “Zeenat Aman was not a very good actress, sorry to say, I would say sorry to her as well. How many awards did she get? If you call everyone a star, how will that work? Not everyone is a star. Not everyone can be a star; not everyone can be Dilip Kumar.”
Mumtaz made her acting debut at the age of 11 with the 1958 film Lajwanti, while Zeenat Aman first gained recognition after winning Femina Miss India and Miss Asia Pacific International in 1970. Both actresses have had successful careers in Bollywood, with Mumtaz establishing herself as a leading actor in the 1960s and 1970s, and Zeenat Aman rising to prominence in the 1970s and 1980s.
