Success can really be ephemeral. Mumtaz, once the numerous uno actress of Bollywood, was spotted in London, barely recognisable by her fans.
Mumtaz had quit the industry at the peak of her career in the mid-1970s after marrying then Kenya-based tycoon. Lafange opposite Randhir Kapoor and Nahin opposite Feroz Khan was her last two movies.
Minu, as she was known in Bollywood did try to stage a comeback in the Eighties with Aandhiyan opposite Shatrughan Sinha.
Shatrughan actually wanted to repay the debt he owed to Mumtaz in his career by offering the film to her. Way back in the early Seventies, it was Mumtaz who had helped Shatrughan get Khilona, the L V Prasad film that established Shatrughan in the industry.
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During the shooting, the film makers were not happy with Shatru and wanted to replace him. But the film's leading lady Mumtaz put her foot down and forced them to retain the newcomer. Khilona subsequently established Shatru as a top-notch villain in Bollywood.
Many years later, their film Aandhiyan did not do well and she returned to London where her family had relocated. Later, her daughter got married to Feroz Khan's son, Fardeen.
Till date, Mumtaz remains the only actress to have helped Shatru in his career.
