Veteran Bollywood star Mumtaz, whose birth name is Mumtaz Askari, was among the most popular actresses of the 1970s, known for films such as ‘Khilona’, ‘Do Raaste’, ‘Aap Ki Kasam’, ‘Tere Mere Sapne’, ‘Roti’ among others. Her onscreen pairing with Rajesh Khanna and some of their songs together continue to remain iconic. At the peak of her film career, she married businessman Mayur Madhvani in 1974 and stepped away from acting. In a recent interview, the veteran actor opened up about her interfaith marriage and how marrying a Hindu influenced certain aspects of her spiritual life. She also spoke about her deep faith in Hindu deities despite being born into a Muslim family.Mumtaz shared details about her personal beliefs and the spiritual practices she follows at home. She said in an interview with Sitaron Ka Safar, “My favourites are Lord Shankar and Lord Krishna. I believe in them deeply, even though I am a Muslim.”She went on to describe how devotion is part of her everyday routine. “Whenever I walk down the stairs in my house, there is an idol of Lord Ganesha, who is my favourite, and I bow at his feet. I also believe in Lord Shankar. Since childhood, I have always loved good-looking people, and I feel he is the most handsome god. So I love him. These are the two deities I especially believe in.”During the same conversation, Mumtaz also spoke about her interfaith marriage, noting that both she and her sister married Hindu men and have found happiness in their relationships. “I believe in both religions. I married a Hindu, and my sister also married a Hindu. We are both happy. My husband takes great care of me. I don’t understand why people keep talking about Hindu and Muslim divisions, I don’t believe in that.”The actor also shared her personal views on polygamy, saying she strongly disagrees with the practice followed by some Muslim men. “I always say that I married a Hindu, and so did my sister, and we are very happy. Among Muslims, many men have married three or four times and then left their wives. How does that make Muslims better than Hindus? A man should not marry three or four times in the first place. I myself am Muslim, and I say this is wrong, to keep one wife and then marry another, and then a third. Have you ever thought about how possessive women are in relationships? This is one relationship where every woman is possessive. Leaving one and marrying another, how is that right? Isn’t that a sin?”She concluded by comparing it with what she sees among Hindus, adding, “In that sense, Hindus seem better, they usually marry once. Sometimes they may marry twice, but it’s not about easily leaving one person and moving on to another. That is wrong.”
