Mumtaz on how 2024 was for her, "Main koi ummeed nahin rakhti hoon, it is the best way to live"

Veteran actress Mumtaz is one of the legends of Indian cinema. She continues to have a sizeable fan following. She talks about her career and looks back at 2024 in an interview with us.Mumtazji, how has 2024 treated you?Aapko pataa hai, main koi ummeed nahin rakhti hoon. It is the best way to live. If you have zero expectations then life always surprises you pleasantly. I just want to spread happiness wherever I go. Right now, I am in London. And I am happy to be alive and surrounded by those who matter to me.You continue to be in touch with the entire Hindi film industry although you live in LondonMujhe pataa hai nahin kahan mera ghar hai. Right now, I am in London. It is 8 am here. I got up and called you when I received your message.Did I wake you up?Nahin waise bhi main 8 baje uthti hoon. I wake up early and do an hour and a half of exercise. At my age, it is very important to look after oneself. I am very disciplined about my sleeping and food habits. I don’t eat after 6 pm. Aur main thoos thoos ke nahin khati (I don’t stuff myself).You are a warrior. You defeated the Big C?My husband was a big support then. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without him. I got the best treatment. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here today.You still look as gorgeous as ever? What do you feel when you see yourself in your past classics?Yeh toh aapka pyar bol raha hai. I don’t see films. I haven’t been to a movie theatre in fifteen years. But yes, I do see myseilf on television. There is a half-hour show here in London every morning on television featuring old Hindi songs. In that morning capsule, every morning there are invariably my songs. Main dekhti hoon toh sochti hoon. The dancing in our movies has changed so much! I am not saying they are bad. But the movements are very different from what they used be when I used to dance.Your fans love you now as much as they loved you back thenI guess I am lucky. How many people out of millions get to be Mumtaz? It’s all Gods’s blessing. There is a truism in our Irani community... Do your harkat (deeds) and await the barqat (blessings). Mujhe barqat beshumar mili hai. Just look at yourself, you have been active in journalism for so many years because of your talent, hard work and goodwill.Look at your humility. Your favourite co-star Rajesh Khanna was the biggest ever superstar in India. But he lost it all in no time because of his arrogance(falls silent) You know Kaka and I had a different equation. With others he was arrogant. We were buddies. We used to sit and discuss our scenes together before every shot. In that song, ‘Gorey rang pe na itma ghuman kar’ in the film Roti, we decided how he would slap me playfully, etc. We were so good together that people thought we were having an affair. Arrey bhai, agar hum dono ka koi chakkar hota toh main Anju Mahendroo ke saath dost kaise hoti? After all these years, Anju and I are still friends. Anju, Poonam Sinha (Shatrughan Sinha’s wife) and I have our homes very close to one another in Mumbai. Whenever I am in Mumbai three of us constantly meet up and chatter away.When are you next in Mumbai?I haven’t been to Mumbai for five months. I am getting restless. Mumbai is where all my friends are. Over here, I used to get lonely because my husband is constantly travelling, so much so that sometimes I can’t keep track of which city he is in. But now my daughter has shifted to London.You mean Natasha? She has shifted from Dubai to London?Yes, she is here now. We live a stone’s throw away from one another. She had to shift here for her children’s proper education. So now London doesn’t feel lonely anymore. 2024 was good to me. Each year, each moment is as good as you make it.Also Read: Mumtaz reveals how ‘chamcha’ directors and producers lined up to see her Aap Ki Kasam co-star Rajesh Khanna; says, “His girlfriend Anju Mahendroo would play host all night”