Mumtaz says Zeenat Aman was ‘not a good actress’, cites her lack of awards: ‘Not everyone can be a star’

Mumtaz discussed the distinction between being a star and a good actor, stating Zeenat Aman was neither a star nor a good actor. 

Veteran actor Mumtaz recently shared her candid take on stardom in Bollywood, drawing a clear line between being a “star” and being a “good actor”. In an interview with Vickey Lalwani, she defended her remarks about Sanjeev Kumar not being a star and further stated that Zeenat Aman is “not a good actor”.

Mumta defends her remarks about Sanjeev Kumar not being a star

Mumtaz defended her remark that Sanjeev Kumar was not a star and said, “What did I say wrong? I’m not denying he was an excellent actor. There’s a world of difference between being a star and being an actor. Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Shammi Kapoor, these were all stars. Sanjeev Kumar did character roles and even supporting roles. He was a very good human being, very well-mannered, but there is a difference between a star and an actor. You said he was a very big star, and I responded that he was not a very big star. He was a good actor, but I consider people like Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand and the top heroes as big stars.”

Mumtaz says Zeenat Aman was not a good actor

Mumtaz also spoke about how the term “star” is often used too loosely in the industry. Talking about Zeenat Aman, she added, “Zeenat Aman, okay. 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. It takes years to become a star, you lose your hair by the time you get there. Meena Kumari, Madhubala, Nargis, Rekha, these were the real stars among heroines.”

Mumtaz made her acting debut at the age of 11 with the 1958 film Lajwanti. In the beginning of her career, she was typecast as a stunt heroine due to films like Faulad (1963) and Daku Mangal Singh (1966), which stalled her growth. However, she got her breakthrough in 1969 with Do Raaste. She went on to establish herself as a leading actor with films such as Bandhan (1969), Aadmi Aur Insaan (1969), Sachaa Jhutha (1970), Khilona (1970) and Hare Rama Hare Krishna (1971), among others. She was last seen in the 1991 film Aandhiyan.

Zeenat Aman first gained recognition after winning Femina Miss India and Miss Asia Pacific International in 1970. She began her acting career the same year with The Evil Within and got her breakthrough a year later with Hare Rama Hare Krishna. She rose to prominence in the 1970s with films like Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973), Roti Kapda Aur Makaan (1974), Dharam Veer and Don (1978), among others. In the 1980s, she continued to star in films such as Laawaris and Pukar. After appearing in Gawaahi (1989), she took a hiatus to focus on her personal life. Often regarded as a style icon and one of Bollywood’s early sex symbols, Zeenat was most recently seen in the 2025 series The Royals, which aired on Netflix.