Shammi Kapoor Wanted To Marry Mumtaz When She Was 17, Told Her To Quit Films: ‘It Wasn’t A Love Affair’

Veteran actor Shammi Kapoor lost his first wife, Geeta Bali, in 1965. After some years, he met the 17-year-old Mumtaz on the sets of Brahmachari and they fell in love.

Since Shammi Kapoor was 18 years older than the actress, her mother was against their union. In an old conversation with Rediff.com, Mumtaz revealed that the real reason they couldn’t get married was that he wanted her to give up her career.

“He wanted me to give up my career when I was just 17. I don’t think anyone can give me the same amount of love that he showered on me. I never forgot him. Even today when his name is mentioned, tears well up in my eyes. It was not a love affair, it was much more. We loved each other deeply. Unfortunately, womenfolk in the Kapoor family did not work during those days. He had to respect his family’s wishes, I had to respect my career,” Mumtaz said.

Speaking about choosing a career over love, she mentioned, “What else could I do? I had a family to support. I was being paid Rs 8 lakh even as a struggle. I was the highest-paid actress of my time. As a child, when my mother asked whom I wanted to marry when I grew up, I’d say I wanted to marry the son of the Shah-en-Shah Of Iran. I wanted only the best in life.”

Previously, Mumtaz had told Pinkvilla, “I was only around 17. He was 18 years older than me. It was too early for me to get married. Mujhe kucch banna tha. (I wanted to achieve something).” She had told ETimes, “Shammi Kapoor was very loving and caring with me. Nobody would believe that we were in love. Nobody believed that I had said ‘no’ to him for marriage because Shammi’s status in riches was higher; they said ‘How can Mumtaz refuse Shammi?'”

During this time, Shammi was a single father to son Aditya and daughter Kanchan. Shammi Kapoor then went on to marry Neila Devi in 1969. Neila Devi is the princess of the Gholi Dynasty of Bhavnagar State. The veteran actor passed away in 2011 after suffering from chronic kidney failure.