Her own marriage was living hell: Mumtaz slams Zeenat Aman for giving relationship advice

Recently, Mumtaz, a senior actor, disagreed with fellow veteran star Zeenat Aman's proposal to support a live-in situation before marriage in a recent interview with Zoom. Mumtaz, who is renowned for her memorable roles in Bollywood classics, such as her costarring role with Aman in the 1971 movie Hare Rama Hare Krishna, issued a warning against Aman's guidance.

“Zeenat should be careful with what she is advising," said Mumtaz. "She has all of a sudden come into this huge social media popularity, and I can understand her excitement about sounding like a cool aunty. But giving advice that is counter to our moral values is not the solution to increasing your following." She added, "(Take Zeenat for example)…She knew Mazhar Khan for years before marrying him. Her marriage was a living hell. She should be the last person doling out advice on relationships.”

Aman has since graciously reacted to Mumtaz's comments. In an interview with Hindustan Times, Aman said, "Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. I’ve never been one to comment on others' personal lives or tear down my colleagues, and I’m not going to start now."

For context, Aman spoke about her turbulent marriage on Rendezvous with Simi Garewal in 1999. She had said, “During the very first year of marriage I realised I had made a huge mistake, but I decided to live by it and make it work. I tried to make it work for another 12 years. There was no light at the end of the tunnel for me. There was not a single moment of happiness or joy during those 12 years. But I still tried making it work.”

The exchange of views between the two veteran actors was sparked by Aman's recent Instagram post where she advocated for live-in relationships before marriage. “One of you asked me about relationship advice in the comments section of my last post. Here’s a personal opinion I haven’t previously shared - if you’re in a relationship, I strongly recommend that you live together before getting married,” Aman had penned.

She continued, "This is the same advice I’ve always given my sons, both of whom have had, or are in, a live-in relationship. It just seems logical to me that before two people get their families and the government involved in their equation, they first put their relationship to the ultimate test."

Additionally, Mumtaz was not alone in her opposition to this worldview. Hindustan Times spoke to Saira Banu, who said, "I am not reading much and I don't really follow what they (Mumtaz and Zeenat) are saying, but we are very old-fashioned people. Our trend is 40-50 [years old]. (I would never agree with this advice). I would never advocate live-in relationships like that. It's something unimaginable and unacceptable for me.”

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