Zeenat Aman is neither a very good actress nor a star, said Bollywood veteran Mumtaz in a recent interview.
Speaking to journalist Vickey Lalwani, Mumtaz said that she did not consider Aman or Sanjeev Kumar to be stars.
“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,” she said.
Speaking about Aman, the 78-year-old actress added, “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?”
Mumtaz went on to state that she considered actors like Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand and Shammi Kapoor to be stars, not Sanjeev Kumar, who essayed lead roles as well as supporting characters.
Mumtaz began her acting career at just 11 with the 1958 film Lajwanti. Her breakthrough came in 1969 with Do Raaste, after which she cemented her place as a leading actress with hits such as Bandhan (1969), Aadmi Aur Insaan (1969), Sachaa Jhutha (1970), Khilona (1970) and Hare Rama Hare Krishna (1971). She was last seen on screen in the 1991 film Aandhiyan.
Zeenat Aman first rose to prominence after winning the Femina Miss India and Miss Asia Pacific International titles in 1970. She made her acting debut the same year with The Evil Within and achieved her breakthrough in 1971 with Hare Rama Hare Krishna. Her other major films include Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973), Roti Kapda Aur Makaan (1974), Dharam Veer (1977) and Don (1978). She was most recently seen in the 2025 Netflix series The Royals.