Mumtaj
Mumtaj | |
---|---|
![]() Mumtaj in 2007 | |
Born | (1980-07-05) 5 July 1980 (age 44) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1999 – 2018 [1] |
Mumtaj (born 5 July 1980) is a Tamil cinema former actress.[2][3]
She entered the film industry through the Tamil film Monisha En Monalisa (1999) by T. Rajender and subsequently garnered popularity appearing in glamorous roles in films including Kushi (2000), Looty (2001) and Chocolate (2001). In 2018, after her appearance in Bigg Boss Tamil 2 (marked her last media appearance), she announced her retirement from the film industry for good after spending 19 years in the industry and has no interest in making a comeback to the industry.[4]
Mumtaj was known as a popular actress in the Indian film industry in the 2000s for appearing in several films such as Monisha En Monalisa (1999), Kushi (2000), Chocolate (2001), Gemini (2002), Chellame (2004), London (2005), Veerasamy (2007) and Rajadhi Raja (2009) were all seen as blockbuster films for Mumtaj.[5]
Early life
Mumtaj completed her schooling at Mount Mary's Convent School, Bandra, Mumbai. As a teenage ardent film fan, she revealed that her room was full of posters featuring Sridevi, and when the school bus used to cross Filmistan Studios, she used to crane her neck out to catch a glimpse of the artistes.[3][6][7]
Film career
Mumtaj's acting career began after she was spotted by film producer Sudhakar Bokade in a dance programme at Mount Mary's Convent School in Mumbai, when he subsequently offered to do a film with her, after he completed an ongoing project with Dilip Kumar titled Kalinga during 1996. As Kalinga faced delays, Bokade could not eventually start the film with Mumtaj although she had begun acting classes.[8]
During her stint at the acting course, she was recruited by veteran filmmaker Chetan Anand to work on his film produced by Bharat Shah, with Shah Rukh Khan in the lead role. For one and a half years, Mumtaj waited for the shoot to begin, before the project was shelved following Anand's death. Later in 1997, Tamil director T. Rajender signed her to play the lead role of a pop singer in his romantic drama film, Monisha En Monalisa (1999). The film took two years to make owing to production troubles and Rajender's political activity, before opening to negative reviews from critics in April 1999.[9]
She made a supporting role in S. J. Surya's Kushi (2000), where she portrayed a glamorous college student alongside Vijay and Jyothika. Her performance in the song "Kattipudi Kattipudida" won her appreciation and further film offers, and as a result, Mumtaj was able to increase her appearance fee substantially.[10][11]
In her subsequent projects, rather than her acting skills, her performances in song sequences won her appreciation and she regularly accepted to feature in item numbers. In the early 2000s, some of the more notable music videos shot on her included "Macha Machiniye" from Star (2001), "Malai Malai" from Chocolate (2001),"Missi Missi Papa" from Looty and "Subbamma Subbamma" from Roja Kootam (2002).[12]
Despite the success of her song appearances, she was keen to prolong her career in the film industry by selecting performance-oriented roles and subsequently announced her intentions of reducing one-song appearances.[13]
In 2003, she turned producer and financed the film Thathi Thavadhu Manasu, featuring her alongside rookie actresses Sona, Urvasi Patel and Sindhuri in the leading roles. The film was based around two real life incidents — the murder of a lawyer in bright daylight and the accident in which 40 individuals were killed.[14] The film performed poorly at the box office, with a critic writing "the movie's approach struggles between two completely opposite directions — a cheap, exploitative film and a tearjerker" and that "the producer seems to have banked on the film's glamour to bring in the viewers since that is what the title and the movie's promos focus on" and that "this is unfortunate because the main story has actually been taken quite well".[15][16]
In the mid-2000s, she announced plans of a comeback in acting roles, and notably appeared in Jerry (2006) and T. Rajender's long-delayed Veerasamy.[17] However, several of her other films during the period became stuck and eventually did not release, including projects such as Raviraja's Very Good, S. A. Chandrasekhar's Nenjankootill Neeye Nikkirai, Igore's Thik Thik Thik and the multi-starrer Vedakozhi.[18][19][20] She has since seldom been seen in films, making a brief foray to play the antagonist in Rajadhi Raja (2009), before appearing in the Telugu films, Atharintiki Daaredi (2013)[21] and Aagadu (2014) in glamorous supporting roles.[22]
Mumtaj quit acting in 2018 and has been an ardent practitioner of Islam, requesting the media to avoid sharing photos of her former self. She is also a preacher of the Islamic faith and a motivational speaker.[23]
Other work
Mumtaj was a judge in the first season of the reality dance competition Boys Vs Girls, which aired on Star Vijay, and season 6 of Maanada Mayilada, which aired on Kalaignar TV.[24] She later took part as one of the contestants in the Tamil reality show, Bigg Boss Tamil 2 hosted by Kamal Haasan. Marking her final appearance in the industry before her retirement.[25][26]
Filmography
Year | Film | Role | Language | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1999 | Monisha En Monalisa | Monisha | Tamil | |
Malabar Police | Julie | Tamil | ||
Chala Bagundi | Herself | Telugu | Special appearance in the song "Entha Bagundhi Brotheru" | |
Jananaayakan | Nancy Parera | Malayalam | ||
Unakkaga Ellam Unakkaga | Tamil | Special appearance in the song "Duniya Hey Duniya" | ||
2000 | Kushi | Anitha | Tamil | |
Budget Padmanabhan | Omana | Tamil | ||
Ammo! Okato Tareekhu | Ganga | Telugu | ||
2001 | Boond | Neelam | Hindi | |
Kushi | Anitha | Telugu | ||
Looty | Gayathri | Tamil | ||
Sonnal Thaan Kaadhala | Chitra | Tamil | ||
Star | Herself | Tamil | Special appearance in the song "Machiniye" | |
Vedham | Pooja | Tamil | ||
Chocolate | Nirmala / Bhama | Tamil | Dual roles | |
Mitta Miraasu | Vijaya | Tamil | ||
Yeh Teraa Ghar Yeh Meraa Ghar | Anupam Verma | Hindi | ||
Azhagana Naatkal | Rekha | Tamil | ||
2002 | Vivaramana Aalu | Puppy | Tamil | |
Roja Kootam | Herself | Tamil | Special appearance in the song "Subbammaa" | |
Ezhumalai | Sandhya | Tamil | ||
Gemini | Kamini | Telugu | ||
Coolie | Rani | Telugu | ||
Kondaveeti Simhasanam | Susmitha | Telugu | ||
Thandavam | Kaavya Menon | Malayalam | ||
2003 | Three Roses | Roma | Tamil | |
Thathi Thavadhu Manasu | Aarthi | Tamil | Also producer | |
2004 | Maha Nadigan | Nandini | Tamil | |
Kuththu | Herself | Tamil | Special appearance in the song "Otha Viral Kattuna" | |
Kanti | Herself | Kannada | Special appearance in the song "Ussaaru Ussaaru" | |
Aai | Herself | Tamil | Special appearance in the song "Mailapur Mayila" | |
Chellame | Herself | Tamil | guest appearance | |
2005 | Devathayai Kanden | Herself | Tamil | Special appearance in the song "Thunda Kanom Thuniya Kanom" |
London | Aishwarya | Tamil | ||
Pelli Kaani Pellam Avuthundi | Herself | Telugu | ||
2006 | Jerry | Janani | Tamil | |
2007 | Veerasamy | Sarasu | Tamil | |
2008 | Nadigai | Herself | Tamil | |
2009 | Rajadhi Raja | Shylai Saroja | Tamil | |
2013 | Atharintiki Daaredi | Mumtaj | Telugu | Special appearance in the song "It's Time To Party"[21] |
2014 | Aagadu | Sukanya / Belly Lilly | Telugu | |
2015 | Tommy | Herself | Telugu |
Television
Year | Series/Shows | Role | Channel | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
2009 | Boys Vs. Girls | Judge | Star Vijay | |
2011 | Maanada Mayilada | Judge | Kalaignar TV | Season 06 |
2018 | Bigg Boss Tamil 2 | Contestant | Star Vijay | Evicted on Day 91 |
References
- ^ "After Sana Khan another Indian actress Mumtaj left showbiz for Islam". lollywoodcity.com.
- ^ "Actress Mumtaj turns into Islamic preacher". dailypakistan.com.
- ^ a b "I had lost confidence in myself: Mumtaj". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
- ^ "Actress Mumtaj returns from her pilgrimage to Mecca". Times Of India.
- ^ "Mumtaj prepares well - Behindwoods.com T. Rajendar Kushi Kollywood Mayila Kollywood hot images Tamil picture gallery images". Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
- ^ Mumtaj Fans (26 November 2012). "Actress Mumtaj return to Film". Archived from the original on 8 July 2017. Retrieved 10 July 2016 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Mumtaz is now 'Slim and Beautiful'". Archived from the original on 17 August 2016. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
- ^ "Mumtaz looking for substantial roles". The Hindu. 24 June 2006. Archived from the original on 27 March 2020. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
- ^ "Monisha En Monalisa". Bbthots. Archived from the original on 26 April 2018. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
- ^ "rediff.com, Movies: Gossip from the southern film industry". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 16 September 2018. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
- ^ "Film Review: Kushi". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 12 October 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
- ^ "Behindwoods : Interview - Actress Sneha". behindwoods.com. Archived from the original on 16 September 2018. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
- ^ "An Interview with Mumtaj". Cinematoday3.itgo.com. Archived from the original on 16 September 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
- ^ S. R. Ashok Kumar. "Not the usual formula fare". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 18 November 2003. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
- ^ "reviews/2004/ttmanasu". bbthots.com. Archived from the original on 1 February 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
- ^ "Very Good for Mumtaz — Tamil Movie News". IndiaGlitz. 27 April 2006. Archived from the original on 19 September 2018. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
- ^ "Tamil movies : Fit & fat Mumtaj and never ending Veerasamy shoot". behindwoods.com. Archived from the original on 19 September 2018. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
- ^ "Very Good for Mumtaz - Tamil Movie News". 27 April 2006. Archived from the original on 19 September 2018. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
- ^ "Mumtaj, the cop - Tamil Movie News". 14 August 2006. Archived from the original on 19 September 2018. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
- ^ "Horror is palatable - Thik Thik - Tamil Movie News". 21 June 2007. Archived from the original on 19 September 2018. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
- ^ a b "Kushi Mumtaz to shake a leg with Pawan Kalyan". Sify. 14 July 2013. Archived from the original on 15 January 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
- ^ "I'm here to stay on my own terms". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 27 October 2018. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
- ^ "Another Indian Actress Quits Showbiz to Embrace Islam". Retrieved 15 June 2024.
- ^ "Saguni to show Mumtaz in a negative role". Archived from the original on 18 August 2016. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
- ^ Ma.Pandiarajan (17 June 2018). "பிக்பாஸ் போட்டியாளராக மும்தாஜ்!". Vikatan (in Tamil). Archived from the original on 17 June 2018. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
- ^ "Bigg Boss Tamil 2; Mumtaj to be a part of the show". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 12 October 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
External links
- Mumtaj at IMDb