Katrina Kaif – Is She Today’s Mumtaz?

This is of course a terrible question on the face of it. No one person or actress should be considered as another edition of another person or actress. It is unfair to both Katrina and Mumtaz.

In my own clumsy manner, I am trying to highlight a rare quality that I think both of these stars have; an attribute that goes to the heart of their personality and personal appeal, an attribute that very few actresses have.

Mumtaz stared her career as an extra in films in the early 1960s. She starred in over 16 films with freestyle wrestler Dara Singh and was labeled as a stunt film heroine.

She first gained attention as a vamp in the A grade hit film “Mere Sanam” with a stunningly sexy song “yeh hai reshaami”. Then came a small role in “Do Raaste” with Rajesh Khanna which made her popular. From there, it was a series of hits to her stardom. She won the Filmfare Best Actress Award in Khilona and should have won the award again for her role in Tere Mere Sapne with Dev Anand. Mumtaz acted in over 100 films in a twelve year career.

Mumtaz was always the choice of the audience. Besides her beauty, she was easy to watch and fun to watch.

Watching Katrina reminds me of Mumtaz. Both have the instantly discernible quality of being a man’s woman; easy to be with, fun to be with, always supportive and never confrontational. I do not recall a single film in which Mumtaz had a conflict with her man and this is also true of Katrina. This is not a “reducing” comment in any way but a highly complimentary one. It takes a totally self-confident personality to play such roles and it takes a totally self-assured woman to be such a woman.

Just for fun, below are a few clips of Mumtaz and Katrina in similar roles.

I. Early in their career – in a supporting role to a superstar.

Mumtaz with Shammi Kapoor in “Brahmachari”