Brother-Sister Played Lovers On Screen — A Controversy That Shocked The Nation!

In the world of cinema, the lines between reel and real often blur, but few stories are as jaw-dropping as this one. Imagine watching a romantic scene unfold on screen, only to later discover the actors are real-life siblings. Sounds shocking? That’s exactly what happened when Bollywood actress Minu Mumtaz and her brother Mehmood, actual brother and sister, played lovers in a film. It wasn’t just a plot twist; it was a scandal that rocked audiences and sparked outrage across the country.

Minu Mumtaz, celebrated as a talented dancer and character actress in Indian cinema, was born Malikunnisa Ali in Mumbai. Her father, Mumtaz Ali, was also a noted actor and dancer. She learned the art of dance from him and followed in his footsteps, not out of personal ambition, but out of necessity. Her father’s struggle with alcoholism meant that young Minu had to shoulder the financial burden of the family.

She made her debut in 1955 at the age of 13 with Nanabhai Bhatt’s film Hakeem. Despite her mother’s opposition to a film career, Minu Mumtaz continued acting to support her family. By the age of 14, she had already starred in several successful films and gained popularity for both her grace and on-screen presence. Throughout the 1950s and ’60s, she remained a prominent figure in the Hindi film industry.

Minu Mumtaz came from a large family: four brothers and four sisters. Her elder brother, Mehmood, was already an established comic actor in Bollywood. The controversy that would later haunt them began with the 1958 film Howrah Bridge, where Minu Mumtaz and Mehmood were cast opposite each other as romantic leads in the song Kora Rang Sunariya Kali.

Minu Mumtaz later admitted that she accepted the role purely out of financial necessity, unaware of how it would be received.

Once the film was released, audiences were shocked to learn that the actors in the romantic number were, in fact, siblings in real life. The backlash was intense, people protested on the streets, questioning the ethics and sensitivity of such casting. Eventually, the controversy died down. Minu Mumtaz stepped away from the limelight soon after, marrying a director and moving abroad. She settled in Canada, where she lived a quiet life away from the spotlight.

In 2003, Minu Mumtaz’s health began to deteriorate. She experienced sudden memory loss, and medical tests revealed she had a brain tumour that had been growing undetected for 15 years. Though treatment helped her recover her memory, her health continued to decline. Minu Mumtaz passed away in 2021, closing the chapter on a life filled with artistic triumphs, familial sacrifices, and deeply human struggles.