Mumtaz recalls going to court against the journalist

Recalling the incident in an interview with Vickey Lalwani, Mumtaz said, “Yes, she claimed that nobody knows who is Mumtaz’s father. Then I dragged her to the court.” She went on to describe how she contacted her father, an Irani man based in Hyderabad who had remarried. Despite not speaking Hindi fluently, he responded warmly when she reached out. “I told him, ‘There is this writer who has claimed that I don’t have a father.’ He was shocked—‘Then who am I?’” she remembered. Mumtaz urged him to appear in court to set the record straight, and he agreed.

According to Mumtaz, Chaubal learned of this and began to panic. “I threatened her and said, ‘I will put you in jail.’ She then started to apologise, saying it was what people were saying,” Mumtaz shared. She confronted the journalist, questioning why she had failed to verify such serious allegations. “How could you write something so derogatory?” she asked, recalling that Chaubal broke down in tears.

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Mumtaz insisted on a public correction. “I told her, you will write an apology in the same magazine and state that I do have a father—his name is Abdul Syed Askari and he lives in Hyderabad. I made her do this four times,” she said. Eventually, Mumtaz forgave her, and the two maintained a cordial relationship. She also mentioned hearing that Chaubal may have been fond of Rajesh Khanna and possibly jealous of her closeness to him, though she acknowledged this was based on hearsay.

This old interview clip of Rajesh Khanna and Mumtaz is such a delight
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A documentary featuring Mumtaz, Rajesh Khanna and Devyani

Years later, an old international documentary clip resurfaced, featuring Rajesh Khanna, Mumtaz, and a brief glimpse of Chaubal. In it, Chaubal is seen writing in her office as a voiceover describes her as “penning a column about Mumtaz” with “venom.” The clip includes her making disparaging remarks about Mumtaz’s appearance and background.

Reacting to this in the documentary, Mumtaz said, “I did take action against her because I had been tolerating her for many years, and I thought it was too much. I was very hurt. It is very wrong. They think it is their business—they just want to sell their magazine.” When asked if taking legal action frightened her, a young Mumtaz responded firmly, “She should be frightened, not me.”

At the time, Mumtaz was at the peak of her career—hugely popular and constantly in the public eye—making her a frequent target for gossip columns and tabloid scrutiny.

This is factual entertainment reporting based on historical interviews and serves informational purposes; the views and claims regarding personal histories reflect the perspectives of the individuals involved and have not been independently verified.