Mumtaz: I can’t get my head around these death hoaxes

“Oh! I am hale and hearty. Main abhi zinda hoon. I am glad someone called to check officially,” said yesteryear star Mumtaz with a laugh when we called her this morning, following the news of her rumoured demise last night. Word made the rounds that she had died and her funeral was due on Saturday. The actress had faced a similar death hoax last year in May and had cleared the air while talking to BT exclusively from her residence in London.
Recalling that, she said, “I don’t know why someone is deliberately doing this. Is it some kind of a joke? Last year, it shook my family and everyone called in, worried sick. My near and dear ones were in different parts of the world and it traumatised all of them. In a way, it also troubled me a lot. This year, my daughters, grandkids, sons-in-law and my husband are all here with me in London. The lockdown has kept us all at home, together, and safe. Of course, I have more relatives around the world who got worried reading what made the rounds last night. Mujhe kyun maarna chahte hain log? Jab waqt aayega to main khud hi chali jaaongi.”
She added, “Jab marungi, to meri family officially bata degi sabko. It won’t be a secret. It will be all over the place, I know that and I am sure of that. Death is as real as life and everyone will face it some day. But I can’t get my head around these death hoaxes that make the rounds once or twice in the year about a few of us. My nephew Shaad Randhawa is right there in Mumbai. The least anyone can do is ask him or my sister about me. People just spread the word without checking, and in turn, everyone hits the panic button. In times like these, when the world is fighting a pandemic, I wonder who thought of this insensitive hoax to get a few eyeballs. I am not even stepping out of my house. My kids don’t let me do it. They are all taking such good care of me and trust me, my health is great.”
In her last conversation with BT, she had mentioned that she’d like to visit India, this year, too, like she does every other year. “My knee has been giving me some trouble and I might consult a doctor for a surgery in Mumbai when I visit. I really trust the doctors there. But it’s nothing immediate. I would love to visit my old colleagues and friends in the city but only when the time is right,” she said.