Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; May 22, 2020)

“I am hale and hearty. Main abhi zinda hoon. I am glad someone called to check officially,” said yesteryear actress Mumtaz, when we called her, following the rumours of her demise. The actress has been at the receiving end of repeated death hoaxes since May 2019.

Talking to BT from her home in London, she said, “Is it some kind of a joke? Last year, it shook my family and everyone called in, worried sick. This is the third time this has happened, with the most recent being in March this year! I am very upset, and so are my family members, who are here in London with me. The Coronavirus lockdown has kept us all at home, together and safe. However, I have relatives around the world who got worried after reading what made the rounds recently. Mujhe kyun maarna chahte hain log?”

She added, “Jab marungi, toh meri family officially bata degi sabko. It won’t be a secret, but I can’t wrap my head around these death hoaxes. My nephew, Shaad Randhawa, lives in Mumbai. The least anyone can do is ask him or my sister about me. In times like these, when the world is fighting a pandemic, I wonder who thought of this insensitive hoax. I am not even stepping out of my house. My husband, Mayur (Madhvani), and I will be celebrating our 47th wedding anniversary on May 29. I hope this silences all these uncalled-for rumours.”