Mumbai: 90s Bollywood queen Urmila Matondkar continues to hold a special place in the hearts of her millions of fans even today. Her charm and talent have solidified her status as one of the most loved actresses of the industry. Beyond her stellar performances on the silver screen, Urmila’s personal life too has always been a topic of much interest among fans.
Urmila tied the knot with her Kashmiri beau, Mohsin Akhtar in a private ceremony on March 3, 2016, at her Mumbai residence. Their love story blossomed after they met at Manish Malhotra’s niece’s wedding.
Back in 2019, rumors swirled that Urmila had converted to Islam and even change her name to Mariyam Akhtar Mir post-marriage. Speculations suggested that the couple had solemnized their union through both Hindu and Nikah ceremonies.
Actress’ Official Statement
Setting the record straight, Urmila addressed the rumors in an interview with the Bombay Times, expressing her dismay at the baseless speculation.
She also revealed that if she would have converted to Islam, she would have announced it with much pride. Check her statement below.
“That was in bad taste. That’s the kind of politics I don’t appreciate. First of all, how does it matter? The kind of person I am, I have always done things my way and with my head held high. I am proud of who I am, and I am not saying I am infallible, but I have never done things that I would be ashamed of. The kind of industry that I was in (films), it takes a lot to not be dragged into toxicity, backbiting, negativity, gossip and bitching. I have never done all of this, so this (religious conversion news) appalled me the most. I am a Hindu. That’s the religion I have followed, but I believe in Hinduism in a wider sense, not the kind of Hinduism that’s sold to us today. Even if I had converted to Islam, I would have said it with as much pride. However, it’s none of anyone’s business. I am not just talking about the secular fabric of the country because I am married to a Muslim. Contrary to that, because I always believed in it, I was open enough to marry a man of a different faith.”
Urmila Matondkar’s Bollywood journey
Urmila started her career in Bollywood as a child artiste and worked in films such as Kalyug and Masoom. She made her debut as a lead role with Narsimha in 1991. She is known for films such as Rangeela, Judaai, Satya, Kaun, Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya, Bhoot and Ek Hasina Thi.
