Veteran actress Mumtaz opened up about a lesser-known chapter from her life — her unique bond with the legendary filmmaker Yash Chopra.

And no, it wasn’t about movie scripts or blockbuster deals. It was about love — or rather, unrequited love.

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Speaking to journalist Vickey Lalwani, the iconic star of the ’60s and ’70s confirmed the long-rumoured whispers: yes, Yash Chopra did propose to her. Not once. Not twice. But ‘so many times’, she says, she lost count.

“Not once, he must’ve asked me 1000 times,” she chuckled, adding, “I’m exaggerating about 1000, but he did say it on many occasions — ‘Aye moti, I love you yaar, marry me.’”

But for Mumtaz, the feeling just wasn’t mutual for Yash Chopra.

As she explained, love, for her, required chemistry — a spark that she simply never felt with Yash. “To have that kind of closeness, you need to fall in love. You need that connection. I didn’t have that with him,” she said honestly.

Back then, Yash was still working as an assistant to his brother, BR Chopra — under whose banner Mumtaz worked in films like ‘Hamraaz’ and ‘Aadmi Aur Insaan’. She recalled how Yash would sometimes even land up at her house when she was out for work. “My mother used to say he was a nice man,” she smiled.

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Mumtaz made it clear that while marriage was never on the cards, she deeply respected Yash Chopra — not just as a filmmaker, but as a wonderful human being.

“He could make anyone laugh on set. As a director, as a producer — top-notch. But more than that, as a person, he was golden,” she said.

The loss still hits her. She was in London when she received the news of Yash Chopra’s death. Just a short while earlier, he had called her and asked her to watch his new film.

“He said, ‘Promise me you’ll watch it.’ I said yes. But before I could, he was gone,” she said, her eyes welling up.

She also shared a touching moment involving Yash Chopra’s daughter-in-law, Rani Mukerji. “She met me at a party and said, ‘Yash ji wanted you to visit the studio. When will you come? I’ll give you a tour.’ I really wanted to. It was his last wish. But now… it doesn’t feel right to call and ask for a visit.”

Mumtaz fondly remembered the Chopra household too — not just Yash, but his wife as well. “She was lovely. I’ve been to their house. She always welcomed us so warmly,” she recalled.

Interestingly, in the same conversation, Mumtaz admitted that while she didn’t feel romantic love for Yash Chopra, there ‘were’ sparks elsewhere. She revealed she was quite taken by Rajesh Khanna and Shammi Kapoor — but those stories had their own complications and never turned into relationships either.

“He was such a wonderful person. I still don’t know what he died of. His family must’ve done all they could, but they couldn’t save him,” she said, visibly moved. “It was just too soon.”