Table of Contents
Urmila Matondkar used to be one of the top actresses in Bollywood for over a decade. Her performances in films like Pinjar, Bhoot and Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya will forever be remembered. While she might have started her career as a child artist in the 1980s, she conquered Bollywood as a mainstream heroine and became a household name after Ram Gopal Varma’s Rangeela in 1995. Although her personal life remained relatively low-key, her marriage to businessman and model Mohsin Akhtar Mir in 2016 was a heartwarming story. But, as per recent news that has taken the internet by storm, it has emerged that Urmila has filed for divorce from her Mir.
Their union was indeed a story for the ages but was not one that was without its share of controversies. Here’s a look back at a couple of the major scandals about their marriage that created a lot of noise at different points in time. Most of the issues surrounded Urmila allegedly converting to Islam and changing her name.
What was the controversy raised by Ashoke Pandit about Urmila Matondkar?
Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit had at one point questioned the name change of actress-turned-politician Urmila Matondkar. It came to light that trolls had changed her name on Wikipedia to Mariyam Akhtar Mir, insinuating that she had changed her name after getting married to Mohsin. Much of the controversy over the issue was sparked by an outspoken Pandit who felt that something did not look right in the papers Matondkar filed at her Lok Sabha polling station.
He posted his comments on social media where he said, “#UrmilaMatondkar herself should clear the doubt raised by people regarding her name being changed post marriage. It’s her absolute right to do that. But if she has, then why has that name not been used in the nomination form?”
Despite the controversies, Matondkar has remained firm in her political life. She hasn’t dealt directly with accusations of name change and continued to focus on her campaign. Her followers aptly said that the public needs to focus on her qualifications and the agenda she presents as a politician rather than on her personal life.
What about the controversy that Urmila had allegedly converted to Islam?
Ever since Urmila’s marriage to a Kashmiri Muslim, there were persistent rumours that she had converted to Islam after her marriage. We must clarify here that all the rumours at the time were unfounded and had no factual basis whatsoever. Exasperated, at one point, she had said that these were cheap political tactics employed by her opponents. Urmila reiterated that she loves and respects every religion. She also asserted that she had not converted to Islam and remains a Hindu. Well, don’t you think it is unfortunate that she had to do that?
To stay updated with the latest Bollywood news, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, like us on Facebook and visit Masala.com, which is updated daily.
