Zeenat Aman: If it weren’t for Dev Sahab, I wouldn’t have had such a meteoric rise

Zeenat Aman and Dev Anand in 'Haré Rama Haré Krishna' (1971); and (inset) Zeenat Aman now (Image: Instagram)

A convent-educated girl who’d studied in America, an international beauty pageant winner with a glamorous blend of bohemian chic and classic elegance, Zeenat Aman was definitely not the conventional desi heroine of the early '70s. She shattered stereotypes, blurred the lines between the good girl and the bad girl, introduced grey shades in leading ladies, and portrayed characters way ahead of her time.

On Friday evening, ahead of the screening of the superhit Don (1978), restored by filmmaker-archivist Shivendra Singh Dungarpur's Film Heritage Foundation, the yesteryear actress, former model and today's Instagram sensation discussed about her work and films. Edited excerpts:

Your father Amanullah Khan was a screenwriter. Tell us about his influence in your life.

Mere walid sahab (my father) wrote the screenplay and dialogues of Mughal-e-Azam (1960) and Pakeezah (1972). He was prolific in Urdu and I have a whole collection of all his poems which I am looking to publish at some point. Lekin afsos that I didn’t get to spend much time with him. My parents were separated when I was about two years old and I lived with my mother. And so, I cannot claim to have any knowledge of the Urdu language. I went to a convent school and studied in America and then I came back and had to start my career, learning Hindi all over again.

What was it like when you first faced the camera?

I was stunned. It was for OP Ralhan’s Hulchul (1971). It was in Famous Studio, and I walked on to the set, and it was so gray, so drab and dreary. I looked at him and said, ‘Sir, where is the glamour?’ Because at that time, I was 17, I hadn’t worked in any film, nor had I won Miss Asia. Mujhe laga kahan aa gaye yahan. He used to call me Varusha. He told me, “Varusha, you are supposed to be the glamour!” That was my first introduction to my first film in Hindi cinema.”

Your breakthrough was Haré Rama Haré Krishna and Dum Maaro Dum.

Dum Maaro Dum is a song that has stood the test of time. I came to know recently that there was a survey and this is the No. 1 song in the history of Indian cinema. It doesn’t get more prolific than that.

It’s 100 years of Dev Anand. Tell us about your relationship with him.

Dev Sahab was my mentor. And because of Haré Rama Haré Krishna (1971), because of wonderful music and songs like Phoolon Ka Taron Ka, our brother-sister relationship, I became accepted in Hindi cinema. I was accepted and liked in the role of Janice, Jasbir, and then I worked in a few more films with Navketan (Films), one was Heera Panna (1973) and the other Ishk Ishk Ishk (1974) and also multiple other films with him. If it weren’t for Dev Sahab, I would not have had such a meteoric rise in the film business.

You had a definite impact in Hindi cinema. You brought in a new form of feminist cinema. Please comment.

It was not my intent, and it was not by design. In my first film I was accepted as a bad girl with a heart of gold. She had a reason to be who she was, and the producers started casting me in films like that with a lot of grey shades. The line between the heroine and the vamp was blurred a little bit, otherwise earlier there had always been very clear lines and heroines were either good or bad. But I was given roles of good-bad girls, and bad-good girls, and I think because of that people feel that I changed the concept of the Indian leading lady.

A still from 'Don' (1978).

Tell us about how you got the role in Don and how did you prepare for it? Your costumes, attitude, it was so cool at that time.

We were shooting for Roti Kapada Aur Makaan (1974). There was a camera person and the chief assistant director Chandra Barot, Amit ji and I. And at some point, they approached me and said that they were planning a project called Don and there was this role they had for me. I requested Chandra then, ‘I want to do something – I don’t want to be the character jo gana gaye aur chale gaye.’ He said, “Don’t worry, we will involve you in all the action and drama. So, I was very excited. About the costume and attitude of Roma, I would talk about it with my directors and just go for it. There was a lot of me in that truly. Roma is a legend. Jangli Billi!

Zeenat Aman on her Instagram account.

You recently joined social media. What has been the experience so far?

My family coerced me initially, and I found it’s a lot of fun when you have a platform where you can see your own shoes. And people can hear your own voice, not other people’s perceptions of you and your reality. You can put forth your reality in front of people. I have been overwhelmed by the love that I have received on social media.