- Zeenat Aman shared an interview clip from her 1988 comeback film Gawaahi on Instagram
- Gawaahi was shot two years after the birth of her first son, Azaan, during personal challenges
- The film is a low-budget courtroom drama based on Ayn Rand's play The Night of January 16th
New day, new throwback gem from Zeenat Aman's treasure trove. On Wednesday, the film veteran shared an interview clip from her "comeback" film Gawaahi, which she shot two years after giving birth to her first child, Azaan. Zeenat Aman described the persistent dichotomy between her personal and professional lives that influenced her choices back then.
Zeenat Aman opened the note on a reflective tone: "How many comebacks can a gal have? When it comes to me, apparently the answer is unlimited!"
She went on to describe her domestic situation at the time: "Gawaahi was shot in 1988, two years after the birth of my first son, Azaan, and just before the conception of my second son, Zahaan. At this point in my life, the rosy picture of domestic bliss that I had painted while at the peak of my career was beginning to fade. Marriage and motherhood had both arrived, but the former was starting to show cracks. I was back living with my own mother (with little Azaan in tow) in her flat in south Bombay when an unexpected script arrived at my doorstep."
The film was a low-budget courtroom drama based on Ayn Rand's play The Night of January 16th. It was pitched to her by producer Vivek Vaswani and debut director Anant Balani.
"Having once wanted to escape my professional life, I now wanted to escape my personal life and remember my identity as something outside of daughter, mother and wife! My amazing Amma stepped in to help out with Azaan, and that allowed me to accept the role of murder-accused Janhvi Kaul in Gawaahi. We shot entirely in Mumbai, and the cast included the highly decorated Shekhar Kapur and the talented Ashutosh Gowarikar," Zeenat Aman added.
Zeenat Aman's memory was refreshed when she rewatched the film recently.
"I rewatched the film last night, and was reminded that it's quite a bold and unconventional whodunnit! Kaul is the 'other woman' and secretary to business tycoon Ranjeet Chaudhary, whose mysterious death is the pivot on which the plot turns. If slow-burn legal dramas, with a dose of passion and perhaps a plot twist, are your thing, this one may be worth a watch," Zeenat Aman added.
"This interview clip is from the film set of Gawaahi, and for me personally it is madly nostalgia-provoking. The role marked my return to films after giving birth, and so of course it was also hailed as a comeback. One of many I've apparently had since! I guess you can call me a comeback queen," the film veteran wrote.
The internet's reaction
Shekhar Kapur commented on the post, "I remember Gawaahi well... and I still get a lot of messages on social media about the film... was fun doing that film, Zeenat."
One fan wrote, "Even then... you knew the woman you are... and the woman you were about to become. I adore you then. I adore you now. I'll adore you always."
Another comment read, "Gawaahi also had a beautiful song, shot on you and Shekhar Kapur! Most people still love that song, 'Dekh Ke Tumko,' sung by the late Pankaj Udhas with Anuradha Paudwal."
Ever since Zeenat Aman made her Instagram debut in 2023, her posts have become the talk of the town. From on-screen nudity to parenting tips, celebrity privacy to sartorial choices, Zeenat Aman offers thoughtful insights in every post. The actor is known for her performances in iconic films such as Don, Satyam Shivam Sundaram, and Hare Rama Hare Krishna.
In terms of work, Zeenat Aman was last seen in the Netflix original The Royals, alongside Ishaan Khatter and Bhumi Pednekar.
