Zeenat Aman shared this image. (courtesy: thezeenataman)
Veteran actress Zeenat Aman, who likes to keep it real on Instagram, is often found sharing anecdotal tales from her days in cinema, personal relations and all things good. On Monday, the actress did nothing different. Posting a still of Amitabh Bachchan and herself from their 1980s film Laawaris, the actress shed some light on the "long working relationship" she harboured with the superstar. Celebrating 42 years of her film Laawaris, Zeenat Aman recalled shooting for a song from the film, kab ke bichhde hue hum aaj with her co-star Amitabh Bachchan, with whom she shared a similar "work ethic."
Zeenat Aman in an eloquent post wrote, "Laawaris was released 42 years ago on this day on 22nd May 1981.An old school Masala blockbuster, it's the story of a man born from an illicit relationship, and includes themes of love, betrayal, murder and reconciliation. This still is from the song “kab ke bichhde hue hum aaj”. I had been visiting a friend in London, and flew directly to Kashmir to make it in time for this shoot. Director Prakash Mehra had been keeping unwell, but his excellent team of assistants stepped up to the plate. We shot the song over two-three days in some of the most stunning locations I have ever been to. Jumpsuits were all the rage back then, and this purple set was just fabulous! ( and the reason I chose this picture.)"
Talking about the equation she shared with Amitabh Bachchan, the actress continued, "Amit ji and I have had such a long working relationship, and I think part of the reason that we made a good onscreen jodi is our shared work ethic. We were both punctilious and punctual, which anyone in the industry will agree is not quite as common amongst actors as they'd like! I only ever recall him being late to set once in all those years, and boy is that a story to tell."
Undoubtedly, the post caught the attention of many celebs, who hailed the veteran actress for treating her followers with such wholesome posts. Actress Chitrangada wrote, "It's just so rare to find someone so gracious so articulate so stunning .. n so inspiring ! So much love."
For the unversed, Zeenat Aman and Amitabh Bachchan have starred together in some iconic films like Don, Gol Mall, Dostana, The Great Gambler and Pukar, to name a few.
Take a look at the post here:
Earlier, in another beautifully written note, the veteran actor bared her soul to the world and talked about the tumultuous relationship she shared with actor and "Starmaker" Dev Anand. She began the post by referring to the "golden trio" of Dev saab, Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor, who she said were the brains behind shaping Hindi cinema.
"When I embarked on my cinematic career, It was the age of the Golden Trio. The genius of Dev saab, Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor was widely acknowledged, and any actor worth their salt recognized that these three giants had shaped and were shaping Hindi cinema. Dev saab had already launched my career, and I was now keen to broaden my portfolio. Over the next few years, I starred in a string of movies, both with and without him," the 71-year-old actor noted.
Expressing her wish to be cast under the RK Banner, Zeenat Aman continued, "Meanwhile Raj ji's 1973 release Bobby had been a blockbuster hit that had swept every award. We knew each other socially too, exchanging warm greetings at public events. He was also my costar in Vakil Babu and Gopichand Jasoos. Naturally, I wanted to be directed by him under the RK banner, and when the opportunity arose, I jumped at it. The story of how I landed SSS is well-known, so I won't repeat it. I was giddy to have been cast for Raj ji's unconventional project and put heart and soul into it. I was completely unaware that Dev saab was simultaneously misreading the situation."
Talking about the "great misunderstanding" between Dev Anand and herself, the Satyam Shivam Sundaram star revealed details about the episode that left her feeling, "humiliated, hurt and disconcerted".
She wrote, Years later, in 2007, ‘Romancing with Life', Dev Saab's autobiography hit the stands. In it, he professed that he was in love with me, and insinuated that Raj ji and I had more than a director-actor equation which broke his heart. To be honest, I was livid. I felt humiliated, hurt and disconcerted that Dev saab, my much older mentor, a person I loved and admired platonically, would not only believe such a story devoid of a shred of truth but would then go on to publish it for the world to read. For weeks my phone rang incessantly as friends inquired about “what happened” and shared excerpts from the book. I never did read it though, and in my anger, I consigned the copy I was sent to storage in the basement!"
Concluding the post, Zeenat Aman wrote, "So here it is - the great misunderstanding. This episode embarrassed me deeply. For years I felt unable to talk about it to set the record straight. But now, time has granted me perspective and peace. Human folly is an eternal truth, and we all fall victim at one point or another. I will always remember Dev saab for his rare talent and warm guidance. He has my earnest gratitude and I do not tolerate disrespect to his name."
Take a look at the post here:
Zeenat Aman rose to fame with her work in films such as Don, Satyam Shivam Sundaram and Hare Rama Hare Krishna.