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Meet actor who got her mother furious for being stoned on movie sets, became a superstar's crush, was schooled by director for shoot delay caused by Amitabh Bachchan
She was one of the highest-paid actresses of her time and won a beauty pageant in the 70s. Care to venture a guess?
Trigger warning: This article contains references to alcohol and drug addiction.
Hindi cinema boasts of several entertainers from each decade over the years. Artists like Amitabh Bachchan, Rajesh Khanna, Vinod Khanna, Rekha, Hema Malini, Parveen Babi, and Neetu Singh (now Kapoor) were some of the top actors who contributed to the 70s. During the era, an actress broke barriers with her sensuous portrayal on screen. Meet Zeenat Aman who got her mother furious for being stoned on movie sets, became a superstar's crush, and was schooled by her director for a shoot delay caused by Amitabh Bachchan.
Zeenat Aman, who was one of the highest-paid actresses of her time, received her breakthrough role in Dev Anand's Hare Rama Hare Krishna. Aman rose to prominence in the 1970s with movies like Roti Kapada Aur Makaan, Yaadon Ki Baaraat, Dharamveer, Satyam Shivam Sundaram, The Great Gambler, Don, and more.
In an Instagram post on September 23, Zeenat Aman shared an anecdote of shooting on the sets of Hare Rama Hare Krishna. Aman revealed that she smoked chillums and was "high as a kite".
"I later found out that my mother was furious when she learnt what happened, and gave the senior crew members a sharp tongue lashing for allowing her precious child to “do drugs”! Luckily, I was spared her wrath," read an excerpt from her post.
Late veteran superstar Dev Anand had a crush on her co-star Zeenat Aman. In his autobiography titled Romancing With Life, Dev Anand admitted that he was in love with her. The Guide actor also claimed that she had more than the director-actor's equation with the Greatest Showman of Indian Cinema, Raj Kapoor, which broke his heart.
Reacting to his confession on Instagram in April 2023, Zeenat Aman expressed that she felt humiliated and hurt. The 72-year-old actress called Dev Anand a "much-older mentor" and that she "admired and loved him platonically".
Zeenat Aman once revealed that she had almost packed her stuff on a film set after her co-star Amitabh Bachchan came late. In October last year, Aman recounted that the film's director ranted at her for delaying the production, and the actress told her team to pack up. Later, Big B apologized to her on the set.
Zeenat entered Miss India in 1970 and emerged as a second runner-up in the contest. She later participated in Miss Asia Pacific International in which she was crowned the winning title the same year.
Disclaimer: If you know someone who is struggling with alcohol or substance abuse, please reach out to the authorities and report it. There are several helplines available for the same.
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