Zeenat Aman has been recalling some major retro Bollywood anecdotes on her Instagram, and her latest post is all about the legendary Raj Kapoor. The veteran actress took a trip down memory lane, reminiscing about how she snagged the role of Rupa in Satyam Shivam Sundaram. In her post, Zeenat shared that initially, she wasn’t even considered for the role because of her “modern image.” But, as they say, destiny had other plans, and she ended up becoming the face of one of Bollywood’s most iconic films. Zeenat also mentioned that this December will mark Raj Kapoor’s 100th birth anniversary, making this memory even more special.
She wrote, “In December we will mark the 100th birth anniversary of the extraordinary Raj Kapoor. I have rehashed the story of how he came to cast me as Rupa in Satyam Shivam Sundaram countless times, but here it is for Instagram. A defining anecdote from my career. It was 1981, and we were shooting Vakil Babu. Rajji was playing the titular role, while his younger brother Shashi Kapoor and I were playing leading roles as each other’s love interests. In between takes, while the technicians changed sets and rigged lights, we cast members often found ourselves with time to kill.”
Zeenat Aman explained that Raj Kapoor had an exciting, unique idea for his film and eagerly shared it with everyone. The story revolved around a man who loves a woman’s voice but struggles with her appearance. She added, “Now Rajji had a radical approach to his art, and he was brimming with enthusiasm for a film he wanted to make. For days he regaled us with his idea for a story about a man who falls in love with a woman’s voice but can’t quite reconcile himself to her appearance. He spoke with unfettered and rousing passion, but never once even hinted that I could be a part of this film. I was already a star in my own right, and his lack of interest in casting me began to chafe. I knew that my ‘modern image’, complete with mini skirts and boots, was the culprit. So I determined to take matters into my own hands.”
Zeenat Aman shared that she knew Raj Kapoor often spent time at “The Cottage” on the R.K. Studio grounds, where he held meetings and small events while sitting on a mattress. She decided to take action and one evening, after finishing a shoot early, she spent 30 minutes getting ready as her version of Rupa. She continued, “I put on a ghagra choli, braided my hair with a parandi, and then stuck tissue paper onto my face with glue in an effort to scar my visage. When I reached The Cottage I was greeted at the door by John, Rajji’s right-hand man. He looked quizzically at me but followed my request – ‘Saabji ko kaho ki Rupa ayi hai’…To be continued tomorrow…”
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