Zeenat Aman says she was accepted into characters with shades of gray

Veteran actress Zeenat Aman believes her journey in Indian cinema was defined by characters with shades of grey, which eventually inspired filmmakers to write interesting roles especially for her. Looking at his journey in the film industry, in the 70s and 80s “Satyam Shivam Sundaram”, “Hare Rama Hare Krishna”, “Qurbani”, “Dhund”, “Don”, “Manoranjan” and “Yaadon Ki Baraat” Said on Tuesday that people accepted him in unconventional characters.

“I was accepted by audiences at the time in characters with shades of gray, whether it was a drug addict, or someone who died of an overdose … there was audience acceptance. Next, the writers wrote the parts for me That’s where it was, the actor said in an interaction session organized by FICCI Ladies Organization (FLO), a good bad girl, a good girl and other kinds of roles that do well.

Titled ‘Stories that matter with Zeenat Aman’, the session was also attended by FICCI FLO President Jayanti Dalmiya and Vinita Bimbett. Considered one of the most glamorous stars of her time with the late Parveen Babi, Aman recalled how her journey began with a small role in the 1971 film “Hulchul”.

“My journey in Indian cinema started when I was a teenager and stopped working when I became a mother. Also, there were many milestones.

“I had the privilege of working with a lot of actor-directors like Dev Anand, Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor, Manoj Kumar, Amjad Khan, Feroz Khan and Sanjay Khan. All these filmmakers were actors themselves. So they took that extra bit. Let’s bring creativity to the table,” he added.

The actress said that she never bothered about the lead role opposite her in a film, but she always thought about the director she was working with.

“It didn’t matter to me who my lead person was. It always mattered to me who my directors and writers were… I could do scenes with anyone but I needed to be a good director and behind the camera. A writer was needed,” she said. Told.

Aman revealed that the toughest films of his career were “Hare Rama Hare Krishna” and “Satyam Shivam Sundaram”.

Talking about how he bagged Dev Anand’s 1971 film “Hare Ram Hare Krishna”, Aman said that it was “Hulchul” director OP Ralhan who introduced him to the Bollywood star.

“The film’s director OP Ralhan knew that Dev Anand was looking for an actress for the film. Many actresses had turned down the role as they wanted to play a romantic role. So Mr. OP Ralhan held a meeting where Mr. Dev Anand met me and I was in my room.

“Truth be told, at the time we were planning to leave the country and move away. So I think he was influenced by the attitude and personality of the time. I was smoking a pipe, wearing a skirt, and he Thought to myself that I would be perfect for this role.”

The film propelled Aman to immediate fame and stardom after his portrayal of a western and emotionally troubled addict named Janice. She won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for the role. The actor said the film industry has witnessed some positive changes over the years as there is pay parity between male and female stars.

“(During my time there), it was wishful thinking, anticipating any semblance of resemblance. There was none. But I think things are a lot better now. I think our girls are doing amazing projects. They are doing women oriented films and they are demanding fair wages.”

Aman, who last featured in filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker’s period drama “Panipat” in 2019, revealed that she will be making her OTT debut soon.

“I have just completed two web series. I enjoy my work, but to a lesser extent,” he said. He said that he recently acted in a play titled “Dearest Bapu, Love Kasturba”.

The actress said that she has some plans for the future as she wants to pursue the things that she has not been able to do in her career.

“As one approaches the older years of one’s life, I think there is a lot of reflection that goes on. The journeys we have, we are all the heroines of our own stories, each of us.

“So there needs to be a lot of introspection and a lot of looking back. I think in the future, I’m going to try to do a lot of things that I haven’t. Maybe I’ll write, maybe direct a project and a lot Things I’ve been waiting for,” she added.

Aman said that he has deliberately decided to stay away from social media unlike some of his contemporaries.

“I deliberately kept away from social media. It’s been an informed decision. But in my time with all these magazines I’ve had my fair share of trolling. Every month it would be something really weird to deal with.

“I think one really shouldn’t take it seriously because it has nothing to do with who you are or what you are in real life. It’s just something that exists on the side and needs to be lived.” Give.”