Veteran actor Zeenat Aman took to her Instagram account on Friday, 28 April to conclude her series of posts about her mentor Dev Anand. Zeenat went on to give a clarification about her relationship with Raj Kapoor as well. Also, highlighting what really was the cause of her misunderstanding with her 'Starmaker'.
She wrote, "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 recognised that these three giants had shaped and were shaping Hindi cinema."
She went on to add, "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."
Take a look at the post here:
Also adding, "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."
The actor wrote about the reason for her misunderstanding with her mentor, "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. 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."
She went on to add how angry she was, "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 really 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!"
In the end highlighting, "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."
Zeenat has been part of several blockbusters in her career even winning a Filmfare for her role in Hare Rama Hare Krishna. Some of the iconic films in which she has worked include Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Yaadon Ki Baraat, Qurbani, Dostana, Dharam Veer among others.
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