Indian actor Zeenat recalls for ‘Chanchal Sheetal Nirmal Komal’ with Shashi

Zeenat Aman is one of the vetran actors who became trendsetters and broke down the traditional and shy image of Indian women on-screen in the era of 70s and 80s. She became popular for her bold looks and style statement and became an inspiration for many in that era. She has given a number of hits and one of her iconic films is ‘Satyam Shivam Sundaram’ with Shashi Kapoor.

The ‘Don’ actor took to her Instagram handle to share a memory associated with the 1978 Raj Kapoor’s directorial romantic drama. She posted a still with her co-star Shashi Kapoor from the track ‘Chanchal Sheetal Nirmal Komal’. This beautiful fantasy song was sung by legendary singer Mukesh.

Aman shared that when she was told about the sequence of the track she “burst into a flood of tears” and she also asked her fans to watch the video.

She started her post with, “Shashi ji and I in a still from the song Chanchal Sheetal Nirmal Komal. Giant mushrooms, pink clouds, bellowing smoke, enormous flowers, sexy outfits, otherworldly props…this fantasy song sequence from Satyam Shivam Sundaram went the whole nine yards. I’d go as far as to call it something of a psychedelic trip!”

Zeenat continued, “Few people know of the drama that went on behind the scenes though. My director Rajji was an aesthete to the core, and was known for working with some of the most beautiful performers from the south - the likes of Vyjayanthimala and Padmini. He also had a taste for classical dance, and had conceptualised this entire song with that in mind.”

“But this was my first film under the RK banner, and I was not a classical dancer by any stretch of the imagination. When Rajji narrated the sequence to me, I burst into a flood of tears! I was convinced I would make a fool of my self and sink the entire film. Through hiccups and sobs I explained my predicament to him. Rajji laughed. “What will I do with you convent girls and your two left feet?” he exclaimed,” added the ‘The Great Gambler’ actor.

Aman further shared how the Greatest Showman of Indian cinema “instructed” choreographer to teach her the “mudras” of the song.

“He did do something of course. He instructed legendary choreographer Sohanlal to teach me mudras but not any complicated choreography. Simultaneously, genius costume designer Bhanu Athaiya created a range of sensational outfits, and art director A. Rangaraj mounted a stunning set. And thus, the SSS team created a wonderland,” she said.

“I highly recommend that you find the video on YouTube and give it a watch. It’s a visual delight, and I would love to hear your thoughts on it,” she concluded.

The actress has worked in films such as 'Satyam Shivam Sundaram', 'Hare Rama Hare Krishna', 'Qurbaani', 'Dhund', 'Don', 'Manoranjan' and 'Yaadon Ki Baarat'. She was known for doing unconventional roles in her era when many actresses were reluctant to take up those characters.