Bollywood veteran actress Zarina Wahab widely recognized for her timeless performances, made an unexpected lifestyle change during the filming of one of her superhit films for Gopal Krishna (1979). Born into a Muslim family in Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, Zarina who is fluent in Telugu, shared a lesser-known story about how she turned vegetarian to portray the role of Radha in the movie.
In a recent interview with Lehren Retro, Zarina recalled the surprising decision she made early in her career. She recounted how, after being cast in Gopal Krishna, she was called to meet the renowned producer Tarachand Barjatya in his office after her first day of packup. Zarina said, “Tarachand ji bole, ‘Dekho aap yeh film kar rahi hai, aap Radha bani hai! We are making Gopal Krishna, so please jab tak yeh film complete nahi ho jati hai, aap please vegetarian ban jayein. No meat, no non-vegetarian,’” Tarachand ji vividly told her.
Zarina clarified that it wasn’t a request but more of a direct instruction. “Request nahi, unhone kaha ‘don’t.’ Main kaha ‘ok, sir,’” she added. Following this, she completely gave up non-vegetarian food during the film’s production. Zarina went on to say, “Believe me, jab tak film complete nahi hui, jab tak release nahi hui, main nahi khaya!”
The actress admitted that the initial days of turning vegetarian were tough. “1-2 din aisa laga ‘arey, yaar’…,” she shared. However, she continued to stay committed to the producer’s wishes, acknowledging the importance of maintaining the sanctity of the character and the film’s spiritual essence.
Discover the detail insights about her ‘Gopal Krishna’ filming days, watch the interview below:
Directed by Vijay Sharma and produced by Tarachand Barjatya, Gopal Krishna is based on the Bhagavata Purana and chronicles Krishna’s journey from birth to defeating his demon uncle Kamsa. Zarina played Radha opposite Sachin Pilgaonkar in this revered cinematic work.
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. Born into a Muslim family in Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, Zarina who is fluent in Telugu, shared a lesser-known story about how she turned vegetarian to portray the role of Radha in the movie.){kind=link}