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Zeenat Aman has done several remarkable films in her career, but she is mostly remembered for her bold and unconventional role in Satyam Shivam Sundaram. Zeenat made headlines for her sensual look in the film directed and produced by Raj Kapoor. Though it is now hard to imagine anyone else but Zeenat in that role, you’ll be shocked to know that she wasn’t the first choice for the film. Raj Kapoor had first offered this role to Dream Girl Hema Malini. However, she refused it as it involved sensuality.
In an exclusive interview with us, Hema said, “Raj Kapoor ji came to me with Satyam Shivam Sundaram. At the same time, he himself said, “I don’t think you will do it but I am very keen that you should do it. But I know you will not do it.” So my mother is also sitting and saying, “No, no, she will not do all that.” It was a very sweet episode.”
Interestingly, Hema made her Bollywood debut alongside Raj Kapoor in 1968. Hema was 18 or 19 while Raj Kapoor was in his 40s when they appeared together in the film Sapnon Ke Saudagar.
Did Hema feel uncomfortable doing romantic scenes with someone double her age? Answering it, Hema said, “They are giving me an opportunity to come and work with that great actor. So, that was more in my mind than thinking that he is 40. I have only seen it this way that the character he performed suited him very well, he performed so nice and I was very scared in the beginning. It was my first film. With him, I had some very funny romantic scenes. I used to find it very difficult but my director helped me to cope with it.”
While Hema refused to do Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1978), she starred in Rihaee (1988) which was considered a very bold film of its time. When asked how she agreed to do Rihaee, Hema told, “Firstly, I wanted to experience working under a female director, that is, Aruna Raje. And then, the story was very interesting. I liked doing that. Something different I wanted to do at that time. I liked playing a rural woman from Gujarat. It was very sweet and interesting but very bold.”
During the interview, Hema was also asked if she found any role difficult to play in her remarkable career spanning over five decades. The veteran actress said, “No! Once I get into it, I am able to do it. Because when you are working continuously and playing different characters, you are able to accept it and do it. But the director has to be very clear and needs to tell me what he wants and I will execute whatever he needs. I mean, with proper limitations and not going overboard! Nowadays, films are very challenging. I don’t think I would fit into these kind of films.”
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