Veteran actress Zeenat Aman lit up Instagram on Saturday with a throwback picture of herself. The post is special for more than one reason. Why, you ask? Because the post not only comes with the date and time details of the picture but also with some trivia. Zeenat Aman, in the caption, revealed that the black and white photograph was taken at the muhurat ceremony of her 1978 film with Dharmendra, Shammi Kapoor and Hollywood star Rex Harrison – Shalimar. The actress wore a self-designed “glorious silver gown” at the event and it was created by a renowned designer of that time, Mani Rabadi. Zeenat Aman further revealed that the “plunging neckline and sleek silhouette” of her gown “certainly turned some heads” at the “packet, high-profile event.” In fact, to ace the final look and get an “exquisite fit,” Mani Rabadi “literally sewed (the actress) into the gown.”
Zeenat Aman wrote, “Some Saturday glam to inspire your evening plans! I've seen this image of myself floating around on the Internet, and thought it would be good to add some context to it. The year was 1977, and the cast and crew of Krishna Shah's Shalimar had gathered at the Turf Club in Mumbai for the film's <i>mahurat</i>. It was a packed, high-profile event and everyone was dressed to the nines. My glorious silver gown was created by renowned costume designer Mani Rabadi based on a design of my own making. Its plunging neckline and sleek silhouette certainly turned some heads. In fact, Mani literally sewed me into the gown to give it that exquisite fit.”
“We had several international actors in attendance that day, including Gina Lollobrigida. She later backed out of the production, amongst swirling rumours that we had locked horns. British actor Rex Harrison wasn't at the event, but he was in the film. One day on set, he told me – ‘A beautiful girl like you should get married immediately.' I had a good laugh over that. And for the record, I think that's a terrible reason to get married,” added the actress.
Zeenat Aman concluded her post by sharing her “thrilling” experience of filming Shalimar. She wrote, “Shalimar didn't quite dazzle the audience, but it was a thrilling adventure all the same. We shot the film in both English and Hindi, shooting each scene twice over.”
We love every time Zeenat Aman shares throwback pictures of herself. Her posts are gems because she also provides details about the old photographs.
Zeenat Aman is known for her work in movies like Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Don and Hare Rama Hare Krishna, to name a few.