Zeenat Aman recalls being ‘intimidated’ in the presence of Rajesh Khanna, would mug up her lines: He was a phenomenon

Zeenat Aman and Rajesh Khanna were a hit pair in the 70s, and went on to work together in several hit films.

Zeenat Aman and Rajesh Khanna worked together in several films including Ajanabee, Chhailla Babu, Jaanwar, and Aashiq Hoon Baharon Ka. Yet, Zeenat revealed that she was initially scared when she had to do a scene with him because she was a newcomer in front of a superstar like him. Talking to Film Companion in a new interview, Zeenat shared that she was ‘totally intimidated.’ (Also read: EXCLUSIVE | Zeenat Aman hits back at Mumtaz for taking a dig at her live-in advice: I don’t tear down my colleagues)

Zeenat Aman with Rajesh Khanna in a still from Jaanwar.

What Zeenat said

During the interview, in which Zeenat was accompanied by veteran actor Shabana Azmi, the host asked them how do they ensure that good work is done even when the co-actor or other people on set are star struck seeing them. In response, Zeenat shared her experience and said, “I remember when I had just started in the film industry and Rajesh Khanna was the phenomenon. Oh my god, I mugged up all my lines so that I wouldn’t flub a single thing. I was totally intimidated by him but did I show him? Not at all. I went to him and I performed. So when I went back to my makeup room, I was like, ‘Wow. I just gave a shot with a superstar.’ I think that’s the right attitude to have.”

More details

Zeenat also added that she likes to collaborate with her co-actors and the director when working on a scene. She praised Shabana and said, “This lady here (points at her)… she is a queen of performance. I had such a time just watching her work. She takes what is given to her and just rolls away. It was delightful.”

Zeenat will be seen next with Abhay Deol and Shabana Azmi in the upcoming film Bun Tikki. The project has been directed by Sheer Qorma (2021) fame Faraz Arif Ansari and backed by Manish Malhotra’s production house Stage 5 Production.