Zeenat Aman - My favorite Songs

Zeenat burst into the film scene in 1970s. She was not the first glamorous heroine of our times. We have seen many of those.  But there were none who were as free spirited as her. Look at the picture above.  She is wearing a simple kurta, hoop earrings and her hair is let loose to cascade down her shoulders.  There is no pancake makeup, heavy earrings and no designer dress.  Zeenat exemplified Casual, be it in her dress, demeanor or make-up. I can't pin-point when the bouffant died, but I am pretty sure Zeenat was one of the ladies responsible for its death.

I am not a film historian, but I do feel that Zeenat also blurred the lines between the heroine and the vamp. Previously, it was the heroine who was the Good Girl and the Vamp the bad one in sexy clothes. Zeenat staked the claim of being a Good Girl in sexy clothes.  She did not bother to change into a demure saree in the 8th reel.

I have picked 13 songs performed by Zeenat that I like.   I thank Harvey for helping me select the songs and also help with the write up. Originally we had selected twelve but then Harvey reminded me of a lovely song from Darling Darling which I wanted in without dislodging the others. Hence we agreed to make it 13 (Baker's dozen - as Harvey reminded me).

The visuals had to match the catchy lyrics and Zeenat had to be the focus. Harvey and I mostly concurred with each others' choices.  He did not like the Warrant song, but I insisted.  I had to have a song with Zeenat dressed up as a Punjaban. I bowed to the Heeralal Pannalal song despite disliking Premnath's headgear, it overshadows everything else.  We auditioned several of the Satyam Shivam Sundaram songs but dumped them all because we cannot stand Zeenat mincing around in that fashion.  After the 1980, we could not recall any nice songs sung by Zeenat in which she was being, well.. Zeenat, so that is where our selection ended.

These songs are in the order of Zeenat's filmography so that no more scuffles break out between Harvey and me over the greater and lesser favorites.

1. Dum Maro Dum
Hare Rama Hare Krishna (1971)

I was a pre-teen when I saw Zeenat in Hare Rama Hare Krishna.  It was such an exotic story, an estranged brother and sister meet in Nepal where the sister is part of a Hippie gang.  Zeenat wore light pink shades, hoop earrings and let her hair flow naturally to her shoulders. (We used to call it the Shoulder-Cut- *eyeroll*). No wonder I have such a fascination for hoops and Pink Eyeglasses.

This song gets everything right. A big crowd of Hippies puffing on the chillum, the psychedelic beats of the song (the best part, I feel), Zeenat swaying away, random couples dancing and playing the guitar and an anxious Dev Anand watching it all. R.D. rules and Zeenie Baby rocks!


2. Chura liya hai tumne jo dil ko
Yadon Ki Baraat (1973)

Zeenat was not a very good actress.  Her diction was deplorable.  It is hard to believe that the was the daughter of the Amanullah Khan who co-wrote Mughal-e-Azam and Pakeezah.  The man who gave us such wonderful dialogues in chaste Urdu could not even influence the way his daughter spoke.  But then, Amanullah died when Zeenat was just 13.  Her mother remarried with a German. Zeenat went to California to study.  All this, I suppose, gave her westernized mannerisms and accent.

Yet, she looked like a million dollars.  Just when the world was changing and filmmakers wanted actresses who wore trendy clothes, Zeenat landed on the scene.

Everything about this song from Yadon Ki Baraat is perfect too.  The fancy party, Zeenat's dress, a lovely song.  Zeenat makes Vijay Arora look good by pairing with him.  R.D. Rules and Zeenie Rocks!

Extra Song:

There was another great song in this movie, if you can tolerate Tariq for a bit, you will soon get to Zeenie rocking the stage in 'lal kapde'. What gorgeous 'lal kapde'. Even today any girl would be glad to get into that red mini dress and those red high boots. Zeenat makes even Tariq look good just by standing with him.

3. Panna ki Tamanna
Heera Panna (1973)

Dev Anand was Zeenat's mentor.  Zeenat was disappointed with her flailing film career post Hulchul and Hungama and ready to pack her bags and go back to live with her parents. She landed the role of Janice in Hare Rama Hare Krishna thanks to Dev.  He was close to 50 and Zeenat was barely 20.  Dev was still very handsome, he was beginning his downslide, and the tendency to wear flashy young clothes was just starting to rankle.  I have several friends, Harvey and Sameer among them, who are very interested in Dev of this period. Just mention '70s',' Dev' and 'Zeenat' in a sentence and Sameer is sure to pop up with a comment.

Heera Panna is a goldie of this new era in Dev's career. He is a (fashion?) photographer who gets embroiled in a diamond heist.  Zeenat is the semi-bad girl, the kind who is a thief and wears bikinis to distract men but is good at heart.  In this song she is trying to latch on Heera (Dev). Unbeknownst to him, the Heera she craves is lying in the petrol tank of his car.

Zeenat is wearing pink flares and her signature hoops-and-shoulder-cut-hair. Dev is dressed in mustard pants, a shirt that throws shades of orange and peach, red cap and a huge phallic looking camera. His car has names of various places written on it, showing that he is a much traveled, Internationally renowned photographer.

4. Hai Hai ye Majboori
Roti Kapda aur Makaan (1974)

Roti Kapda Aur Makaan was a feather in the cap of Zeenat Aman.  In this superhit multistarer, she was courted by two men, Manoj Kumar and Shashi Kapoor.  She loves her slightly loser-ish boyfriend from her mohalla, Manoj, but gets engaged to the dashing, rich Shashi.  She is torn between promise of a good life with Shashi and her love for Manoj.

She dresses mostly in Sarees as behooves a sanskari middle class girl who finds favor with Mr. Bharat, but she does get this romp in the rain where she teases her boyfriend for wasting time with his job when he should be with her.

5. Chori Chori Solah Singaar Karoongi
Manoranjan (1974)

Shammi Kapoor could not have found a better girl to play a happy-go-lucky prostitute for his remake of Irma La Douce than Zeenat.  Our girl never shied away from flaunting her sexuality.  Zeenat needed this capability in spades to play the role of Nisha who is a prostitute sans the usual tears that heroines were required to shed for being in that state.  In Manoranjan, she is happy in her profession and her only goal is to earn money and take care of her favorite pimp - Sanjeev.

Zeenat sings this lovely song while she takes a midnight bath, waiting for her man to return to her.  She wasn't a great actress, but manages to convey the joy she feels at decking herself up for her beloved. I doubt if we have ever seen any other Hindi film actress flaunt her body with the ease that Zeenat had.


6.  Ladi Nazariya Ladi
Warrant (1975)

By Mid-70s Zeenat's mentor, Dev Anand, was almost a spent force.  There are some who may want to delete the 'almost' in the previous sentence. I, however, enjoy some of his 70s movies. He extended his shelf life by appearing in/making reasonably watchable entertainers and also by acting alongside pretty young heroines.

In Warrant, Zeenie ups the glamour quotient by looking pretty and standing by Dev while he tries to find out who has framed him,  There is this lovely song from the film 'Main tumse mohabbat karti hoon' where Zeenat is honey-trapping the villain.  But I am a Punjaban and cannot resist a Punjabi sounding song and Zeenat decked up like a Punjabi girl.



7. Hai Agar Dushman Zamana 
Ham Kisi se Kam Nahi (1977)

Zeenat was not really there in Ham Kisi se Kam Nahi.  She was in a special appearance as Rishi's girl friend.  But what an appearence! Rishi was seen as a Prince of Qawwali, and here Zeenat gets to match him latka to jhatka.  She is very spirited as she decides to ditch her glum father (Ajit) and go on to the dias alongside Rishi and proclaim to the world that she will spurn everything for love.

Zeenat had an anglicised accent, but in the songs she gets to hide behind a singer and emote with abandon.  I adore her in this black outfit.  She had a gorgeous figure.

8. Ikk main hoon Ikk tu
Darling Darling (1977)

This song is lovely, soft, romantic. A slim Zeenat in a frock looks great as she resists the advances of Dev.  I have to thank Harvey for reminding me of this wonderful number.  It did swell my list from 12 to 13, but who cares! More the merrier, I say.

As far as I remember, Darling Darling had a story similar to My Fair Lady.  Dev Anand improves Zeenat from a rough speaking village girl to a polished woman who wows all.  It has the delightful Hello Darling which was meant to chart the transition, something like 'Rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.'

I don't see any other Dev-Zeenat film in her filmography after this.  It seems like they moved on.  The phase of nice songs was also waning, soon we would be treated to eardrum killing tunes.   Dev was already in his fifties, and he was ageing.  Zeenat was in her prime.  She went on to make many more good movies - not with good songs though.


9.Aa jaa mere pyaar aaja
Heeralal Pannalal (1978)

Harvey:

I remember this song from my childhood days, when this film was released. Since then it has always been on my favourite list. I was fascinated by this song then and am fascinated by it now. Although the song sounds romantic it is not a lover’s romance, which is the driving force behind it, but a father-daughter love. The Hemant Kumar version of the song is sung by Premnath, the father () and the Asha Bhonsle version by Zeenat Aman. Pancham’s lines are an addition here, to which Amjad Khan moves his lips. Pancham’s gargling voice and his lines give the song certain urgency, which is immanent to it. The daughter sees her father after a long separation and in a grave danger. The father is in disguise and can’t reveal his identity and save her. The girls singing Mr. Hu (the father’s pseudonym) sounds thus like a ridicule. Zeenat Aman’s dialogue delivery though always left something to desire her facial expressions were always good. Here she manages to look sexy and still express her helplessness, sorrow and happiness at meeting her father.

Ava: Zeenat in a shimmery pink dress dancing with abandon ticks my boxes, but Premnath wearing a funny headgear as disguise does not.  But Harvey put up with my Punjabi choice from Warrant and I put up with this 'father-daughter' club dance.

10. Khatooba, khatooba
Alibaba Aur 40 Chor (1980)

Harvey: Zeenat is again on a mission to save her father here. He is locked in a cellar dungeon of a wizard. The wizard’s skills seem to be very futuristic, which manage to conjure up a disco in the middle ages of the Arabian nights. Zeenat does what she is best at, being seductive and turning every man's head in her wake and more.

Ava: Yes, Yes, Yes. This movie was fun and the song is terrific.  Zeenat dances her way out of a tight corner looking every inch like an Arabian Princess.  She danced pretty well too, at least the filmi variety.

11. Rakkasa Mera Naam
Great Gambler (1979)

For me movies stopped being fun after the 70s.  Qurbani which is listed next was the absolute last of the greats.  Even Amitabh movies became stale (most of them, anyway).  But this had it all.  Amitabh had  a double role, one CID Inspector and the other a crook.  He was very very very ably supported by two great actresses, Neetu Singh and Zeenat.  The movie is replete with lovely numbers featuring them.

In this song Zeenat is a belly dancer somewhere in middle-east (if my memory can be trusted).  No wonder Amitabh is transfixed by her.  There was another sublime song from the film with Zeenat and Amitabh - Do lafzon ki hai . This song is sung by me and Harvey every time either he or I talk about Venice and Gondolas.


12. Laila Main Laila
Qurbani (1980)

Habba Habba! I like actresses with loads of chutzpah, and Zeenat had it in spadefuls.  Here also she dons a lovely silvery dress and sways to this catchy tune.  Qurbani had another song that was (rightfully) an all time chartbuster.  I mean the Nazia Hasan number Aap Jaisa Koi.. It is a wonderful number, but if I had to pick a good dance and what we Punjabis call 'Rola Ruppa' (Noise quotient) to dance to, I prefer Laila Main Laila.

What fun movies we had in the 70s and (early 80s).  I had just started working then and wanted to take my nephew and niece for a movie treat.  This is what we picked to watch.  It takes me back to those days when I was younger and could still enjoy these kind of movies.

13. Bheega badan jalnelagaa

 Abdullah (1980)

Harvey: From the Arabian Nights setting of Alibaba we jump to Sanjay Khan’s take at the Krishna saga, which is reset in Arabian surroundings. The Arabian Nights are full of women who bathe in springs and men gawking at them. Sanjay Khan sets his Arabian oasis in a cheap Bombay studio with Mumbai’s chlorinated nal ka paani instead of the crystal-clear, sweet water of a spring. Only I can think of such superficial things, while most of other men were interested in the deeper values of Zeenat’s rendition of the song. (Ava: Rofl)

Ava: Zeenat rocks the song as only she could. She would have been really good in Satyam Shivam Sundaram if Raj Kapoor had let her do her own thing.  Here she looks so natural, enjoying her dip in err.... an oasis in the middle of a desert.

I have to thank Anu  and Sameer for sparking this idea of doing a post on Nakhrewali heroines.  I hope to be able to do many more on my favorite Divas like Sharmila Tagore, Saira Banu, Mumtaz and a few more.

I would love to hear about your favorite songs. Please do post them in the comments section.