Veteran actress Zeenat Aman recently shared a charming anecdote on Instagram, revealing a behind-the-scenes secret from the 1977 film Hum Kisise Kum Naheen, where she starred alongside Rishi Kapoor, fondly known as "Chintu ji". In a candid confession, she humorously recounted how their height difference led to an amusing on-set adjustment.
Aman explained that despite working with several members of the Kapoor family, her professional and social interactions with Rishi Kapoor were minimal. Their collaboration was limited to a single song in Hum Kisise Kum Naheen, a film she took on as a special appearance due to director Nasir Hussain considering her a "lucky talisman" after the success of Yaadon ki Baaraat. Her role included a qawwali number, the only one in her career, and a romantic scene with Kapoor.
The actress revealed that during the filming of their romantic scene, the difference in their heights became strikingly apparent. "So there we were, Chintu ji and I flirting for the camera on a russet leather couch, but for some reason our seated positions made our height difference more strikingly apparent," Aman wrote on Instagram. To address this, director Nasir Saab ingeniously propped up Rishi Kapoor with not one, but two cushions. "Much to Chintu ji's chagrin, Nasir Saab propped him up on first one and then two cushions to make him appear taller than me!," she shared.
Aman wittily commented on the situation, acknowledging the rigid gender constructs prevalent in Hindi cinema, and perhaps global cinema, where it was often deemed unappealing for an actress to be taller than her on-screen love interest. She lightheartedly concluded her post, "The banter is quite fun I think. After all, which one of you ladies reading this has never accused your paramour of something along the lines of - “Jahaan chikni surat dekhte ho, phisal jaate ho!”.
The anecdote sparked considerable reaction, with fans recalling similar instances where height differences were addressed in Bollywood. Some fans referenced an instance where Salman Khan reportedly suggested Sushmita Sen wear heels.
Zeenat Aman's recent Instagram activity has been a delight for fans, as she shares stories and insights from her illustrious career. Currently recuperating from a recent hospital stay, she also appears in Netflix's The Royals.
