'Steady companion': Zeenat Aman on moral policing in the 1970s
Zeenat Aman, known for her daring and unconventional roles in the '70s, recently shared her experiences of working in Shammi Kapoor's directorial debut film, Manoranjan. On Monday, she posted throwback photos on Instagram and a hand-painted poster from the film shoot, emphasizing how "moral police had a field day" with the character. In the caption, she reminisced about playing Nisha, a liberated sex worker who was confident and unfazed.
Aman's character Nisha was ahead of its time
In her Instagram post, Aman described her character Nisha as "sexually liberated, financially independent," and capable of standing up to any man. She wrote, "If I've had a steady companion through my career, it's been the moral police. And, my goodness, did they have a field day with this one!" "Nisha was no damsel in distress! Her outfits were flirtatious and sexy, but more importantly, she was unapologetic about how she earns a living."
Despite the moral policing, Aman has no qualms
Further walking down the memory lane, the actor added, "The '70s were a wonderful time to be alive! Despite the moral police (they're always around) the atmosphere of experimentation, freedom and fashion was unmatchable!" "Filming Manoranjan was a 'haste-haste, khelte-khelte' affair. The producer FC Mehra was a family friend. We shot the film entirely in studios in Mumbai, and it released in 1974." The film also starred Sanjeev Kumar and is streaming on Netflix.
Priyanka Chopra and Archana Puran Singh responded to the post
Aman's Instagram post drew attention from Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who commented, "Moral police is still around and will continue to be around it seems! But you are beyond." Actor Archana Puran Singh also responded, "Even though I was very young I was enthralled by the world that was created and my parents thought nothing of sending a young girl to watch a film on this subject." Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap liked the post, too.
