Zeenat Aman says her films haven’t aged well, makes her ‘cringe’

Zeenat Aman, the Indian legend, feels no shame in reviewing her previous work and being her biggest critic. The Bollywood star opened up about the films that she feels haven't stood the test of time and now make her cringe. In her latest post, she shared a behind-the-scenes picture from her 1977 thriller film, Chailla Babu, and expressed her discomfort with certain scenes from the movie.

Chailla Babu, directed by Joy Mukherjee and starring Rajesh Khanna alongside Zeenat Aman, was a suspenseful rollercoaster that had rocked the box office of the aforementioned year. However, Aman took to Instagram and confessed that as she looks back now, she finds certain moments from the film cringe-worthy.

The black-and-white snapshot she posted captured a moment from the film's shooting in Goa. Reminiscing about Chailla Babu's success, she praised the production by the "lovely and easy-going" Shomu Mukherjee and the direction by Joy. She also highlighted the movie's mix of romance, action, music, and drama, which was a signature of the era.

Aman specifically mentioned her own prolonged "nahiiiiiiiin" scene, which she humorously noted as a quintessential element of Bollywood masala movies. The shared picture was taken during the climactic action sequence shot at sea in Goa, where Aman also got the chance to showcase her fighting skills.

However, she didn't shy away from addressing the less flattering aspects of her past films. She candidly admitted that many of the movies made back then haven't aged well, including Chailla Babu. “I will admit that so many of the films that we made back then haven’t aged too well. In fact, my younger followers would be appalled by the ‘red Indian’ sequence in this film. Quite frankly, it makes me cringe too. Such caricatures were entirely the norm back then, and I am glad that I know better now!” Well, we’re glad to see veteran actors accepting the flaws in older narratives too!

However, she also had something to say about her wardrobe for the film. “My outfits in the film were awesomely flamboyant. So what am I wearing here? A black and pink (fake) leather bustier, a matching skirt, a scarf, and knee-high boots. And the entire ensemble was embellished with metallic studs! How’s that for an ‘outfit of the day’?” she asked, and fans alleged that Aman and Parveen Babi were “way ahead of the fashion game” even back then.

Aman’s honest reflection on the films that make her cringe resonated with her fans, who flooded the comments section with words of encouragement and appreciation. They applauded her for her self-awareness and suggested she write a book sharing these captivating stories, along with her insights, learnings, and life tips.