When Zeenat Aman said Feroz Khan abused her on phone when he was upset with her once, he later offered her 'Qurbaani'
Zeenat Aman , who entered the film industry in 1970, quickly rose to fame and became one of the highest-paid actresses of her era. Known for breaking the mold with films like Hare Rama Hare Krishna, Roti Kapda Aur Makaan, and Dharam Veer, she not only became a leading lady but also redefined the image of the Bollywood heroine with her bold fashion and screen presence.
At the peak of her career, Zeenat once turned down a secondary role in Feroz Khan ’s Dharmatma (1975), a decision that led to a major fallout between the two. Recalling the incident in an old interview with Shemaroo Lifestyle, she shared, “Feroz Khan had offered me a secondary role in Dharmatma. I refused the offer. Feroz was mad at me for this. Baad mein phone pe unhone mujhe kuch ulat sulat keh diya (Later, he even abused me over a phone call). This made me upset. We didn’t talk for a very long time.”
Despite the rift, Feroz Khan eventually reached out to her again when he began working on Qurbani (1980). Zeenat said, “But, when he was making Qurbani, he called me again. He said, ‘This time, it is not a secondary role, Zeenat Aman.’”
In a 2024 Instagram post, Zeenat reflected further on her rocky start with Feroz. “Feroz and I had a rocky start. It was the 70s, my star was on the rise, and he called me on the telephone to offer me a role in his upcoming production. It was a secondary part, and so I politely refused the offer. Feroz was incensed and let out a stream of expletives while I held the receiver away from my ear!”
She added, “Many months later, he called again. This time he started his pitch by saying – ‘it’s the lead role so don’t reject it’. And that’s how I joined the cast of Qurbani.”
Zeenat also shared a memory that highlighted Feroz’s strict sense of discipline on set. “I often discuss set etiquette in my captions, so I’d be amiss to neglect Feroz’s influence on me in this regard. I was quite a diligent worker, but on one occasion my youth got the better of me. Though we had an early call time the next day, I agreed to go out to a party. It was a fantastic night of dance and drink, and unsurprisingly I landed up one hour late to set. Feroz was glowering behind his camera, and before I could offer him my meagre excuse, he cut me down to size. ‘Begum, you’re late and you’re going to pay for the delay.’ No argument, no scolding, but you can be sure that he docked my pay to pay the crew for that one hour delay,” she recalled.
Qurbani went on to become one of Bollywood’s biggest blockbusters, much like Dharmatma. It also gained attention for being one of the most expensive productions of its time, with a budget of ₹1.55 crore. Originally, the film was set to star Amitabh Bachchan, but due to scheduling issues, the role eventually went to Vinod Khanna.
At the peak of her career, Zeenat once turned down a secondary role in Feroz Khan ’s Dharmatma (1975), a decision that led to a major fallout between the two. Recalling the incident in an old interview with Shemaroo Lifestyle, she shared, “Feroz Khan had offered me a secondary role in Dharmatma. I refused the offer. Feroz was mad at me for this. Baad mein phone pe unhone mujhe kuch ulat sulat keh diya (Later, he even abused me over a phone call). This made me upset. We didn’t talk for a very long time.”
Despite the rift, Feroz Khan eventually reached out to her again when he began working on Qurbani (1980). Zeenat said, “But, when he was making Qurbani, he called me again. He said, ‘This time, it is not a secondary role, Zeenat Aman.’”
In a 2024 Instagram post, Zeenat reflected further on her rocky start with Feroz. “Feroz and I had a rocky start. It was the 70s, my star was on the rise, and he called me on the telephone to offer me a role in his upcoming production. It was a secondary part, and so I politely refused the offer. Feroz was incensed and let out a stream of expletives while I held the receiver away from my ear!”
She added, “Many months later, he called again. This time he started his pitch by saying – ‘it’s the lead role so don’t reject it’. And that’s how I joined the cast of Qurbani.”
Zeenat also shared a memory that highlighted Feroz’s strict sense of discipline on set. “I often discuss set etiquette in my captions, so I’d be amiss to neglect Feroz’s influence on me in this regard. I was quite a diligent worker, but on one occasion my youth got the better of me. Though we had an early call time the next day, I agreed to go out to a party. It was a fantastic night of dance and drink, and unsurprisingly I landed up one hour late to set. Feroz was glowering behind his camera, and before I could offer him my meagre excuse, he cut me down to size. ‘Begum, you’re late and you’re going to pay for the delay.’ No argument, no scolding, but you can be sure that he docked my pay to pay the crew for that one hour delay,” she recalled.
Qurbani went on to become one of Bollywood’s biggest blockbusters, much like Dharmatma. It also gained attention for being one of the most expensive productions of its time, with a budget of ₹1.55 crore. Originally, the film was set to star Amitabh Bachchan, but due to scheduling issues, the role eventually went to Vinod Khanna.
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