Zeenat Aman On Rupa’s Sensuality In Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Counters Obscenity Accusations

Yesteryear star Zeenat Aman took to her official Instagram handle to share a throwback click from the sets of Satyam Shivam Sundaram. In the picture, the actress is seen in her signature ‘sensuous’ look from the 1978 film. But what caught everyone’s attention is her long caption that she uploaded with her Insta post.
Zeenat spoke about the ‘accusations of obscenity’ that she received for her overall appearance in her 1978 hit film. She wrote, “This picture was taken by photographer J P Singhal during a look test for Satyam Shivam Sundaram around 1977. We shot the series at RK Studios, and my costumes were designed by Oscar-winner Bhanu Athaiya.”
She further added, “Anyone acquainted with the history of Bollywood will know that there was much controversy and brouhaha about my character Rupa in Satyam Shivam Sundaram. I was always quite amused by the accusations of obscenity as I did not and do not find anything obscene about the human body. I am a director’s actor and these looks were part of my job. Rupa’s sensuality was not the crux of the plot, but a part of it. As it is, the set is not even remotely a sensual space. Every move is choreographed, rehearsed and performed in front of dozens of crew members.” For the unversed, Zeenat Aman became the talk of the town upon the release of Satyam Shivam Sundaram. Her character Rupa’s ‘sensuous’ portrayal raised a lot of eyebrows and the actress even gained the title of the first sex symbol of Bollywood.
Aman started her career after winning Miss India in 1970. She debuted in Bollywood alongside Dev Anand with The Evil Within (1970). Later, she went on to star in a number of hit films like Hare Rama Hare Krishna (1971), Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973), Don (1978) and many more.