Zeenat Aman rebuts Dev Anand’s claims, calls Raj Kapoor bond purely work, not romantic

Veteran actor Zeenat Aman has finally responded to Dev Anand’s decades-old claims about her alleged relationship with Raj Kapoor, stating firmly that there was never anything romantic between her and the late filmmaker. Speaking at a recent public event, the 73-year-old actor took the opportunity to clarify what she called a misrepresentation.

Dev Anand had written in his autobiography Romancing with Life that he had once planned to confess his love to Aman. He recounted seeing her at a party in the arms of Raj Kapoor, which left him heartbroken and led him to withdraw his romantic proposal. In the book, he described Raj as “drunken” and “exuberant,” and mentioned that the embrace between Kapoor and Aman appeared “too familiar.” He even quoted Kapoor allegedly saying to Aman, “You are breaking your promise that you will always be seen by me only in a white sari.”

Zeenat Aman, who starred in Raj Kapoor’s Satyam Shivam Sundaram in 1978, said she was cast by Kapoor as his upcoming lead actor. She insisted their dynamic remained strictly professional. “Raj had signed me for Satyam Shivam Sundaram and I went there as his about-to-be heroine. I never had an inter-personal relationship (with him), not before that and never after that,” she said.

She added, “He was passionate about his work and I was passionate about his work but never did he ask me why I did not wear white. In fact, if you look at it, I have never worn white on his sets or parties. Never has he said, ‘Why didn’t you wear white?’”

Zeenat also addressed Dev Anand’s interpretation directly: “Now, I am not sure about the perspective of Dev Sahab. Lekin mai haq se kehti hu bilkul galat tha, mai apni kitaab me zarur likhungi.” She emphasised that while she respects Dev Anand, the version he narrated was not correct in her view.

Without dismissing Anand’s feelings, Zeenat hinted at offering her side of the story in her upcoming memoir, where she plans to share the truth as she remembers it.