DARED TO BARE: ZEENIE AMAN:
On first glance (even a second) it is a shock to watch just how much skin Zeenat Aman is exposing in some of her films from the 70s. In Raj Kapoor's "Satyam Shivam Sundaram" (1978) Zeenat goes bra-less in a see-through saree five times too small for her. Her clothes in the film give Zeenat the single most 'revealing' performance in Bollywood history. In "Qurbani" (1980) Zeenat romps in the surf and up the beach in a micro bikini smaller than anything before or since seen on a Bollywood screen. The relish and self satisfaction, the pride in her potent physical form are evident in these classic Zeenat Aman exhibitions.
One can see that Zeenat is gamely and playfully pushing the boundaries of female representation. She may have been asked by the director of the film to wear the tiny bikini or see-through saree, but she certainly saw nothing 'wrong' or would state to the effect that it was no big deal in doing so. She felt that the industry and society was uptight and should loosen up a bit. Regressive attitudes towards the female form were just not a part of her reality.
Often she chose roles that were outside the normal formula so she could stretch herself. Because of her intelegence and the visceral sincerity of her performances, Zeenat's liberated modern woman became a new facet on the role of Bollywood heroine. Not to mention that the public loved her and for a period she was the total rage, not only as a film actress but also as a fashion icon.
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