Zeenat Aman’s seductive image is synonymous with the two iconic songs Aap Jaisa Koi and Laila Oh Laila from Qurbani. And to think these imperishable club songs almost didn’t happen!
The Satyam Shivan Sundaram actress has turned 71 today. Recalling the story behind her successful numbers Zeenat reveals, “When Feroz Khan got Biddu to do a song in Qurbani, he had initially composed another song. But Nazia Haasan (singer) didn’t like the song. So Feroz asked Biddu to do another song, that’s when Aap Jaisa Koi happened. What a rage that song was! It was my career’s most popular song along with Dum Maro Dum (Hare Rama Hare Krishna), Hai Hai Yeh Majboori (Roti Kapada Aur Makaan) and of course Laila Oh Laila.”
Zeenat revealed that Laila Oh Laila was never meant to be in Qurbani. “We shot the song Laila Oh Laila for another film altogether with another title. After we shot it, Feroz Khan being the mercurial movie moghul that he was, decided to scrap the original film, script and title. He instead decided to make Qurbani overnight. We were fine with the decision because we had only shot that song Laila Oh Laila…so Qurbani was born after we filmed the song.”
Zeenat explained that the phenomenal reach of the song (sung shakily by Kanchan Dinker Rao Mail, who at that stage of composers Kalyanji-Anandji’s career got to sing some big hits because she was married to Kalyanji-Anandji’s brother Babla) and said, “When we were shooting the song we never thought it would acquire such an iconic status. I mean, we had a lot fun shooting it. But I never thought I’d be remembered by Laila Oh Laila and Aap Jaisa Koi in Qurbani to this day.”
Not surprisingly, most of Zeenat’s signature moves in Laila Oh Laila were improvised. She recalled, “I don’t remember if we had a formal choreographer on the sets. But I do remember Feroz just told me to do my own thing. Whether it was Laila Oh Laila in Qurbani or Dum Maro Dum in Hare Rama Hare Krishna, I grooved to my own rhythm. Today wherever I go I am asked about these two songs and of course, the sublime songs of Satyam Shivam Sundaram.”
On her 71st birthday, like every year, Zeenat prefers to spend time with her sons Zahaan and Azaan. She said, "Mortality is the reality of life. Every year my birthday underlines that reality. I am so grateful to have made it so far."