Upon discovering the term ‘rizz’ – slang for charisma or attractiveness, Zeenat Aman used it to encapsulate the essence of Feroz Khan. Sharing a nostalgic throwback picture alongside the late actor, she penned a note that resonated with the enduring impact of his charisma. “I read somewhere that Oxford’s word for the year 2023 is “rizz” – short for ‘charisma’. Well, if I’ve ever known anybody to have rizz, it was Feroz Khan.”
She continued, “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! 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.”
She added, “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 monitor, 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 concluded with, “Feroz was suave, charming and polished. He was a talented actor-director, and Qurbani remains one of my favourite projects to date. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this anecdote and I hope 2024 is off to a roaring start for you!.”
On the work front, Zeenat Aman was last seen in Ashutosh Gowarikar’s Panipat. Now, she is all set to make her comeback with Bun Tikki alongside Shabana Azmi and Abhay Deol in Manish Malhotra’s production venture.