Ek aur dum...

A still from one of Zeenat Aman’s most recognisable songs—Dum Maro Dum. In an Instagram post, she recalls how she partook of a chillum on set as director and co-actor Dev Anand had wanted an authentically “stoned” look in the shot

When [Saregama] told me that they wanted me to headline the show which would be about me, my work and the songs that have been picturised on me, I was of course very drawn to the idea because it would be the first time that I would be doing that," Zeenat Aman tells us over the phone. The show Yeh Shaam Mastani which will play in Mumbai, Delhi and Jaipur in October will weave stories from Aman's films with performances of some of her most iconic songs.

Aman's show, Yeh Shaam Mastani, will play in Mumbai, Delhi and Jaipur in October

Radio Jockey Anirudh Chawla, who will be moderating these shows, has played a significant role in their planning. "Since I was a young actor, I have travelled the world with Laxmikant-Pyarelal and Kalyan-ji-Anand-ji, with Mr Bachchan, with Lata-ji and Asha-ji to venues such as Madison Square Garden and Maple Leaf Gardens, to perform at packed stadiums and halls," the veteran recalls. "I've always been a small part of these shows, and enjoyed every bit of it." There have also been acting stints on stage, most recently as Kasturba Gandhi in Saif Hyder Hasan's Dearest Bapu, Love Kasturba. But this will be Aman's first time headlining a show that will showcase her filmic career and its memorable music.

A still from the film Don, starring Aman and Amitabh Bachchan

"I'm really happy and excited to be doing that," she shares. "I was really staggered to find that there was such a vast choice of songs. I know everyone has their own favourite: There's Dum Maro Dum, Chura Liya, Aap Jaisa Koi or songs from Roti Kapada Aur Makaan, Dostana, Don, Laawaris, Ajanabee or Shalimar. There's so much." Unable to decide on a favourite herself, she says, "For me they're all personal and precious."

Aman recalls in a social media post how a chance meeting at a hotel with a family of fans led to the discovery of Nazia Hassan, who went on to record the mega hit disco song Aap Jaisa Koi at the tender age of 15

Aman's anecdotes connected to songs, films and actors will be in the easy and engaging narrative style of her much-loved Instagram posts, complemented by a live orchestra. "There are lots of lovely little stories, whether it's with Raj-ji [Raj Kapoor] or Dev-sahab [Dev Anand] or Manoj Kumar or Feroz Khan or Mr Bachchan," she says, when we ask about memories that stand out. The material that was compiled after the initial discussions, she says, ran into nearly six hours' worth of work with the result that the actress and her team are still deciding which songs and stories will make the final cut. "My first release was in 1970, so there are many years of work and fabulous music from some unforgettable films… there's a lot of nostalgia among people who grew up during that time and [the idea is to] take them back to that time and to share everything that went down [in that era]."

WHAT: Saregama LIVE's Yeh Shaam Mastani with Zeenat Aman
WHERE: Shanmukhananda Hall
WHEN: October 5, 7 PM
FOR: Rs 499 onwards
TO BOOK: bookmyshow.com