Got ‘high as a kite’ after smoking chillum on Haré Rama Haré Krishna set: Zeenat Aman

Veteran actor Zeenat Aman said she had to appear really stoned while shooting for the classic song “Dum Maro Dum” in 1971’s popular film “Hare Rama Hare Krishna” and to bring authenticity to her character she got as high as a kite after she smoked up with real-life hippies in Nepal.

In the film, also starring and directed by Dev Anand, Aman portrayed the role of Jasbir ‘Janice’ Jaiswal, who drifts away from her family and spends time with hippies.

Aman, 72, shared the anecdote in an Instagram post on Monday night.

“We were in Kathmandu shooting Hare Rama Hare Krishna and Dev Saab had rounded up a gaggle of hippies from the streets to be featured in the song. Which song? The picture is a dead giveaway - Dum Maro Dum of course,” she said

“Now, Dev Saab wanted authenticity in this sequence. My character, the drug-addled  Janice, had to really look stoned. And the easiest way to achieve this was to partake in the hippy offerings! So there I was, still in my teens, gamely taking long pulls from their chillum for take after take,” she wrote alongside a still from the song.

By the time the team wrapped the day’s work, Aman said she was “high as a kite!”

“I was in no state to return to the hotel in that happy, dizzy and slightly gormless haze. So some of the team members packed me into a car and took me on a drive to a beautiful vantage point. There in the cold mountain air, I contemplated the Himalayas and slowly, peacefully came down from my high.”

“I later found out that my mother was furious when she learnt what happened and gave the senior crew members a sharp tongue lashing for allowing her precious child to do drugs! Luckily, I was spared her wrath,” she added.

In the same post, Aman also said that she will tour Mumbai, Delhi and Jaipur in October where she will share many such anecdotes and groove to the most memorable numbers from her films, all performed by a live band.

“This is a musical extravaganza, especially created for ‘my generation’ of fans! Don’t forget to book tickets for your parents, aunts, uncles and anyone else who grew up dancing to my songs. Yeh Shaam Mastani,” she said.