This Muslim actress took up non-veg to perform the role of Radha.
News Mania Desk / Piyal Chatterjee / 4th December 2024
Zarina Wahab was born on July 17, 1959, in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, to a Muslim family. She studied acting at the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune. The actress has received critical acclaim for her roles in films such Chitchor, Gharaonda, Gopal Krishna, Adaminte Makan Abu, and Madanolsavam, among others.
At the very beginning of her career, Zarina was rejected by Raj Kapoor due to her dusky complexion. Several reports claim that the late filmmaker told her she would never be able to become an actress. Speaking to a portal in Hindi, Zarina said, “When I was studying at Pune Film Institute, Raj Kapoor used to come there often to meet Shailendra Singh. Shailendra was trying to become an actor and during this time he had also sung the songs filmed on Rishi Kapoor in Raj Kapoor’s film Bobby. Yes, one day Raj Kapoor did say to me that you look like a sweeper, I asked him why are you saying so? So he said that I call Zeenat Aman also by the same name. I see Zeenat Aman’s image in you. This was a big compliment from Raj Kapoor for me and people twisted it and presented it as something else.”
Zarina Wahab’s life changed dramatically when Dev Anand cast her in the 1974 film Ishk Ishk Ishk, which he directed, produced, and starred in. Following her debut, she went on to play the lead in other Rs 100 crore films, including My Name is Khan, Agneepath, Dil Dhadakne Do, and others.
Furthermore, the actress is well-known for playing Goddess Radha in Sooraj Barjatya’s mythical film Gopal Krishna (1979). The filmmaker encouraged their players to avoid from consuming non-vegetarian cuisine because they were playing such favorable roles. The actress stated that after being cast in the part, producer Tarachand Barjatya told him, “Look, you are playing Radha in this film, so please quit eating meat until we finish shooting the film.” Zarina Wahib agreed and did not eat meat till the film was released.
