Dev Anand Was Heartbroken After Seeing Raj Kapoor Embrace Zeenat Aman, Claims Close Friend; Raises Questions About Actress’s Silence

A close friend of legendary actor Dev Anand has revisited one of the most talked-about and emotionally charged episodes from the star’s personal life—his unfulfilled love for actress Zeenat Aman—and has made fresh claims that have reignited an old Bollywood controversy.

Dev Anand had fallen in love with Zeenat Aman in 1971 during the shooting of Hare Rama Hare Krishna, a film he directed and produced. The actor had candidly written about his feelings in his autobiography Romancing with Life, revealing that he was waiting for the right moment to confess his love. He had even planned a dinner to express his emotions. However, events took an unexpected turn at a party that would leave Dev Anand deeply shaken.

According to Dev Anand’s close friend Mohan Choodiwala, the actor was heartbroken after witnessing a moment between Zeenat Aman and filmmaker Raj Kapoor at the party. Choodiwala claimed that seeing Raj Kapoor embrace Zeenat Aman, coupled with certain remarks made that evening, convinced Dev Anand that the rumours he had heard about them were true.

Speaking in an interview with journalist Vickey Lalwani, Choodiwala said, “Dev Anand never lied about anyone. He never spoke ill of anyone without reason. I believe what he wrote about Zeenat in his book was true. Zeenat even attended the book launch in 2007. Dev Anand was alive for four more years after that—so why didn’t she question him or confront him then?”

Recalling the incident in detail, Choodiwala said that Dev Anand had clearly described the moment in his autobiography. At the party, when Zeenat Aman attempted to touch Raj Kapoor’s feet as a gesture of respect, she reportedly glanced at Dev Anand, appearing unsure of whether what she was doing was appropriate. Choodiwala further claimed that Raj Kapoor told Zeenat Aman that she had promised him she would wear only white clothes—something that instantly alarmed Dev Anand. “At that very moment, Dev sahab realised that the rumours were not baseless,” he said.

Deeply disturbed, Dev Anand chose to quietly leave the party, despite having dinner plans with Zeenat Aman at the Taj Hotel later that evening. According to Choodiwala, Dev Anand felt uncomfortable witnessing what he perceived as an intense and private conversation between Zeenat Aman and Raj Kapoor. “He felt hurt because Zeenat had not trusted him enough to tell him about Raj Kapoor. Raj Kapoor was also Dev sahab’s close friend. He believed that if Raj Kapoor was thinking seriously about Zeenat, she should have at least hinted at it,” Choodiwala added.

As Dev Anand made excuses to leave, Zeenat Aman reportedly tried to stop him and reminded him of their dinner plans. Raj Kapoor, too, allegedly held Dev Anand’s hand tightly, urging him to stay. However, Dev Anand left the party, emotionally shattered.

Zeenat Aman, for her part, strongly denied Dev Anand’s version of events years later. In a social media post in 2023, she addressed the claims made in Romancing with Life. She wrote that Dev Anand had implied a relationship between her and Raj Kapoor that went beyond a professional director-actor bond. “I was extremely angry, humiliated, and deeply hurt that Dev sahab—my mentor, whom I loved selflessly and respected immensely—not only believed such a false story but chose to publish it,” she stated.

The resurfacing of these claims has once again highlighted the complexities of personal relationships in the golden era of Hindi cinema—where admiration, love, misunderstanding, and silence often intertwined behind the glamorous façade of stardom.