# The Shocking Secrets Behind *Hare Rama Hare Krishna* That Bollywood Tried to Hide **Did you know Bollywood legend SD Burman called Dev Anand's iconic 1971 film *Hare Rama Hare Krishna* "disgusting" and warned him against it?** This bold hippie drama not only launched Zeenat Aman's stardom but also ignited massive controversies that rocked Indian cinema.[1][3] Imagine 1971 India, gripped by conservative values, suddenly confronted with a film critiquing the Western hippie culture invading Kathmandu's streets. Directed by and starring Dev Anand, *Hare Rama Hare Krishna* followed Prashant (Dev Anand) searching for his wayward sister Janice (Zeenat Aman), lost in a haze of drugs and free love. The movie was a conservative wake-up call against cultural erosion, blending warnings like "Ram ka naam badnaam na karo" with visuals of youth chanting "Hare Rama Hare Krishna" amid vice.[1][3][5] But the real fireworks came from the song **Dum Maro Dum**. Sung by Asha Bhosle with RD Burman's catchy beats and Anand Bakshi's lyrics, it featured Zeenat Aman as Janice puffing a chillum in a trance—smoking what audiences knew was ganja. This shocked conservative viewers, leading to a nationwide ban on radio and TV by All India Radio and even government calls for censorship. Yet, it became a chartbuster, heard everywhere via underground stations like Seelo, symbolizing Janice's tragic surrender to drugs as a coping mechanism for her broken life.[1][2][5] Zeenat wasn't the first choice either—rumors swirl around casting twists that nearly sidelined her breakout role. And in a wild behind-the-scenes twist, Zeenat later admitted she got genuinely "high as a kite" during filming, smoking real chillums with hashish alongside the crew. Her mother was furious, lashing out at the team for letting her 20-year-old daughter near drugs with strangers![6][7] Even legends clashed: SD Burman was dismayed by the song's boldness when Dev Anand narrated the story, walking out with his head bowed. Dev Anand himself considered axing it to avoid backlash, but Asha Bhosle fought to keep it, turning controversy into cult status.[5] The film gave Bollywood its "Rakhi" and hippie anthems, boxing Zeenat into bold, Westernized roles while sparking debates on tradition vs. modernity that echo today.[3]
Citations
1.https://www.news18.com/movies/how-1971-film-hare-rama-hare-krishna-made-zeenat-aman-a-star-9124350.html
2.https://www.koimoi.com/bollywood-news/zeenat-amans-dum-maaro-dum-song-was-banned-by-all-india-radio-heres-why-i-feel-the-song-was-way-ahead-of-its-time-opinion/
3.https://theprint.in/feature/reel-take/hare-rama-hare-krishna-a-deeply-conservative-film-that-gave-bollywood-its-boldest-actor/154321/
4.https://tribune.com.pk/story/154482/dum-maro-dum-a-pointless-bollywood-controversy
5.https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/asha-bhosle-dum-maro-dum-became-the-identity-of-an-anti-drug-movie-song-history-8928724/
6.https://www.bollywoodshaadis.com/articles/zeenat-aman-smoked-chillum-high-as-a-kite-dum-maro-dum-actress-mother-lashed-out-angry-56471
7.https://www.indiatimes.com/entertainment/celebscoop/zeenat-aman-admits-she-was-stoned-while-shooting-for-dum-maro-dum-i-was-high-as-a-kite/articleshow/122652027.html
8.https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/zeenat-aman-responds-to-mumtazs-marriage-living-hell-barb-i-never-tear-down-colleagues-5459590
9.
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