Bollywood veteran Zeenat Aman has shed light on moral policing during the 1970s, recalling how her portrayal of a sex worker in Shammi Kapoor's film Manoranjan gave moral police a “field day”.

“If I’ve had a steady companion throughout my career, it’s been the moral police. And, my goodness, did they have a field day with this one,” the 72-year-old actress wrote in her note on Instagram, shared alongside a still from the film and its official poster.

Adapted from the 1963 American comedy Irma Le Douce, Manoranjan starred the actress in the role of Nisha, a “sex worker with a sense of dignity, independence and humour”. Zeenat also mentioned that the film, which also featured Sanjeev Kumar, defied “existing conventions”.

About her experience of working on the film, Zeenat said that the shooting process was breezy and light-hearted. “Filming Manoranjan was a ‘haste-haste, khelte-khelte’ affair,” she wrote.

Manoranjan was Shammi Kapoor’s directorial debut. Sanjeev Kumar played the role of former constable Ratan, who disguises himself as a nawab to spend time with Nisha, his lover. RD Burman had served as the music director of the film, produced by Zeenat’s family friend FC Mehra.

“Nisha was no damsel in distress! Her outfits were flirtatious and sexy, but more importantly, she was unapologetic about how she earns a living,” Zeenat wrote about her character.

Describing Nisha as “sexually liberated, financially independent, and fully capable of locking horns with, and turning down, any man,” she listed down qualities of the character that have always inspired her.

Mentioning that she has always been a “director’s actor”, Zeenat wrote that Shammi “coaxed out” one of her “better performances” in Manoranjan.

“The music and costumes were also a hoot. In ‘Aaya hoon main tujh ko le jaoonga’ we dance upon gigantic musical instruments, ‘Chori chori solah singar’ (sung by Asha ji) has a titillating shower sequence, and ‘Dulhan maike chali’ is pictured entirely in a police van full of sex workers being taken to the police station and was sung by all three Mangeshkar sisters,” her note read.

Priyanka Chopra, Archana Puran Singh and Manish Malhotra took to the comment section and shared their thoughts on the film and ever-existing moral policing. “Moral police is still around and will continue to be around it seems! But you are beyond,” Priyanka, who is currently filming for her upcoming thriller The Bluff, commented.

“This is one of your films Z which has had a lasting impression on me (the other being Hare Rama Hare Krishna) and I became your hugest fan... the costumes, your styling and your entire presence was such an inspiration for me at the time,” Archana wrote, adding that she was “enthralled” by the film even though she was very young when she watched it in the theatres of Dehradun.

Manish wrote, “You look amazing in the film. I loved the music too.”

Manoranjan revolves around a fired police constable, played by Sanjeev Kumar, who connects with a sex worker from a red-light area, played by Zeenat, and resolves to set her free. The film is considered a Bollywood classic despite not achieving box-office success due to its depiction of prostitution without imposing any morality.