Zeenat Aman’s Dum Maaro Dum Song Was Banned By All India Radio, Here’s Why I Feel The Song Was Way Ahead Of Its Time [Opinion]

Here’s why we feel that Zeenat Aman’s song Dum Maaro Dum from Hare Rama Hare Krishna dared to showcase something different.

- June 16, 2025 | 6:23 PM IST

How Zeenat Aman’s Song Dum Maari Dum Was Way Ahead Of Its Time ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

The 1971 family drama Hare Rama Hare Krishna catapulted the evergreen Zeenat Aman to overnight fame. However, apart from her riveting performance, her iconic song “Dum Maaro Dum” had also managed to become a sensation amongst the masses. Who can forget Asha Bhosle’s vocals coupled with Aman’s character smoking drugs and breaking into a trance on the song? However, did you know that the song managed to also grab a lot of controversies despite being a raging hit?

The Controversy Surrounding Zeenat Aman’s Song Dum Maaro Dum

The visuals of Zeenat Aman’s character Janice from the film continuously smoking a Chillum and Ganja were considered to be too bold and against the Indian culture. According to a report in India.com, the government sought a ban on the “Dum Maaro Dum” title song and it was furthermore banned from All India Radio. However, given its catchy, upbeat and rhythmic nature, the song still went onto become a chartbuster and was widely heard on Seelo which was one of the most popular radio stations in those days.

How The Zeenat Aman Track Was Way Ahead Of Its Time

However, we feel that the iconic song was way ahead of its time. For starters, it was one of the first tracks which took the gutsy movie to showcase the hippie culture openly. It is said that Dev Anand who also directed the film had gotten the idea of the movie after witnessing the hippie culture in Nepal.

Apart from this, the song is an excellent introduction for Zeenat Aman’s character. The pain, the pathos, the helplessness of her character who has completely surrendered herself to a life of drugs and vagabondism is beautifully etched out on the song. The devotional lines of “Hare Krishna Hare Ram” also bore a deeper meaning to it. At one point, it shows the cruelty of life where two siblings were separated in childhood while it also shows how Zeenat’s character has now latched onto this life as a coping mechanism from which there is no escape.

If such a song is even attempted today, with so much of intricacy and deeper meaning in the lyrics, vocals and the music video, it would surely create a sensation. Dev Anand, Zeenat Aman, Asha Bhosle, composer RD Burman and lyricist Anand Bakshi dared to do something different. There is a reason why this song still remains a fan-favorite of also the younger generation.