Prince Buthelezi says the director of Zulu, Cy Endfield, intended to make a film "that showed bravery on both sides."
The film told the story of the Battle of Rorke's Drift in 1879. Prince Buthelezi played his grandfather, the Zulu King Cetshwayo, appearing alongside Michael Caine and Sir Stanley Baker.
It is now being re-released to help raise funds for Prince Harry's African charities.
But despite the subject matter - a small band of British colonial soldiers heroically overcoming terrifying Zulu warriors, outdated and toe-curling references to "fuzzies" - Prince Buthelezi says the events portrayed in the film are "part of our history."
"We got on very well with the filmmakers. I mean it was really wonderful. I remember how very kind Sir Stanley Baker was for instance, and Cy Endfield himself.
"It was interesing because of course they didn't have what I would call the typical South African towards black people. I think that was remarkable in itself."
Get the latest headlines www.telegraph.c...
Subscribe to The Telegraph www.youtube.com...
Like us on Facebook / telegraph.co.uk
Follow us on Twitter / telegraph
Follow us on Google+ plus.google.co...
Telegraph.co.uk and / telegraphtv are websites of The Daily Telegraph, the UK's best-selling quality daily newspaper providing news and analysis on UK and world events, business, sport, lifestyle and culture.