Veteran actor Zeenat Aman featured in a stunning interview for Vogue India recently, where she spoke about people who had “far more interest” in her looks than her intellect. She said that though she leveraged her looks, she “chose roles that pushed the envelope.” The actor said there are incidents in her life that people cling to, adding that a few bad days, decades ago, do not define her.
Zeenat said, “I realised early on that the world desired youth and beauty from women in the film industry. So I leveraged my looks, but I also chose roles that pushed the envelope. Still, there was far more interest in my face and figure than there ever was in my intellect. This is one reason that I have loved ageing - it has evened the scales.”
She added, “I have led a life of breathtaking highs and profound lows. There is nothing I regret, and nobody that I owe. Any shame or fear that has ever dogged me has long evaporated. There are incidents in my life that the public cling to and that are dredged up again and again. I am aware of these, and becoming increasingly immune to them. My life is not defined by a few bad days that transpired many decades ago, and I need neither sympathy nor defence. I am content in myself.”
Zeenat rose to fame with ‘Hare Rama Hare Krishna’ in 1971. She later went on to work in movies like ‘Yaadon Ki Baaraat,’ ‘Roti Kapda Aur Makaan,’ ‘Chori Mera Kaam,’ ‘Dharam Veer,’ ‘Mahaan,’ ‘Pukar,’ and ‘Teesri Aankh.’