Zeenat Aman is a popular name in Bollywood which is associated with glamour, grace and confidence. The diva who ruled the 70s with her impressive acting and style has made a comeback on-screen with The Royals. It stars Ishaan Khatter and Bhumi Pednekar in lead roles. Fans are delighted to see her play the role of a ‘Royal’ on-screen because she isn’t just any actress. She is someone who was looked up for boldness, and fearless attitude in the industry. It’s safe to say that time didn’t dim her charm, and her comeback in The Royals proves it. Doubtful? Here’s every reason why Zeenat didn’t just rule the big-screen but even our hearts with being herself.
Zeenat Aman chose to be bold in a conservative era
Zeenat Aman began her journey into showbiz by participating in beauty pageants and debuted with The Evil Within, co-starring Dev Anand. During the ’70s, rather than playing the role of a heroine who needed to be rescued by a hero, the actress played the roles of women who did much more than wait for help or dance around the hero. She turned the idea of a ‘Heroine’ in Hindi movie upside down by taking centre stage with popular films like Hare Rama Hare Krishna, Satyam Shivam Sundaram and Don.
From wearing Western outfits to doing bold scenes, Zeenat wore what she wanted, spoke what she wanted and did what she wanted, which required a major courage back in the ’70s. During that golden era of Bollywood, when the industry used to be more conservative, Zeenat dared to be different and bravely faced the criticism that came her way.
Zeenat Aman confidently walked away from abusive partners
Zeenat Aman’s beauty and success became the talk of the town in the ’70s, but that didn’t ensure a loving partner. Initially, the Don actress tied the knot with actor, Sanjay Khan who was already married in 1978. Some news reports suggested that Zeenat was physically abused in the marriage, and one incident injured her left eye. Consequently, she chose to walk out of it in 1979. But Sanjay denied it and called it her PR stunt. He mentioned that the eye injury was not there when she shot for four films after their separation, claiming that it was a hereditary issue.
When the actress gave love another chance and married Mazhar Khan in 1985, her hope for things to turn out to be different crashed soon. Mazhar reportedly cheated on her when she was pregnant, but she continued to take the marriage forward. In an interview with Simi Garewal, Zeenat shared that he had become addicted to painkillers, and despite her pleas, he didn’t stop.
Mazhar stopped helping himself which made Zeenat make the tough choice to choose herself. Later, he succumbed to kidney failure. After his death, his family took away Zeenat’s assets and turned her kids against her to punish her for leaving him. But rather than staying silent, she took a stand.
Zeenat Aman raised two kids as a single mother without qualms
Zeenat Aman and Mazhar Khan had two sons, Azaan and Zahaan. After her separation and Mazhar’s demise in 1998, Zeenat prioritized her kids. She chose to do something which many women in those times were afraid to do, which was raising her kids as a single mother along with her work. She didn’t thought about marrying again for that reason.
Zeenat Aman redefined interviews and Instagram for celebs with honesty
It has only been a few years that the ‘no filter ‘ trend became popular on social media. But Zeenat practised it long back when she refused to hide her real self behind PR practices or sugar-coated interviews. Instead, she always spoke honestly in interviews about her relationships, marriage, mistakes, and even regrets, which was uncommon in Bollywood.
Many stars from her generation prefer to live in privacy, but she dominated Instagram when she made her Instagram debut in February 2023. Let’s face it: we all try to make a perfect Instagram profile, but Zeenat shares her honest views, unseen pictures, throwback incidents, and insights from her personal life, among other things, which make her stand out.
The Royals may show Zeenat Aman as a fictional queen, but in reality, she showed us the strength, confidence and elegance of a real queen in her life. She doesn’t need to wear a crown or marry a king to gain that title; rather, her decision to face her rocky paths with strength justifies it.
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