Zeenat Aman opened up on being tagged a sex symbol, ignored on all‑male sets, and facing pay gaps in a patriarchal film industry.
Zeenat Aman’s honest words, in a recent interview, about her career shows how Bollywood treated its heroines in the past.
While speaking to Shubra Aiyappa for her YouTube channel, the Don actress said that there was always a big gap between the glamorous image people saw on screen and the real person she was. The “sex symbol” label stuck to her for years, even though, as she explained, “when people met me, they realised I was nothing like the characters I played.”
She described working on sets that were almost entirely male, where even as the lead actress she had little say in her role. Zeenat mentioned that the directors cared only about how she looked, not what she thought.
“Nobody was interested in me being cerebral. They were only interested in gayegi, nachegi, do dialogue bolegi, bheegegi, barish mein(singing, dancing, saying two dialogues, getting wet in the rain),” she candidly admitted.
The veteran actress said that even though she had lived in the US and knew global fashion trends, her costumes in Indian films were mostly decided by producers and designers. Often, they asked for “more cleavage, more of the back showing,” while her own suggestions were modest.
Zeenat also spoke about pay inequality, saying it was rooted in patriarchy. “Men are in charge of the finances and it is still a very patriarchal society. Commercial cinema caters to that,” she said. While she admitted there has been some progress in recent years, she also stressed that the change has been very slow.
Zeenat Aman’s reflections on her career reveal how the industry sidelined women, reduced them to visuals, and paid them less despite their importance. Even today, her words ring true as Bollywood continues to grapple with issues of equality and representation.
Despite the unfair system behind the scenes, the actress delivered massive hits like Don and Qurbani that ruled the box office. She completely changed how Indian film heroines were viewed, turning herself into a cultural trendsetter.
