Zeenat Aman

Indian actress Zeenat Aman has long been regarded as a trailblazer—she has been credited with helping revolutionize the Bollywood heroine and, more recently, redefining celebrity social media presence. Known for her work in films such as Hare Rama Hare Krishna (1971), Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1978; “Truth, God, Beauty”), and Don (1978), Aman is regarded for her glamorous screen presence, nonconformist roles, and her Westernized fashion sensibilities, which helped transform the portrayal of women in Hindi cinema during the 1970s and ’80s.

Early years

Zeenat Khan was born to a Muslim father, Amanullah Khan, and a Hindu mother, Vardhini Scindia. The couple divorced when Zeenat was a child. Amanullah Khan, a screenwriter who had worked on films such as Mughal-e-Azam (1960; “The Great Mughal”) and Pakeezah (1972; “The Pure One”), was sometimes addressed as Aman Sahab, an epithet from which his daughter derived her professional name later. After graduating from St. Joseph’s Convent in Panchgani, Maharashtra, the young Zeenat spent a year at the University of South California on a scholarship in the late 1960s. On her return she embarked on a modeling career, which she later described in a social media post as “short but fruitful.” She was featured in advertisements for brands such as Air India before entering the Miss India beauty pageant in 1969. She placed as runner-up and represented India at the Miss Asia Pacific pageant in 1970, winning the title.

Career

As Zeenat Aman, she began her Bollywood career in The Evil Within (1970), followed by a cameo in Hungama (1971; “Mayhem”). It was not an auspicious start, and the films failed critically as well as commercially. Her fortunes changed with Hare Rama Hare Krishna, costarring prominent Bollywood stars Dev Anand and Mumtaz. Aman was cast in the unconventional role of Janice, a doomed hippie who struggles with substance use. Hare Rama Hare Krishna was a hit, and Aman’s performance was hailed as a tour de force, with her unorthodox choice of role establishing her as a rule breaker.

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Through the 1970s Aman commanded commercial and critical success in films such as Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973; Procession of Memories), Heera Panna (1973), Ajanabee (1974; “Stranger”), Chhailla Babu (1977; “Cool Guy”), Hum Kisise Kum Naheen (1977; “We Are Not Less Than Anyone”), Dharam Veer (1977), and The Great Gambler (1979). She was noted for her fearless choice of roles, such as a morally ambiguous woman in Roti Kapda Aur Makaan (1974; “Food, Clothing, and Shelter”) and a sex worker in Manoranjan (1974; “Entertainment”). Satyam Shivam Sundaram, in which she played a disfigured village woman named Rupa, became known for its exploration of sexuality and the female form. Aman was also hailed for her portrayal of the revenge-seeking Roma, who takes on the crime boss responsible for her brother’s death, in Don.

Zeenat Aman continued to be the top draw in Bollywood in the early 1980s, starring in films such as Qurbani (1980; “Sacrifice”), Dostana (1980; “Friendship”), Laawaris (1981; “Orphan”), Mahaan (1983; “Great”), and Pukar (1983; “Call”). Her star began to wane after she married actor Mazhar Khan in 1985—she appeared in fewer films and stopped acting entirely after 1989. After a hiatus of 10 years, Aman returned to the screen with a cameo in Bhopal Express (1999), which was based on the Bhopal gas leak of 1984, and a pivotal role in Boom (2003), the cast of which featured Amitabh Bachchan, Katrina Kaif, Padma Lakshmi, and Madhu Sapre. Over the next few years she acted sporadically and in films that failed to make any significant impact. In 2025 she was cast in the web series The Royals.

Impact

Zeenat Aman had a transformative effect on how women characters were depicted in Bollywood films, not just through her selection of roles but also with her fashion choices. An early crossover from model to actress, she combined her natural poise with modern style, and her wardrobe often reflected the Western fashion trends of the era. Aman’s film costumes were unconventional, such as the flower power outfits she wore as Janice in Hare Rama Hare Krishna and the silver lame and feather boa she was dressed in for the song “Laila O Laila” in Qurbani. She was among a handful of actresses of her time to wear a bikini on-screen and is also known for the revealing costumes she wore in Satyam Shivam Sundaram.

Aman is associated with some of the best-known songs in Bollywood films, a majority of which are musicals. The trippy “Dum Maaro Dum” from Hare Rama Hare Krishna depicts her in the act of taking drugs. She strums a guitar in “Chura Liya Hai” from Yaadon Ki Baaraat. “Laila O Laila” and “Aap Jaisa Koi” from Qurbani are classic disco hits.

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Zeenat Aman regained national attention with her Instagram debut in February 2023. She has been praised for her refreshingly authentic social media posts, which have earned her a new, younger fan base. In these she has documented her experiences as an actress and memories of costars such as Shashi Kapoor, with whom she featured in Satyam Shivam Sundaram and other films. She has addressed perceptions of both her seductive public image and allegedly troubled private life; among other disclosures, she revealed that a drooping eyelid that had long been the subject of tabloid gossip was actually caused by a medical condition.