Zeenat Aman Urges Women To Take Control Of Their Finances: 'Became Self-Reliant At 17, Pulled My Weight...'

Zeenat Aman recently shot for Kusha Kapila’s drive-along chat show Tinder Swipe Ride. During her appearance, veteran actress Zeenat imparted some sage advice on dating and autonomy to Kusha and the show’s other guests. She urged that women should be financially independent to be able to secure a free life for themselves. Zeenat had implemented this advice in her own life and it helped her to build a self-reliant future for herself when many magazines back then challenged her career.

Talking about her dating experience, Zeenat said, “I have been self-reliant and the primary provider for my family since the age of 17. I have been in relationships where I have pulled my weight and done what is necessary, and my sons have grown up witnessing that. Every relationship that they have had is with women who embody strength, opinions and choices – and they keep that as the norm because they have been raised by a mother who is just that.”

She said on the show, “Every woman should be confident and capable of financially supporting themselves. This allows them to make choices for themselves and control their own future. When women have financial resources and opportunities at their disposal, they can overcome obstacles, pursue their passions, and make decisions that align with their goals and dreams. Being financially independent isn’t just about having money; it signifies the freedom to live life on one’s own terms, without relying on others. It’s a way to achieve fairness, make their own choices, and evolve into the best version of oneself.”

This comes after Zeenat recently took to Instagram to share that magazines in the 70s would often misjudge her. “If the headlines were to be believed, in 1979 I had cursed myself, in 1982 I was being picked on, in 1984 I was out of sync, in 1985 I was marching towards self-destruction, and in 1998 I was shattered! There was a time that I subscribed to glossies and tabloids, but that passed very quickly,” she wrote.

Zeenat continued, “I could not relate at all to the person they presented me as. The headlines would be adulatory one day and vicious the very next. There was little by way of fact-checking, and no remorse for errors made. When they got the story right – it was usually a colossal breach of privacy. When they got it wrong – those blatant lies would be taken as the gospel. These ‘scandals’ took their toll. It was its own form of public humiliation, and I remember the anxiety, outrage and grief that came with these.”

Zeenat Aman started working as a model in the 70s and then soon featured in films like Hare Rama Hare Krishna and Yaadon Ki Baarat. These films became huge hits and made Zeenat a national sensation. Zeenat then went on to give more blockbusters like Don, Roti Kapda Aur Makaan and Laawaris.