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Zeenat Aman was born on November 19, 1951, to a Maharashtrian Brahmin Hindu mother and Amanullah Khan, a Pathan Muslim father who was one of the writers of the classic film "Mughal-e-Azam." She was an only child, and her parents divorced when she was young. Zeenat graduated from Saint Xavier's School in Bombay. Her father passed away when she was 13. She won a scholarship to study in California, and upon returning, she worked as a reporter before friends introduced her to modeling. Her most notable ad campaign was for Pond's "7 Day to Better Complexion." Zeenat entered the Miss India contest, finishing as the third runner-up, which qualified her for Miss Asia/Pacific—a title she later won, becoming the first Indian to do so. This title was won again by India in 2000 by Diya Mirza.
Zeenat made her film debut with O.P. Ralhan in "Hulchul" alongside Kabir Bedi, followed by a cameo in Ralhan's "Hungama," though both films failed commercially. She was the third choice for the role of the junkie Janice/Jasbeel in Dev Anand's "Hare Rama Hare Krishna" (1971), starring opposite Dev Anand and reigning queen Mumtaz. After filming, Zeenat planned to move to Malta with her mother and German stepfather, Mr. Heinz, for his job. However, Dev Anand, impressed with the rushes, persuaded them to delay the move until the film's release. The film became an instant hit, and Zeenat's performance overshadowed Mumtaz, a first in Hindi cinema. She won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress, marking the first time Indian audiences embraced a female character with a morally ambiguous role.
Zeenat transformed the image of the Hindi film heroine. She was the first Indian actress to reject bouffants, opting for a bob haircut at her career peak, rarely wore saris and bindis, and confidently wore bikinis without appearing vulgar. She portrayed the modern urban Indian woman unapologetically, embracing complex roles such as contemplating abortion to pursue a career ("Ajnabee," 1974) or leaving a poor lover for a wealthy man ("Roti Kapada Aur Makaan," 1974), yet winning audience approval. She famously pursued Vijay Arora while playing guitar and singing "Churaliya Hai" in Nasir Hussain's hit "Yaadon Ki Barat" (1973) and fought alongside Amitabh Bachchan as a revenge-driven action heroine in "Don" (1978). Although Raj Kapoor's "Satyam Shivam Sundaram" (1977) underperformed, Zeenat broke new ground by kissing her leading man on the mouth—the first such scene on Indian screens post-Independence—and earned a Best Actress Filmfare nomination. She received another Best Actress nomination for the controversial hit "Insaaf Ka Tarazu" (1980), portraying a rape survivor seeking justice.
Dev Anand promoted Zeenat in the 1970s by casting her in seven films, four of which were blockbusters. She was paired with Rajesh Khanna in four films between 1974-1984, three of which were hits, and acted alongside Shashi Kapoor in ten films, seven of them super hits. Zeenat pioneered a trend of boosting male actors' careers—uncommon for Indian actresses—working with then-unknowns like Raj Babbar ("Insaf Ka Tarazu"), Deepak Parashar, Mithun Chakraborty, Kanwaljeet Singh ("Ashanti"), and Tariq Ali ("Hum Kissi Se Kum Nahin" and "Yaadon Ki Baarat"). Her first marriage to Sanjay Khan ended in divorce. While she enjoyed a string of successes, toward the end of her career, she took on mature roles in films like "Bhavani Junction," "Haathon Ki Lakeerein," and "Bandhan Kacche Dhagon Ka," which performed moderately at the box office as audience tastes shifted in the late 1980s. During this period, Zeenat married fellow actor Mazhar Khan and had two sons, turning down multiple film offers. The marriage ended in divorce, and after Mazhar’s death, Zeenat spoke of him more kindly in the press.
Though not fully recognized yet, Zeenat Aman's contribution to Indian cinema is significant. She introduced many new dimensions to the portrayal of Indian women on screen and is remembered as a revolutionary figure who changed how Indian women were depicted in films. In summary, she transformed the representation of Indian women in cinema.
