Zeenat Aman shared this image. (politeness: thisenataman)
New Delhi:
Veteran actress Zeenat Aman on Thursday shared a throwback photo from her debut assignment – an ad campaign for Khatau Textiles. The 72-year-old star also wrote a detailed note about her early modeling days. The photo, attached to the post, shows 16-year-old Zeenat Aman in a printed saree. In her note, the veteran actress wrote, “I would say I was a demure and determined teenager. It was one of my very first assignments. An ad campaign for Khatau Textiles I believe. These were the early days, and at sixteen I was still decoding the camera’s desires. I learned my angles, tried out poses, and projected the confidence I didn’t yet feel.
She added: “Around the time this photo was taken, someone told me that ‘youth is wasted on the young’. I was offended by the sentence and determined to prove them wrong. As a result, I took my modeling career very seriously. I remember being disappointed and self-critical about this ad at the time. But when I look at it now, I can only marvel at how solemn, fresh and innocent I was! Does anyone else’s self-reflection tend to stray into the realm of self-criticism?” Writer and director Tanuja Chandra was among the first to acknowledge Zeenat Aman’s post. She wrote: ‘You look so beautiful.’
Just a few days ago, Zeenat Aman dropped a monochrome photo of herself and elegantly reflected on the concept of growing older. In her note, she pointed out that while growing older is not extraordinary on a physical level, it is more challenging on an emotional and behavioral level. Along with the photo of a ‘Griselda-inspired look’, Zeenat Aman said, ‘I’m often told that I have aged gracefully. On a physical level it is not that special. The rarefied atmosphere of stardom is tailored precisely to this purpose. Every “star” you see has a team of people waiting in the wings – nutritionists, personal trainers, makeup artists, hairstylists, wardrobe stylists, dermatologists, dentists, sometimes cosmetic surgeons and more – working frantically to smooth their hair, erase their wrinkles, tighten their waists and doll them up, while the star herself radiates nonchalance. View Zeenat Aman’s full note here.
Meanwhile, Zeenat Aman will be seen next Bun Tikki. Directed by Faraz Arif Ansari, she will essay the role of Sitara Jaan. The film also features Abhay Deol and Shabana Azmi.