Zeenat Aman reflects on being called ‘cursed’ and ‘shattered’: It was its own form of public humiliation

Zeenat Aman has lived a life that has been inspirational and aspirational. But being a celebrity, especially a film actor, comes with its challenges. You have to read and see a lot of things about yourself, some true and many false. Zeenat ji had to face that as well during her active years in the industry. And in a recent post on Instagram, she reflected on how it impacted her.

Zeenat Aman on nasty media headlines about her

The Instagram account of Zeenat Aman has become a goldmine of nostalgia, life lessons and a lot more. In her recent post on Saturday, the veteran actress shared some clips of tabloid covers that published mean headlines for her. From her being cursed to leading a path of self-destruction, there was a lot written about her during that time. She recalled how it used to affect her when it happened.

She wrote, “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. 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.”

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A post shared by Zeenat Aman (@thezeenataman)

On developing a thick skin…

However, as time passed, Zeenat ji learnt how to deal with it all and take it with a pinch of salt. She added, “At some point my skin toughened, and the realisation dawned that it was impossible for me to challenge the persona that they wanted to create. The one time I confronted an erstwhile editor about a malicious story, she was full of excuses but not a single apology. I made up my mind then not to take it personally. Undignified as it was, their only interest was selling their magazines. All this is just to say – people will always find reason to talk, and so it’s probably best not to allow their opinion or perception to define your life. You can do that for yourself.”

Zeenat ji always inspired with her life and career choices, and even today she continues to do so. The actress has always been magic on screen, and since she has become such a regular on social media, the audience is quite excited to see her back on screen again.

Also Read: Zeenat Aman revisits the shooting days of Shalimar with Dharmendra and the memories are pure gold