Zeenat Aman says too many Bollywood films 'glorify obsession’, industry has given 'ludicrous idea of romance' to Indians

Zeenat Aman addressed the normalisation of obsession and stalking in Bollywood with the examples of her films like Dostana and Teesri Aankh.

Veteran actor Zeenat Aman has taken a dim view of how obsession and stalking have been glorified as romance in Hindi films for decades. Talking about her old films on her Instagram account, the actor admitted she too played a part in propagating it through her films, but clarified she never agreed with the trope.

Zeenat Aman and Amitabh Bachchan in a still from Dostana.

Zeenat Aman goes down the memory lane

On Thursday, Zeenat shared a clip from her 1982 film Teesri Aankh, where her character teases and harasses Dharmendra’s character. “A few weeks ago, you watched me be eve-teased and slut shamed by Amitji’s character in a clip from Dostana; this week, you can watch me be the aggressor to Dharmji’s character in Teesri Ankh,” she wrote.

Zeenat addressed how there was a role reversal in the scene with the heroine pursuing and harassing the hero, instead of the other way round. But added that she did not endorse her character’s approach. “I suppose the reason this scene is delightful and that one was infuriating is because of the traditional role reversal. The truth is I can’t endorse Barkha’s approach, just as I couldn’t endorse Inspector Vijay’s!”

‘Too many of our films glorify obsession’

Zeenat, who worked in over 50 films as the female lead in the 70s and 80s, admitted that Bollywood has glorified obsession in many films. “Banter and mischief are excellent tools of courtship, but I think our industry sometimes took these to the extreme. Too many of our films glorify obsession and limerence, instead of giving us a portrayal of real, healthy love. Now I recognise that I have played a part in propagating the ludicrous idea of romance that Bollywood has exported to Indians everywhere. So this is my two-bit effort to address it. Let me be clear, when it comes to relationships, consent is non-negotiable, and respect has to flow both ways. Believe me, I learnt this the hard way,” she added.

Zeenat’s views were supported by her followers in the comments section. “Mostly the romance shown in Bollywood movies (barring a few movies) was quite objectionable and extreme,” wrote one. Another added, “The most refreshing aspect of your posts is your self-awareness and honesty. Txs for sharing your learnings.”

Zeenat Aman's recent work

Last year, Zeenat returned to acting at 74 after a six-year hiatus, with a supporting role in the Netflix series The Royals. She played the grandmother of Ishaan Khatter’s character and earned acclaim for her performance. This year, Zeenat will mark her big screen return in debutant director Faraz Arif Ansari’s Bun Tikki, which also stars Abhay Deol and Shabana Azmi in lead roles.