Veteran Bollywood actress Zeenat Aman joined Instagram at the age of 70 and has been very active. She has been sharing throwback photos from her career and sending fans down memory lane frequently. However, she recently shared the latest photo on Instagram along with a thoughtful note on privacy. She gave the story behind her picture and wrote, "A quick picture in the foyer before heading to a friend’s birthday party the other night."
However, while talking about revealing the friend's name, the actress preached about privacy and said, "I know you may want to ask me which friend, so I will give you an answer about privacy. I think there’s a fine line between a healthy interest in a public figure or a person you admire, and an entitlement or desire to know every detail of their lives. The former is wonderful and that on which artists and audiences thrive. The latter is a drag for everyone involved and, in my view, keeps us from approaching new ideas and a higher level of conversation."
She added, "The world is so spectacularly diverse and rich, I promise you there are more interesting things to learn than which celebrity met whom and where."
Zeenat Aman's post came amid the alarming issue of privacy invasion after actress Alia Bhatt slammed paps for clicking her photos in the privacy of her house. Taking to her Instagram, the actress tagged the Mumbai Police and wrote that she felt like she was being watched. That is when she realized that two photographers were clicking her from the top of a neighbouring building. However, the real story appears to be a little different.
On the other hand, as soon as Zeenat Aman made her debut on Instagram, it was speculated that she is returning to the world of acting. The veteran actress debunked all speculations and wrote, "There's been some speculation that my presence here is the precursor to my return to the silver screen. I am a notoriously private person, and I suppose this sudden sharing has set tongues wagging."
"The truth is that I have been in the public eye since I was 16-years-old, and have experienced the perils of being misquoted, taken out of context, censored, and gossiped about. Now as a septuagenarian I am enjoying the opportunity to reflect on my life and career in my own words. That too without any pressures from managers or studios or brands."
Zeenat added: "I am not, per se, planning a return to the silver screen, but nor am I closing that door."
"And I would love to sink my teeth into a nuanced and impactful character. I'm of course quite aware that such roles for older women are few and far apart. Some days ago I read about the Annenberg Foundation study that analysed 1,000 Hollywood films released between 2007 and 2017."
"They found that less than 25% of the women on screen were over the age of 40. The numbers for the Indian film industry are unlikely to be much better. So, in short, I nurture optimism not expectations. Meanwhile, my sons are helping me understand online lingo. I just learnt what a "thirst trapa is!"
