Zeenat Aman wanted to leave the country when her films were beaten: Amitabh scolded her for her mistake, Sanjay Khan beat her and broke her jaw

Zeenat Aman, the most bold and beautiful actress of the 70s, has turned 72 today. Zeenat, who became a part of the Miss India pageant at the age of just 19, used to be a writer, however, due to her beauty, she got a place first in modeling and then in the film world. Even at this stage of age, Zeenat Aman is counted among the 10 hottest actresses of Hindi cinema. These days, Zeenat remains in the news by sharing some memorable stories of her life on social media.

Zeenat became a star by giving many blockbuster hit films like Hare Rama Hare Krishna, Yaadon Ki Baaraat and Satyam Shivam Sundaram, but her personal life was full of tragedies. In 1978, she secretly married actor Sanjay Khan and stayed away from films. But after a few days, Sanjay started assaulting her. Once Sanjay Khan had publicly assaulted Zeenat Aman, due to which her jaw was broken and one of her eyes was permanently damaged. Coming out of this abusive relationship, Zeenat married Mazhar Khan for the second time to settle down and left the industry. He realized his mistake only after a year. Despite her regrets, Zeenat kept her marriage intact. The biggest example of tragedy was when the actress, at the age of 67, told that she was raped a few years ago.

Today, on the occasion of Zeenat Aman’s 72nd birthday, read the biggest tragedy related to her life-

Parents divorced at a young age, father died at the age of 13

Zeenat Aman was born on 19 November 1951 in Bombay to screenwriter Amanullah Khan. Amanullah Khan was the screenwriter of great films like Mughal-e-Azam and Pakeezah. Zeenat’s parents got divorced at an early age, so her mother Vardhini raised her alone. She was only 13 when her father died.

Zeenat Aman (centre) with father Amanullah Khan (left).

After her father’s death, her mother remarried and took Zeenat with her to Germany. Due to sudden departure from India to Germany, Zeenat missed her studies. After some time Zeenat returned to India. After coming to India, Zeenat Aman started writing for Filmfare magazine. She was so beautiful that she started getting modeling work also.

After modeling for some time, she participated in the Miss India pageant at the age of 19. After securing second place in this pageant, Zeenat represented India in Miss Asia Pacific International and won. Zeenat was the first person from India to win this pageant.

Zeenat Aman’s picture taken after winning Miss Asia Pacific International.

Zeenat was about to leave the country due to flop of films, Dev Anand stopped her and made her a star

After winning the title of Miss Asia Pacific, Zeenat started receiving film offers continuously. Her first film was 1970’s The Evil Within, in which she was seen opposite Dev Anand. After this he got the film Hungama Aur Huskal in 1971. Zeenat Aman’s first three films were huge flops.

Zeenat accepted that she would not be able to achieve anything while working in films. With this thinking, he decided to leave India and go to Malta with his family. He had made complete preparations to leave, but his luck changed due to a call from Dev Anand.

When Dev Anand decided to make a film based on hippie culture, Hare Rama Hare Krishna, he offered the role of a modern, westernized hippie girl to Zeenat. On the insistence of Dev Anand, Zeenat agreed to stay in India and do the film.

A glimpse of a song from the film Hare Rama Hare Krishna.

Zeenat Aman had shared this story through one of her social media posts. she wrote, ‘We were packing our bags and preparing to go to Malta. I was in my teens at that time. My mother was packing all the stuff. After a day or two the land line bell rang. This call was from Dev Saheb. I was called for the screen test for the film Hare Rama Hare Krishna (the film was directed by Dev Anand) and after the screentest I got the film. Dev Saheb was asked to delay my traveling for me and my mother. Then instead of going to Malta, we went to Kathmandu where my film was to be shot.

Fortunately, this film proved to be a turning point for Zeenat’s career. Songs filmed on Zeenat were Dum Maaro Dum…, Hare Rama Hare Krishna…. And flowers and stars all have their say…. There were huge hits, due to which Zeenat became an overnight star. She received the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for this film.

Zeenat Aman played the role of Dev Anand’s lost sister in the film.

After the film Hare Rama Hare Krishna, Dev Anand started writing more films for Zeenat. He also gave work to Zeenat in Hero Panna. By continuously giving hit films like Roti Kapda Aur Makaan, Yaadon Ki Baaraat, Hum Kisi Se Kam Nahin, Zeenat started being counted among the top actresses of that time.

Satyam had reached Raj Kapoor’s room in disguise to get a role in Shivam Sundaram.

Raj Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor and Zeenat Aman were in lead roles in the film Vakil Babu. Taking a break from shooting, Raj Kapoor used to write the script of his film Satyam Shivam Sundaram in those days. Whenever he used to talk about the film’s lead Roopa, his style made the listeners interested in that character. Roopa’s role in the film was that of a village girl, whose half face was burnt, but her voice was melodious.

Raj Kapoor doing makeup of Zeenat Aman on the sets of the film Satyam Shivam Sundaram.

Zeenat Aman was also so impressed after hearing the character of Rupa that one day she decided to play that role herself. To convince Raj Kapoor, one day Zeenat wore a white saree and by pasting tissue paper on her face, she did makeup so that she looked like Rupa. As soon as she was ready, she stood outside Raj Kapoor’s room.

Raj Kapoor could not recognize him and asked, Who is it?

In response to this Zeenat said, Rupa had come to tell Raj ji.

Raj Kapoor was so happy with this unofficial screentest of Zeenat that he immediately signed her by giving her a gold coin. This story was narrated by Zeenat Aman herself in a TV show. After the film Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Zeenat Aman started being considered the boldest actress of Hindi cinema. The film was also in controversies due to bold scenes.

Dev Anand was about to express his love, took a step back for Raj Kapoor

In the 70s, Dev Anand used to be every girl’s first choice. The madness of girls for him was so much that the court had imposed a ban on Dev Anand from wearing a black shirt, so that he does not look too handsome. But Dev Anand’s heart used to beat for Zeenat Aman. In his autobiography Romancing with Life, Dev Anand shared the story of heartbreak.

Dev Anand and Zeenat Aman have worked together in 8 films.

He had written that one day he was going to express his love to Zeenat Aman. He invited Zeenat to have dinner at Taj Hotel during a film industry party, to which she agreed. Raj Kapoor had arrived at that party drunk, with whom rumors of Zeenat’s relationship had spread.

Suddenly in the middle of the party, Raj Kapoor Saheb came to Zeenat and hugged her. He said to Zeenat while drunk, you had said that you will always see me only in white saree (like Rupa), but you broke your promise. Seeing this, Dev Anand understood the rumors of their relationship to be true and changed his mind.

Zeenat Aman greeting Raj Kapoor during a party.

Don wanted to leave after being scolded for Amitabh Bachchan’s mistake

On the occasion of Amitabh Bachchan’s birthday, Zeenat Aman shared a picture with him and narrated a funny incident related to the film Don. She told that one day she was sitting ready on the set, but when Amitabh Bachchan did not come on the set, the entire team was waiting for him. After waiting for about 45 minutes, Zeenat was told that Amitabh Bachchan had arrived.

Zeenat Aman with director Chandra Barot during the shooting of Don.

As soon as Zeenat came out of her make-up room, the director (Chandra Barot) started abusing me as soon as he saw me. They felt that the shooting was delayed due to my mistake. Amitabh Bachchan and the entire team knew the truth, but no one said anything. Hearing the abuses, I stood silently and after some time returned to my make-up room crying. I told my team to pack up.

Picture taken during the shooting of the song Jiska Mujhe Tha Intezaar from the film Don.

After some time, Amitabh Bachchan and the producer came to my room. Amitabh told me, babes, I know it’s my fault. That guy is drunk and stupid. On Amitabh Bachchan’s persuasion, Zeenat agreed and then came to the set. By then the director also knew the truth. As soon as he saw Zeenat, the director fell at her feet and started apologizing. Zeenat completed the film Don, but never worked with director Chandra Barot again.

Married secretly to Sanjay Khan, jaw broken due to public fight

Zeenat Aman met Sanjay Khan while shooting the film Abdullah in 1978. Sanjay Khan was already married, but despite this, after a few months of relationship, both of them got married on 30 December 1978 in a private ceremony held in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.

Sanjay Khan was very angry and used to beat Zeenat Aman. One day Sanjay publicly beat Zeenat so badly that her jaw was broken. In the year 2018, Sanjay Khan launched his autobiography Best Mistakes of My Life. In this book he confessed to assaulting Zeenat Aman.

Sanjay Khan, Zeenat Aman with his wife Zarina Khan.

According to the book, Sanjay Khan wanted to meet Zeenat Aman to discuss a song from the film Abdullah, but Zeenat was busy at that time. When Zeenat refused to come, Sanjay became very angry. When Zeenat reached home after getting free from work, she came to know that they were having a meeting in a hotel. As soon as Zeenat reached the hotel, Sanjay started beating her in front of all the guests.

Sanjay’s first wife Zarina was also present in that hotel, who was continuously instigating Sanjay to kill Zeenat. Sanjay publicly hit Zeenat so much that her jaw was broken, while one of her eyes was permanently damaged. With the help of some people, Zeenat was taken to the hospital, where she underwent surgery. However his eye could not be saved. After this incident, Zeenat divorced Sanjay on 24 November 1979.

Picture of Zeenat and Sanjay taken during a film party.

Second husband imposed ban on working in films, started regretting after a year

A few years after divorcing Sanjay Khan, Zeenat Aman married divorced actor Mazhar Khan for the second time in 1985. Immediately after marriage, Mazhar banned Zeenat from working in films. Zeenat started living as a housewife for her married life, but after a year of marriage, she started regretting getting married. From this marriage he has two sons, Azaan Khan and Jahaan Khan. There were reports that Mazhar Khan also used to beat Zeenat Aman.

Zeenat Aman with husband Mazhar Khan, sons Azaan and Jahaan.

In Simi Grewal’s chat show, Zeenat Aman called second marriage a wrong decision in life. He had said, Mazhar did not want me to move ahead. He always wanted me to take care of the children and the house. Within the first year of our marriage, I had realized that I had made a big mistake, but I still tried to live well with him. I kept trying to fix it for the next 12 years. Even after waiting for so many years, I did not get any light. I didn’t have a single moment of happiness in these 12 years, but still I tried to make it better.

Mazhar Khan died of kidney failure on 16 September 1998 after 12 years of marriage. After the death of her husband, Zeenat Aman made a comeback after 10 years with the film Bhopal Express (1999). After 4 years, she was seen in the film Boom, but both the films flopped badly. From then till today, Zeenat Aman has been seen playing small roles in a few films.

Businessman was accused of rape in 2018, FIR was registered

In February 2018, Zeenat Aman had accused businessman Aman Khanna alias Sarfaraz of stalking, harassing and raping her. According to the complaint lodged, Aman had exploited her several times between 2011 and 2016, due to which he was jailed.

Will be playing the lead role after 43 years

In 2021, Zeenat Aman has announced that she is going to play the lead role in the murder mystery film Margaon: The Closed File. Zeenat was last seen in the lead role in the 1989 film Gawahi, after which she will play the lead role now after 43 years.