Saira Banu shuts down Zeenat Aman’s advocacy for live-in relationships as ‘unacceptable’, weighs in on her war of words with Mumtaz

Though Zeenat Aman had advocated for live-in relationships, Saira Banu said a concept like that is “unimaginable and unacceptable” to her. She said, “Iss baat se main toh sehmat nahi ho sakti hu kabhi bhi (I can never agree with this statement). I would never advocate live-in relationships like that. It’s something unimaginable and unacceptable for me.”

In her Instagram post last week, Zeenat had “strongly” recommended that a couple live together before getting married, as it would help them to understand each other better. She said she had advised the same to her sons, who were or had been in live-in relationships.

“I’m aware that Indian society is a little uptight about ‘living in sin’ but then again, society is uptight about so many things! Log kya kahenge? (What will people say?),” she wrote.

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Mumtaz, 76, slammed her for her views. In an interview with Zoom, the veteran said Zeenat Aman should be “careful” about what she says online, and appeared to suggest that she’s trying to be a “cool aunty.”

“She has all of a sudden come into this huge social media popularity, and I can understand her excitement about sounding like a cool aunty. But giving advice that is counter to our moral values is not the solution to increasing your following. Aap Zeenat ko hi le lo misaal ke taur par (Take Zeenat for example). She knew Mazhar Khan for years before marrying him. Her marriage was a living hell. She should be the last person doling out advice on relationships,” Mumtaz had said.

Zeenat Aman, 72, then responded to Mumtaz’s comments, saying everyone was entitled to their own opinions. “I’ve never been one to comment on others personal lives or tear down my colleagues, and I’m not going to start now,” she told Hindustan Times.

Zeenat Aman had tied the knot with actor Sanjay Khan in 1978, the marriage was annulled a year later. She then married actor Mazhar Khan in 1985, with whom she had two sons. The couple remained together until his demise in 1998. Her relationship with Mazhar was marred by inner turmoil and discontent. Speaking about her experiences, she had revealed her unhappiness within the marriage during an appearance on Rendezvous with Simi Garewal in 1999. “Mazhar never wanted me to grow as an individual or as an artist. He always wanted me to be with the kids and be at home. During the very first year of marriage I realised I had made a huge mistake, but I decided to live by it and make it work. I tried to make it work for another 12 years. There was no light at the end of the tunnel for me. There was not a single moment of happiness or joy during those 12 years. But I still tried making it work,” she had said.

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