Zeenat Aman says ‘cautious of culture of easy outrage’ on social media weeks after live-in advice: ‘People say cruel things’

On April 9, Zeenat Aman had taken to social media to share a long post, advising the younger generation to get in live-in relationships before jumping into marriage. This attracted a backlash.

By: Entertainment Desk

New Delhi | May 31, 2024 02:35 PM IST

4 min read

"What is the measure of a meaningful relationship then? For me it is when there is reciprocity," Zeenat Aman wrote. (Photo: Zeenat Aman/Instagram)

Zeenat Aman, who became a sensation and Gen Z favourite after her Instagram debut last year, was away from social media for around two weeks. Now, almost 15 days later, the veteran star is back with yet another thought provoking post where she talked about the culture of easy outrage that has proliferated online and how casually some people say cruel things online that they would never dare to say in person.

This post comes after over a month of her post where she advised the youngsters to get into a live-in relationship before they jump into marriage. This advise from the 72-year-old star didn’t sit down well with many and landed her in controversy. Yesteryear stars like Saira Banu and Mumtaz voiced their disapproval against Zeenat’s advise and criticised her.

In her latest post, the actress has indirectly addressed the issue. On Friday, Zeenat took to her Instagram handle to share a photo of herself in a beautiful summer dress. She captioned her post, “I took an unplanned social media break. Mostly because I got tired of seeing my own face on my grid! This time to myself really led me to ruminate on how different the world is today from when I started out. It’s quite unrecognisable from what I lived through in the 70s.”

She added, “I am fascinated by what the internet, and more specifically social media, has done to society. There are both pros and cons of course. At some level, social media has democratised the idea of fame. Today, anyone with a little talent, luck and a smartphone can build a career that would have been impossible without immense privileges back in the day. Yes, there’s a lot of online noise, but there is also honest talent that now has a platform.”

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“On the other hand I am very cautious of the culture of easy outrage that has proliferated online. And how casually some people say cruel things online that they would never dare say in person. To me this indicates a bored society that has forgotten how nuanced the world, and each person in it, is! To invalidate, tear down, and sully people for the smallest of indiscretions is absolutely counter to my approach, which is dialogue, and sometimes the acceptance that opinions can differ, and that’s okay,” read her caption further.

Concluding her post, the actress wrote, “That’s it. My honest two cents for the day. I hope your Friday is wonderful. What are your plans?”

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In her now-controversial post, Zeenat among many other things wrote, ” I strongly recommend that you LIVE TOGETHER before getting married! This is the same advice I’ve always given my sons, both of whom have had, or are in, a live-in relationship.”

She added, “It’s easy to be the best version of yourself for a few hours a day. But can you share a bathroom? Weather the storm of a bad mood? Agree on what to eat for dinner every night? Keep the fire alive in the bedroom? Work through the million tiny conflicts that inevitably arise between two people in close proximity? In short – are you actually compatible?”

Zeenat Aman will be soon seen in the film Bun Tikki alongside Abhay Deol and Shabana Azmi.

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