3 min readNew DelhiJul 1, 2026 04:26 PM IST
Long before she became one of Hindi cinema’s biggest stars and a defining style icon of the 1970s, Zeenat Aman had an entirely different future in mind. An avid reader with academic ambitions, she never dreamed of becoming an actor. In fact, despite being the daughter of Mughal-e-Azam writer Amanullah Khan, Zeenat says she grew up with almost no exposure to Hindi cinema. Instead, her plan was to pursue higher studies and possibly build a life outside India. But a chance entry into modelling led to beauty pageants, which eventually opened the doors to films—leaving her graduation unfinished and changing the course of her life forever.
Speaking to Shubra Aiyappa, Zeenat reflected on how her father’s illustrious film career had little influence on her childhood. “It is true that my father was a prolific writer and exceptional in the work that he did in films. However, I didn’t live with my father. My parents separated when I was two, and I was brought up by my mother. Of course, I love him and miss him, but there was no great cinematic influence. It was only much later, as an adult, that I realised the quality of his work,” she said.
The veteran actor admitted that acting was never part of her plan.
“I wasn’t looking forward to cinema. I wasn’t even sure if I would be living in India or joining films. It was just luck. It was just a step away from the modelling world, and I really believed that I had a future in academia. I was looking forward to pursuing further studies. It was a very momentary thing.”
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She further revealed: “I wasn’t exposed to Hindi cinema. I knew nothing about Hindi cinema despite my father being a writer. It was a new world.”
Zeenat Aman was just 20 years old and had recently returned from California when actor Dev Anand spotted her potential and gave her the breakthrough that transformed her career. Almost overnight, she emerged as one of Hindi cinema’s most glamorous faces, redefining the image of the leading lady. Over the years, she became a fashion icon, a sex symbol, and one of the highest-paid actresses of her era, delivering memorable performances in films such as Roti Kapda Aur Makaan, Dharam Veer, Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Don, and Qurbani.
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Earlier, speaking about her journey, Zeenat had also credited her mother for being the driving force behind her success.
“When I made up my mind to pursue a career in acting, she gave up her own work to be my manager. She negotiated my contracts, invested my earnings, packed my tiffins, ran my lines, inspired my style, and bolstered my confidence to the nth degree.”
Zeenat Aman says acting was never part of her plan. (Photo: Zeenat Aman/Instagram)