Zeenat Aman, known for her outspoken posts about old Bollywood, has once again spoken about how limited the roles written for actresses used to be. She said that in earlier decades, actresses in Hindi cinema were handed only a narrow set of parts, though the situation has changed considerably since then.
Aman has played every kind of role across her career. Through the 1970s and 80s she remained a dominant presence on screen and carved out a distinct identity through bold characters. Speaking during the documentary 'Journey Into India', she revealed that for a long stretch of time, most actresses in films were kept around purely for show.
Ninety percent of films, one kind of role
Aman, known for 'Yaadon Ki Baaraat', said that in nearly 90 percent of films, actresses were given characters that made little real contribution to the story. According to her, the heroine's job in that era boiled down to singing songs, dancing and appearing on screen next to the hero. The weight of the story rested almost entirely on the hero's character, while the actress's role stayed confined to his orbit.
A shift now underway
Aman said Bollywood is gradually changing. Today's actresses, she noted, no longer want to be limited to purely glamorous parts, and are instead asking for meatier characters who actually push the story forward. She said several actresses now openly turn down films that don't offer them anything substantial to do. They want roles where their contribution is equal, and where there is genuine work for them to perform.
She added that the encouraging part is that such opportunities are now coming their way. In her view, Indian women deserve to see characters on screen they can actually relate to, rather than characters that exist merely as decoration.
From Miss India to Bollywood stardom
Looking at her own career, Zeenat Aman won the Femina Miss India and Miss Asia Pacific International titles in 1970. She then entered Bollywood in 1971 with the film 'Hulchul'. However, it was Dev Anand's film 'Hare Rama Hare Krishna' that gave her real recognition. She went on to work in several superhit films including 'Yaadon Ki Baaraat', 'Roti Kapada Aur Makaan', 'Ajnabee', 'Warrant', 'Chori Mera Kaam', 'Dharam Veer', 'Chhaila Babu', 'Hum Kisise Kum Naheen' and 'The Great Gambler', establishing herself as one of the most talked-about actresses of Hindi cinema.
Satyam Shivam Sundaram made her an overnight star
Having already made her mark with 'Hare Rama Hare Krishna', Zeenat Aman became an overnight star after playing the character of Roopa in the 1978 film 'Satyam Shivam Sundaram'. After this film, she became a favourite not just of filmmakers but of audiences as well.
