Zeenat Aman shared this image. (courtesy: thezeenataman)
Veteran actress Zeenat Aman has only been on Instagram for a few weeks now but she is already the internet's favourite and rightfully so. The 71-year-old star's Instagram timeline is a wonderful treasure trove of memories – old and new – that is always coupled with a thought and eloquent caption. Zeenat Aman's latest post too is no different. On Monday, the actress shared an image of a black and white photo of herself from the 1970s that bears her signature. In the caption, she revealed that she would print out hundreds of such pictures, sign them, and send them to fans as a response to their letters.
In her caption, Zeenat Aman explained why she was sharing this lovely throwback moment with her Instagram followers. She said: “I was surprised to be recognised on the ferry back from Alibag the other evening. I had thought my age, my sunglasses, and my mask would keep me incognito. Yet a group of young men approached me on the deck and requested a picture, which I politely declined. As mentioned in my last post, I was just about recovering from the flu and had endured a tedious day of bureaucracy. Neither of which left me in the mood to socialise or pose. I was sorry to disappoint these lovely fans, but there are boundaries that I find important to draw for myself. I am happy that they respected my response, as it's not always the case.”
Speaking about fan interaction in the 70s, Zeenat Aman said: “Back in the 70s, before everyone had a smartphone in their pocket, the only proof of having met or interacted with a film star was an autograph. My wonderful mother would print hundreds of headshots of me, and then sit me down on the table and have me sign each one. These autographed pictures would then be sent out in response to fan mail, or handed out to fans who I encountered in my life (often with a personal note). This particular picture was shot specifically for this purpose, and you can see my signature on it.”
Explaining that she prefers autographs to today's selfie culture, Zeenat Aman added: “I imagine that this practice died a natural death with the advent of the smartphone, but I do miss its charming simplicity. My younger one is urging me to print out a fresh set of recent headshots for this purpose, but I doubt such postcards will be able to compete with the camera phone!” asking fans to share their thoughts.
Replying to the post, actress Sandhya Mridul said: "How wonderfully you write. I felt this... and yes please do bring that back ... I'll happily stand in line for my autographed photo of you.” Filmmaker Nikhil Dwivedi confessed: “I would be heartbroken if I had not got a picture with you. You were and remain my absolute favourite. They don't make 'em like you no more.”
Last week, Zeenat Aman shared that she was battling the flu and that spending time with nature was helping her feel better. “I've been a little under the weather this week, with flaring rosacea and the flu. What I really wanted to do was turn off my phone and stay in bed all weekend, but pending paperwork and an out-of-town meeting demanded otherwise. I left home reluctantly this morning but here I am now at a lovely homestay. What's even better is that Nature is reminding me to discern life's silver linings, with a fiery sunset over the trees. That hackneyed line - gratitude is the attitude - seems quite apt for this moment,” she wrote in her caption.
Read the complete note here:
Before that, Zeenat Aman shared another throwback image and wrote, “Always winging it. Have an adventurous and happy March, everyone. (A snapshot from an airfield in Zurich, taken during the filming of Aashiq Hoon Baharon Ka in 1977.)”
Zeenat Aman is known for her work in several Bollywood classics such as Yaadon Ki Baraat, Don, and Qurbani.