Zeenat Aman, one of the most iconic faces of 1970s and 1980s Bollywood, was seen recently in the Netflix show, The Royals. She was known for breaking stereotypes in Bollywood during her peak time, but her personal life was miles away from the glamorous world that she dreamt of. When she was at the peak of her career, she decided to make a move which shocked everybody, was to marry actor-producer, Mazhar Khan, despite her mother’s disapproval.
What seemed to be like two love-birds coming together, turned out to be one of the most horrible experiences for Zeenat Aman. Zeenat had a strong desire to become a mother, which eventually made her stay in that marriage for much longer than she should have. Over the years, she faced betrayal, illness and addiction, but she still chose to stay beside Mazhar Khan for the sake of her children.
Zeenat Aman: A superstar ready for motherhood
By the mid 1980s, Zeenat Aman was one of Bollywood’s biggest stars, but her professional highs could not match her personal ones. Her personal dreams of settling down and becoming a mother was above everything. She openly admitted in later interviews that her biological clock was ticking and she wanted to have children. This desire led her to marry Mazhar Khan, believing that with him she could build the family she always wanted. However, her mother was against this relationship and it caused strain in their relationship, until the birth of Zeenat’s first son, who helped mend that rift.
Mazhar Khan’s infidelity from the start
Within the first year of marriage, when Zeenat was pregnant with her first child, she discovered the harsh reality of her husband, Mazhar Khan. In an interview with Simi Garewal, she had said:
“The first year of marriage, I realised I had made a mistake but since I had made the decision against everybody’s will, I decided to make it work. I’m not necessarily saying that it was the best thing for him either. It was a difficult time since the first year because I was pregnant with my first child and Mazhar was not there. There was a big article in Stardust magazine at that time about the woman that Mazhar was seeing. It’s reality.”
Zeenat Aman was completely heartbroken but her determination was still very strong. Despite all the headlines around her, she chose to stay, convincing herself that her child deserved a chance at a complete family. She admitted later that she should have walked away early, but a sense of commitment kept her tied to the marriage. She believed she could fix what was broken, unaware of what was about to happen with her.
Zeenat Aman taking care of Mazhar Khan’s illness for years
Zeenat Aman has said that when her child turned 5 years old, she had thought of getting back to work and just then her husband, Mazhar fell sick which changed everything for her. She said that she spent 5 years fighting for his health which eventually improved also. Sharing the entire incident, she said:
“I tried everything under the sun. We were in and out of every hospital in Mumbai. I learned how to give injections, to do dressing. He was living with a bag outside his body for 18 months, I learned how to change that bag. I did everything there was to do. I flew overseas and found the best doctor. When that thing was over and the problem was sorted, it had taken a toll on me. I was very close to a nervous breakdown.”
Mazhar Khan’s addiction
After Mazhar was free from his illness, his addiction started. By the time he improved, Mazhar had become addicted to prescription drugs and died of kidney failure eventually. At the end, it was this drug addiction that forced Zeenat to maintain distance. She said:
“He had stopped helping himself and was inflicting further damage on himself and I couldn’t stay there and watch him do that. He was taking seven painkillers a day. At the end, his kidneys did pack up and this was after I had opted out. When I left, I still cared. I have no guilt because I am sure 99 percent women wouldn’t have lasted as long and as honestly as I did.”
Zeenat Aman’s life after Mazhar’s death
Mazhar Khan passed away in 1998 due to kidney failure, but Zeenat’s struggles didn’t end there. She revealed that Mazhar’s mother and sister cut her and her children out entirely. Zeenat was even given a penny after his death. Not just this, Mazhar’s mother and sister didn’t even allow her to attend Mazhar’s funeral. Even after years of doing so much, Zeenat had to start everything from the beginning again, both emotionally and financially.
Zeenat Aman’s marriage to Mazhar Khan was a story of love, betrayal, sacrifice and ultimately survival. Through personal heartbreak, public attention and private battles, she showed remarkable strength. Today, after going through so much, she is still known for her contributions to Indian cinema and is a legend.
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