Birthday girl Zeenat Aman states, “A woman can be sexy at any age”

By Subhash K. Jha -

November 19, 2025 - 1:53 PM IST

Zeenat Aman was a trendsetter in her heydays. She continues to turn heads, a sex symbol if you will, even as she turns 74 on November 19.

Birthday girl Zeenat Aman states, “A woman can be sexy at any age”

She firmly feels age is just a number, and oomph is ageless. “Oh, a woman can be sexy at any age. What Sophia Loren has done is amazing. I don’t know why women after a certain age are disqualified from being sexy in this country. Men continue to be eligible for romance and love till the age of 70 and 80. Why can’t a woman be attractive forever? I think a woman should be allowed to celebrate her femininity for as long as she wants. I don’t know why once you’re a wife and a mother you’re put in a straitjacket. A mom can be sexy too.”

About being a trendsetter Zeenat says, “It’s very flattering to be considered sexy after a certain age in this country where after 40 women are no longer given the right to remain attractive. I had no idea I was setting any trend. If today, female actors in our country show spunk after a certain age, it says a lot about how far we’ve progressed. Fifty years ago, when I came in things were so different. But I chose to be who I was and what I was. I believed in myself. And that belief was never belied by the way I was projected on screen.”

The trendsetting actress credits her directors with her iconic looks. “Often an actress ends up looking unaesthetic because of the way she’s presented. I was fortunate to work with some of the finest most aesthetic filmmakers of our country like Dev Anand, Raj Kapoor and Manmohan Desai, who know how to make woman look lovely… Today, I can giggle about labels like ‘Zeenie Baby’ that were given to me. But a lot of my confidence in my physicality came from my background. I came from a very cosmopolitan background. I studied in America. I had a Hindu mother, Muslim father, German stepfather… I was very comfortable with who I was, very comfortable with my physicality… There was no trace of awkwardness.”

Zeenat admits the skin show in Satyam Shivam Sundaram crossed boundaries. “I’ve to admit that the nudity did get a bit excessive in Satyam Shivam Sundaram. But you know what? I believed so much in Raj Kapoor saab, I never questioned his vision. Now, when I’m a mother and have two sons, I do look back and say, ‘Oh my God! What was I thinking?’ Fortunately, my two boys never questioned me about my image.”

Zeenat sees promising opportunities for an actor her age. “Leading ladies of my age are definitely not withering away. Whether it’s Shabana (Azmi) or Dimple (Kapadia), they’re doing wonderful work. I personally haven’t been offered anything that exciting. I’d definitely say my sexy image came in the way of making the transition into a maturer slot. At my age, producers don’t know what to do with me. In our sub-continent, women beyond a certain age are slotted as wives and mothers. Unfortunately, most actresses are put into slots. You’ve to function within those slots. A woman encompasses so many roles. She can be a mother and a wife and yet alluring. I don’t think her role in life should shut out a woman from being sexy or attractive.”

Also Read: Zeenat Aman dedicates Lifetime Achievement Award to her mother in emotional post: “I have known both roaring success and cruel obscurity, and…”