'I stayed because...': Zeenat Aman on marriage to Mazhar Khan
What's the story
Zeenat Aman recently opened up about her past choices and the lessons she learned from her marriage to actor Mazhar Khan. In an interview with Between Us By Anamika, she said she looks back at those years with "a lot of compassion." "I was young. I made choices on what I believed and what I wanted at that time," Aman said.
Family 1st
'I had hoped that things would change'
Aman married Khan in 1985 and has two sons with him.
"When I married Mazhar, I was ready to become a mother...I believed marriage was the route to building a family and I made my choice accordingly."
"It taught me about the difference between love and self-abandonment."
"I personally stayed because I had made a commitment, because we had children and because I had hoped that things would change."
Self-discovery
'I understood that you cannot save another person'
Aman also spoke about the challenges she faced during her marriage, including infidelity and Khan's dependence on prescription painkillers.
"Eventually, I understood that you cannot save another person by destroying yourself...I eventually realized and recognized that he had to help himself."
"He is the father of my children, so I would not like to say anything derogatory about him."
Their marriage lasted for around 12 years.
Industry insights
'Infidelity...is a human failing'
Aman also addressed the issue of infidelity in Bollywood, saying it's not exclusive to the film industry.
"Infidelity is not uniquely a Bollywood phenomenon. It is a human failing," she said.
"What changes in our industry is that private relationships often become public entertainment."
"I don't think anyone benefits from turning another person's heartbreak into gossip."
"That's the truth."