PRERNA SHAH
[ 30 Oct, 2006, ISTTIMES NEWS NETWORK ]

Bollywood's original sex symbol, Zeenat Aman talks about dealing with fame, pain and pleasure.

Retro talk
I was a teenager when I joined films. Through films, I transformed from a carefree youngster to a woman of the world. I worked for 15 years, a wonderful time of my life. I had just come back from United States, and I had a very liberal outlook. I did roles that were considered unconventional, and explored territories previously un-chartered by Indian heroines.

Taking risks
Why did I choose to play an opportunist lover, an ambitious woman, a hooker or a hippie rather than the faithful and loving wife? Why did I wear 'bold' costumes? I loved characters that had shades of grey as long as they were well defined. I never thought twice about taking on the role of a woman who falls in love with her mother's one time lover, or wearing a sexy costume.

Personal battles
I have stayed away from the limelight for a long time. I was a family and fighting battles. For six long years my husband's illness dominated our lives.

Lessons learnt
Though it was a very traumatic part of my life, I learnt to be grateful for each day. After my husband died, I also learnt how to become a single parent. It was hard – I have two teenage sons and that explains everything!

Happy days are here
We have a beautiful new home in Juhu. My sons – Azaan, 20 and Zahaan, 17 – are with me . I am looking forward to working on interesting projects. Life is beautiful.

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