Fellow actors have criticized Indian actress Zeenat Aman for her recent advocacy of young couples cohabiting before marriage, expressed through social media.
Aman’s Instagram post on April 9 outlined her rationale for endorsing pre-marital cohabitation.
“If you’re in a relationship, I strongly recommend that you LIVE TOGETHER before getting married!” she said.
Encouraging couples to “Live together before getting married,” Aman stressed the importance of testing the compatibility of a relationship before involving families and legal commitments. She highlighted the challenges of sharing daily life, managing conflicts, and maintaining intimacy, emphasizing the need to assess true compatibility.
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However, Aman’s stance met with disapproval from her peers in the film industry. Mumtaz, Aman’s co-star in the 1971 film “Hare Rama Hare Krishna,” cautioned against advocating practices conflicting with societal morals. She also referenced Aman’s own troubled marriage to Mazhar Khan, suggesting that her experiences might not qualify her to offer relationship advice.
Saira Banu, another veteran actor, echoed traditional values, rejecting the idea of pre-marital cohabitation as unacceptable. Meanwhile, Mukesh Khanna labeled Aman’s perspective as influenced by Western values, deeming it incompatible with Indian cultural norms.
In response to the criticism, Aman maintained her stance, affirming everyone’s right to their opinions and refraining from personal attacks on her colleagues. The debate underscores differing perspectives on modern relationship dynamics within Indian society.
