BENGALURU: Though she calls herself a senior citizen now, Zeenat Aman feels active – she travels frequently, acts in movies and theatre, spends time with pets, enjoys gardening and meeting friends. But the yesteryear diva feels that problems of the senior citizen community are less represented in arts, especially Indian cinema. “I don’t think there is any focus on senior citizens in Indian cinema right now. Honestly, nobody is doing films on these subjects, especially since mainstream cinema is youth-oriented. You may find a few documentaries and offbeat films. Piku is one of the rarest movies made on this subject,” she said.
In town for the launch of Virtuoso by Columbia Pacific,., a senior living community, the 65-year-old added, “It’s true that cinema is meant to be entertaining people. But you can sometimes take the story of an old-age person, make it interesting and make a film out of it.”
Aman, whose debut film was out in 1971, speaks about how the industry has changed over the years. “A lot of differences have come up regarding the kind of films being made now. A lot of digital platforms and tools are being used in film production,” said the actor, who is working on a web series.
Though the medium has changed due to the emergence of new technologies, the role of an actor remains the same even now. “For a filmmaker or a person who is working behind the camera or in the more technical part of cinema, s/he will definitely feel the change. But for an actor, the process remains pretty same. Whether it is a web series or cinema with ‘n’ number of cameras and lights, acting remains almost the same.”
When asked about her most challenging role in career, Aman said, “I came to this industry as a teenager. It has been 45 years now. It is difficult to point out one particular challenging role. The first movie Hare Rama Hare Krishna made me a star. Later, I got many Western or modernised characters. My role in Satyam Shivam Sundaram was different. There were many roles that had different sort of challenges.”
The actor also recalled her memories in the city. “My mother is a Kannadiga and my nani also lived here. I used to visit Bengaluru very often during my childhood. It’s a beautiful city and it is always a pleasure to be here,” she concluded.
Loving her life like never before
Zeenat Aman believes that age is just a number. “At the age of 65, I am loving life like never before. Your advanced years can be very productive if you are in the right environment. With a burgeoning senior population in India, there’s an increasing demand for a wholesome lifestyle solution for seniors.”