Zeenat Aman recalls friendly scene, criticizes Amitabh’s protectionist stance

Veteran actress Zeenat Aman has sparked a discussion on societal attitudes towards women in films by sharing a scene from a 1980 film. friendly On his social media. In the video, Aman’s character Sheetal faces harassment on the beach and drags the culprit to the police, highlighting the patriarchal mindset of that era.

Aman reflected on how the films of her time were shaped by such attitudes, and noted the lasting impact these depictions had on perceptions of gender roles. He observed that although certain mindsets persist, progress has been made in how these issues are addressed today.

Taking to Instagram, Aman wrote, “From time to time, I find myself flipping through clips of my old movies in search of something to share with you. Today I found one of these the great gamblerfrom one leaderAnd then the algorithm offered me this. The scene was so apt for social commentary that it astounded me!”

He further commented on the development of social norms: “When one is young one thinks that the morals of the time are set in the dust. Absolute and unshakable; it is best to be influenced by one’s own impotent acts of rebellion. Then the years change, and one day you look up from your screen and think ‘Wow, everything changed.’ Okay, maybe not everything. There is no doubt that the moral police are still as vigilant today, but the story has certainly moved on.

This scene shows the inspector VictoryPlayed by Amitabh Bachchan, questions Sheetal about her attire and suggests her to wear more modest clothes. Sheetal challenges their opinion and insists on her right to choose her own clothes, underscoring the conflict between tradition and autonomy.

Aman addressed the female audience of the clip: “If you are a woman who has watched this clip, let me guess something. You were outraged by the teasing and resonated with Sheetal’s restlessness and anger, perhaps the first time you experienced such a thing. You felt good that she dragged her tormentor to the police station, a victory you probably never felt. And then you felt the condescending opinion of our hero, Inspector Vijay. And am I right? That opinion and tone were par for the course.

He said reactions have changed over time. Aman said, “Earlier your average lady would think Vijay was a mighty gentleman because Sheetal deserved a rebuke as much as her tormentor. But the young lady to whom I showed this earlier today? She sneered at the poor inspector and said ‘What a loser he is.’ I laughed a lot at that.”