Image Instagrammed by Zeenat Aman. (courtesy: ZeenatAman)
Zeenat Aman's latest Instagram post is a must-read. The veteran actress shared a series of stunning photos in a striking red outfit, accompanied by a powerful message about knowing her worth and addressing those who try to undervalue her. She wrote, “Thank you, but no thank you. I can't tell you my precise worth, but I do know when I'm being undervalued.” The veteran star went on to detail her experiences with “unpleasant” brand deals. She said, “Amidst the barrage of collaboration and appearance requests that materialise in my inbox each day, there are some that stand out for unpleasant reasons. Last minute invitations that the organiser forgot to edit (and which are addressed to another celebrity who must have declined) are mildly insulting. Impolite emails with minimal details and brusque ‘share commercials' are infuriating. And shady proposals to post stories or comments without the paid partnership tag are distasteful.”
Taking a dig at multimillion-dollar brands offering “ludicrously low fees,” Zeenat Aman continued, “Yet none of these compare to the impudence of multimillion-dollar brands that expect my endorsement in exchange for ‘brand association' and a ludicrously low fee. Such luxury brands pay an eye-watering penny to their ambassadors (one of whom beautifully reprised a role I originally played), and sell even their most basic item for multiple lakhs of rupees. In their outreach to me, they do not fail to express their admiration, with generous terms such as ‘icon' and ‘fashion inspiration'. But when it comes to actually compensating me for my time, energy, reputation and reach… the well runs dry.”
Zeeman Aman also mentioned that she is worth more than the price of a “designer handbag” or “high-heel shoe.”
She added, “I am over 70 years old, and I have held my own in this industry for over half a century. I work with what I know to be an unusual professionalism. I have a social media audience that is not only entirely organic but so beautifully engaged. I have immense respect for myself, and for you who follow my page. I am certainly worth more than the price of a designer handbag or high-heel shoe.”
In the end, Zeenat Aman asked her followers to share their stories of being undervalued and taking a stand. She wrote, “Your turn. Tell me your story of being undervalued or standing your ground against it,” the actress wrote.
Reacting to Zeenat Aman's post, Bhumi Pednekar shared raising hands emojis. Maria Goretti wrote, “Wow,” and dropped a black heart. Celina Jaitly also said “Wow,” and posted a fire emoji. Sushant Divgikr called Zeenat Aman “an icon”. Shamita Shetty commented, “Love ! Love ! Love !” Manisha Koirala dropped clapping hands emojis.
Zeenat Aman will be next seen in Bun Tikki alongside Abhay Deol and Shabana Azmi.