Veteran actor Zeenat Aman was one of the biggest stars of the 1970s, earning labels like ‘sex symbol’ and ‘bold’ actress for playing glamorous and unconventional characters on screen. While these roles have defined her public image for decades, Zeenat says they don’t reflect who she really is. In a recent interview, she talked about the disconnect between her on-screen persona and her real personality, while also recalling how filmmakers were more interested in her looks than her creative input.Zeenat said in an interview with: Shubra Ayyappa on his YouTube channel, “I’ve always known that there’s such a difference between what’s projected about me, and the person I really am. The sex symbol tag stuck with me for a long time. When people meet me, they realize that I am really not like the characters I portray. Reflecting on working in the film industry at that time, Zeenat revealed that film sets were largely dominated by men. Apart from her hairdresser, she was the only girl who was always there. Despite being the lead actress, she said she had little say in shaping her characters or their portrayal, as the focus remained mostly on her appearance. “No one is interested in my cerebralness. They are only interested in gayegi, nachegi, dialogue bolegi, bheegegi, barish mein (singing, dancing, speaking two dialogues, wet with rain),” he said. Zeenat also opened up about her fashion sense and how her exposure to global trends influenced her style after returning to India from the US. He said that costume design is often a joint effort with famous designers such as: Bhanu Athaiya. However, he revealed that if anything, his own suggestions were often held back more than the filmmakers wanted. When asked if her ideas were rejected for being too daring, Zeenat laughed and said, “On the contrary, I feel that my contributions are always modest and the additions that people want are not so modest. This has happened to me in many films where they want more cleavage, more rear view, that comes from the production.” The veteran actor also addressed the issue of unequal pay in the film industry, saying that the reasons behind the disparity remain rooted in a patriarchal system. According to him, men have traditionally controlled financial decisions in commercial cinema, which has contributed to the gender pay gap. “Actually, I think the financial powers are mostly with men. Men are in charge of finances and it’s still a patriarchal society and any commercial cinema serves that,” he said, adding that while the industry has made some progress over the years, change is slow.