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In a recent social media post, veteran actor Zeenat Aman stirred the pot by expressing her belief that couples should live together before marriage to better understand their partners. However, her viewpoint has sparked a debate among stars from the 80s, with some sharing opposing views.
Joining the fray, after Mumtaz and Saira Banu, Shaktiman actor Mukesh Khanna also weighed in against the idea. In an interview with Dainik Jagran, he expressed, “Live-in relationships are not recognized in our culture and history. It has come from Western civilization. Zeenat Aman is speaking about the matter, and she has lived her life according to Western civilization from the very beginning.”
“This is not acceptable in Indian culture. Just imagine if a boy and a girl live with each other like husband and wife before marriage, and they do not get along well, then imagine what will happen to both of them. Those who are saying such things should think before speaking.”
Soni Razdan noticed Mukesh’s comments on her Twitter timeline and sided with Zeenat. “Gosh. Can’t imagine what would happen if a couple live together in a ‘live-in’ relationship and don’t get along. The mind boggles.” A person on Twitter told Soni not to take Mukesh too seriously.
Earlier, in an interview with Zoom, Mumtaz was asked about Zeenat’s Instagram post, where she gave relationship advice to today’s generation, stating: “If you’re in a relationship, I strongly recommend that you LIVE TOGETHER before getting married!”
Mumtaz said, “Zeenat should be careful with what she is advising. She has all of a sudden come into this huge social media popularity, and I can understand her excitement about sounding like a cool aunty. But giving advice that is counter to our moral values is not the solution to increasing your following. Aap Zeenat ko hi le lo misaal ke taur par (Take Zeenat for example)… She knew Mazhar Khan for years before marrying him. Her marriage was a living hell. She should be the last person doling out advice on relationships.”
Saira Banu also reacted to the same in an interview with HT City. “Iss baat se main toh sehmat nahi ho sakti hu kabhi bhi (I can never agree with this statement). I would never advocate live-in relationships like that. It’s something unimaginable and unacceptable for me.”
The clash of opinions among these Bollywood icons reflects the ongoing cultural debate about the validity and impact of live-in relationships in Indian society. As the discussion continues, it’s clear that differing perspectives will shape the dialogue on modern relationships for years to come.
