It's an early start on set. Backdrops are being constructed, lights are being tested, and outfits are carefully steam-ironed. One is as alert and measured as a Sunday 6 am call time allows you to be. And then the energy shifts, almost as if on cue, with a text that flashes on our phones. "Zeenat's arrived." Over 1400 kilometres away, my parents demand a minute-by-minute account of the day. Understandably so. Zeenat Aman had their generation in a chokehold with her unforgettable roles: the rebellious hippie in Hare Rama Hare Krishna (1971), the ethereal Rupa in Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1978), the electrifying disco singer in Qurbani (1980), and the femme fatale in Don (1978). With her unconventional allure, audacious choices, and effortless charm, she shattered stereotypes of the traditional Indian heroine. Zeenat redefined the archetype, blending modernity, individuality, and charisma to craft a legacy that remains unparalleled. I put my phone on aeroplane mode (apologies to the protesting parents), pull up a chair beside Be Beautiful's December cover star, and dive right into a conversation that I know will be just as iconic as the woman herself.
