Zeenat Aman reveals her Hindu name, discusses faith and why she isn't religious
Zeenat Aman shared that she also has a Hindu name and explained why she does not consider herself a religious person. Her candid remarks on faith and religion came at the Amrit Ratna 2026 summit in New Delhi on Thursday.
Zeenat Aman on Thursday spoke about a lesser-known part of her identity at the Amrit Ratna 2026 summit in New Delhi, revealing that she also has a Hindu name. The 74-year-old actor also revealed why she is not a religious person.
She said her name from her father’s side is Zeenat Aman, while from her mother’s side, it is Laliteshwari. She also spoke about being raised largely by her mother, Vardhini, a deeply religious Hindu woman, before explaining her own choice.
Speaking at the summit, Zeenat said, “My name from my father’s side is Zeenat Aman, but from my mother’s side, my name is Laliteshwari.” She added that her mother would spend two to three hours every day performing puja and that she was largely brought up by her.
When asked if she herself is religious, Zeenat gave a direct reply. “I am not religious because I have seen things very closely,” she said.
She went on to explain that she grew up around different faiths and cultures. “My mother was Hindu, my father was Muslim, and the father of my children is also Muslim. I studied in a Catholic school, and my stepfather is German, so I was exposed to a very global way of life. Because of that, I never felt the need to adhere to any particular religion,” she said.
Zeenat added that she does not see religion as something that divides people. “All religions are good; no religion teaches you to do anything wrong. I believe in humanity, kindness, peace, equality, and love for people and animals. That is my religion,” she said.
Her career and rise in films
Zeenat Aman first came into the spotlight after winning Femina Miss India and Miss Asia Pacific International in 1970. She began acting the same year with The Evil Within and found her breakthrough a year later with Hare Rama Hare Krishna.
She went on to become one of the most recognisable faces of Hindi cinema in the 1970s with films such as Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973), Roti Kapda Aur Makaan (1974), Dharam Veer and Don (1978). In the 1980s, she continued to appear in films including Laawaris and Pukar.
After Gawaahi (1989), the actor took a break from films to focus on her personal life. She later said the project came at a difficult stage, when her marriage to actor-director Mazhar Khan was beginning to fall apart. In a later reflection, she said the film was not only a return to work after motherhood, but also a way to hold on to an identity beyond being a daughter, mother and wife.
The film was pitched to her by producer Vivek Vaswani and debut director Anant Balani, was shot entirely in Mumbai, and also featured Shekhar Kapur and Ashutosh Gowariker. Reflecting on the role of Janhvi Kaul, a woman accused of murder, Zeenat called herself a “comeback queen” and said it marked one of several comebacks in her career.
Zeenat was last seen in the 2025 Netflix series The Royals. She will next be seen in Bun Tikki, produced by Manish Malhotra’s banner Stage5 Productions and directed by Faraz Arif Ansari. The film also stars Shabana Azmi and Abhay Deol.
Zeenat Aman on Thursday spoke about a lesser-known part of her identity at the Amrit Ratna 2026 summit in New Delhi, revealing that she also has a Hindu name. The 74-year-old actor also revealed why she is not a religious person.
She said her name from her father’s side is Zeenat Aman, while from her mother’s side, it is Laliteshwari. She also spoke about being raised largely by her mother, Vardhini, a deeply religious Hindu woman, before explaining her own choice.
Speaking at the summit, Zeenat said, “My name from my father’s side is Zeenat Aman, but from my mother’s side, my name is Laliteshwari.” She added that her mother would spend two to three hours every day performing puja and that she was largely brought up by her.
When asked if she herself is religious, Zeenat gave a direct reply. “I am not religious because I have seen things very closely,” she said.
She went on to explain that she grew up around different faiths and cultures. “My mother was Hindu, my father was Muslim, and the father of my children is also Muslim. I studied in a Catholic school, and my stepfather is German, so I was exposed to a very global way of life. Because of that, I never felt the need to adhere to any particular religion,” she said.
Zeenat added that she does not see religion as something that divides people. “All religions are good; no religion teaches you to do anything wrong. I believe in humanity, kindness, peace, equality, and love for people and animals. That is my religion,” she said.
Her career and rise in films
Zeenat Aman first came into the spotlight after winning Femina Miss India and Miss Asia Pacific International in 1970. She began acting the same year with The Evil Within and found her breakthrough a year later with Hare Rama Hare Krishna.
She went on to become one of the most recognisable faces of Hindi cinema in the 1970s with films such as Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973), Roti Kapda Aur Makaan (1974), Dharam Veer and Don (1978). In the 1980s, she continued to appear in films including Laawaris and Pukar.
After Gawaahi (1989), the actor took a break from films to focus on her personal life. She later said the project came at a difficult stage, when her marriage to actor-director Mazhar Khan was beginning to fall apart. In a later reflection, she said the film was not only a return to work after motherhood, but also a way to hold on to an identity beyond being a daughter, mother and wife.
The film was pitched to her by producer Vivek Vaswani and debut director Anant Balani, was shot entirely in Mumbai, and also featured Shekhar Kapur and Ashutosh Gowariker. Reflecting on the role of Janhvi Kaul, a woman accused of murder, Zeenat called herself a “comeback queen” and said it marked one of several comebacks in her career.
Zeenat was last seen in the 2025 Netflix series The Royals. She will next be seen in Bun Tikki, produced by Manish Malhotra’s banner Stage5 Productions and directed by Faraz Arif Ansari. The film also stars Shabana Azmi and Abhay Deol.
