Zeenat Aman admits to being 'picky' about accepting the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement honour

Mumbai, Oct 16 (IANS) Veteran actress Zeenat Aman, known for her iconic roles and timeless charm, opened up about being selective when it came to accepting the prestigious Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award.

In her post on Instagram, the ‘Satyam Shivam Sundaram’ reflected on her remarkable journey in cinema, drawing a touching parallel between her first Filmfare Award in 1973 and her recent honour in 2025. Zeenat reminisced about being a young, wide-eyed newcomer when she won her first Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress, and expressed deep gratitude for being recognized now with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

The veteran actress also shared that she is usually selective about accepting such honours, but this one felt particularly meaningful — a symbolic “full-circle” moment that beautifully marked over five decades of her contribution to Indian cinema. Sharing her photos, Aman wrote, “How the years rush by. Just yesterday it was 1973 and I was a doe-eyed ingenue winning her very first Filmfare Award for best Supporting Actress. Today it is 2025. Over 50 years have passed, and I find myself honoured with a Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award. I’ve mentioned before that I’m picky about accepting such invitations, but this felt like too poignant a full circle moment for me to ignore.”

“I accepted the award on Saturday evening at the event in Ahmedabad. @zanuski , my younger son, was my gallant escort for the evening. I am so grateful to have children who I can always count on to be by my side. The award itself I wanted to dedicate to the one person who always put my well-being before her own - my mother. Vardhini Scharwachter. She was enterprising, beautiful, methodical, progressive and devoted to me. I have known both roaring success and cruel obscurity, and I want to believe she would be proud of me for meeting both with equanimity and grace.”

Zeenat Aman concluded by saying, “It is true that I keep my inner circle small, but my outer circle is vast and includes each one of you who has blessed my return to the public eye. Thank you for the belief, respect and love you have showered upon me. I am humbled and moved beyond what my words can express.”

The actress was conferred with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the 70th Hyundai Filmfare Awards 2025 along with late filmmaker Shyam Benegal.

--IANS

ps/