Zeenat Aman

Zeenat Aman was born on November 19, 1951, to a Muslim father, Amanullah Khan, and a Maharashtrian Brahmin mother, Vardhini Karvaste. Her father, a scriptwriter for classic films like 'Mughal-e-Azam' and 'Pakeezah', passed away when she was just 13. After her parents' divorce, Zeenat adopted her father's name as her surname.

Zeenat Aman began her career as a journalist for Femina magazine. At the age of 19, she ventured into beauty pageants, winning both the Femina Miss India and Miss Asia Pacific International titles in 1970. She was the first Indian to win the latter title.

Zeenat made her acting debut in 1970 with the film 'Hulchul'. Her breakthrough came with the musical drama 'Hare Rama Hare Krishna' (1971), for which she won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.

She established herself as a leading actress in the 1970s with roles in 'Yaadon Ki Baaraat' (1973), 'Roti Kapada Aur Makaan' (1974), 'Ajanabee' (1974), 'Warrant' (1975), 'Chori Mera Kaam' (1975), 'Dharam Veer' (1977), 'Chhailla Babu' (1977), 'Hum Kisise Kum Naheen' (1977), and 'The Great Gambler' (1979).

In the early 1980s, she had leading roles in 'Abdullah' (1980), 'Alibaba Aur 40 Chor' (1980), 'Qurbani' (1980), 'Dostana' (1980), and 'Insaf Ka Tarazu' (1980). She continued acting in films throughout the early 1980s, with roles in 'Laawaris' (1981), 'Teesri Aankh' (1982), 'Mahaan' (1983), 'Pukar' (1983), and 'Jagir' (1984).