Zeenat Aman opens up on her turbulent marriage and years of caregiving

Veteran actor Zeenat Aman once shared details about her difficult twelve-year marriage to late actor Mazhar Khan. Married in 1985, she realised the union was a mistake within the first year while she was pregnant with her first child, as her husband was involved with another woman. She initially planned to leave the marriage when her younger son turned five, but changed her plans when Mazhar fell gravely ill.

Caregiving Years

Zeenat spent five years nursing her husband through severe health issues, visiting numerous hospitals in Mumbai and even travelling abroad for medical help. She learned to give injections, manage dressings, and change a medical bag that her husband wore outside his body for eighteen months. Although her dedicated care helped him recover, Mazhar later developed an addiction to prescription painkillers, consuming seven pills daily against the wishes of his family. This habit damaged his kidneys and eventually led Zeenat to walk out of the relationship. Mazhar passed away in 1998 due to kidney failure.

Family Conflict

Following her husband's death, Zeenat alleged that his mother and sister barred her from paying her last respects and took all of his money. She also stated that her sons were temporarily turned against her and that her late husband's family attempted to take the children away. Today, the actor connects with a new generation of fans on social media and appeared in the 2025 Netflix series The Royals.

Context

Public revelations by veteran film stars about their personal lives often shed light on the unseen struggles behind the glamour of the Hindi film industry. Caregiver burnout is a well-documented physical and emotional strain that occurs when individuals spend years managing severe medical crises without adequate support. Such personal accounts frequently prompt wider public conversations about mental health, family disputes over estate management, and the complexities of long-term relationships.