“Is it Dior, Chanel?” Zeenat Aman wonders aloud when I ask her about her lavender-tinted sunglasses. It is Gucci, someone pipes in, and Aman nods along. “It is Gucci,” she beams sweetly.
Aman, 72, is the only source of stately exuberance in the stark conference room where I meet her. The veteran Hindi film actor recently rolled up for the #WeSeeEqual summit, a corporate symposium to drive conversations on parity, inclusion and mental health. The event was held at the Procter & Gamble offices in Mumbai.
It was a fit for Aman, who has leveraged her social media popularity (she debuted sensationally on Instagram in 2023) to lend her voice to a variety of causes. “Can I refer to my notes?” she politely asks as we get on talking. Edited excerpts from a conversation with the actor: You have struck a phenomenal connection with the youth, especially the Gen-Z.
What’s your advice to them on using social media purposefully? Firstly, I feel the current generation is more aware and well-informed than anybody of my time was at their age. It’s been wonderful for me, as a septuagenarian, to connect with them. I recently learned that 60% of my Instagram followers are between 25 and 44 years old.
It’s a delightful, unexpected, and exciting position I find myself in. My only word of advice to youngsters is that they should see the Internet as a space for more than just uploading selfies. They should educate themselves on DEA — diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Because this .
