Zeenat Aman says her name is from her father’s side but from mother’s side her name is Laliteshwari.
Published: June 18, 2026, 8:33 PM IST
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Zeenat Aman (PC – Instagram)
Veteran Hindi cinema actress Zeenat Aman worked with many prominent stars of her time. Her acting was widely appreciated. Recently, the actress spoke about her personal life in an interview. For the first time, Zeenat revealed that she has a Hindu name. She also revealed that she is not religious at all and explained the reason behind it.
Speaking at a News18 event, the actress said, “My name from my father’s side is Zeenat Aman, but from my mother’s side, my name is Laliteshwari. 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”.
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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.
The actress continued, “For this reason, I’ve never felt the need to follow any particular religion. 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”.
Zeenat Aman is quite active on social media, frequently posting about her personal and professional life. The actress once shared a post about her mother, writing, “My mother was a woman who was ahead of her time. She had to overcome harsh criticism from a conservative society to live the life she wanted.”
Despite being a devout Hindu, she married a Muslim man. When that relationship broke down, she married a German Protestant (my uncle Heinz), and when he died, she decided to raise me alone and determine my early career path. You can easily imagine the uproar and uproar these decisions caused at the time.”
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.
A few of Zeenat Aman’s blockbusters are Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973), Roti Kapda Aur Makaan (1974), Dharam Veer and Don (1978). Zeenat was last seen in the 2025 Netflix series The Royals.
