New Delhi:
Zeenat Aman’s statement in support of live-in relationships has failed to impress her industry colleagues. From Mumtaz and Sainu Banu to Mukesh Khanna, celebrities have voiced their strong disapproval. Now, former actress Somy Ali has come out in support of Zeenat Aman. She said that a live-in relationship “helps in bringing down divorce rates.” In a conversation with Hindustan Times, Somy Ali shared, “When I lived in Vidhyachal at Mount Mary, Zeenat Ji and Mazhar Bhai (Zeenat’s late husband) were my neighbours. Jackie Shroff and Ayesha (Shroff) also used to live nearby. Whenever we used to go for a shoot, we would catch up. Recently, a lot of people have condemned her. Our population has peaked at 8 billion. I am not at all against live-in relationships. Whatever Zeenat Ji has said, I 100% support her in this.”
Somy Ali added, “When you are in a live-in relationship with someone, you can set boundaries. No means no. You get to know about each other. We all have our idiosyncrasies. There can be habits that you like or dislike in an individual. So, you can learn a lot about personal likes and dislikes in a live-in relationship. It helps in bringing down divorce rates.”
Pointing at the sharp rise in divorce cases, Somy Ali mentioned, “Currently, divorce rates have gone high in India, Pakistan and across the globe. Zeenat ji is highly intellectual and has studied journalism in San Fransisco through scholarship. She is intelligent, well-read and articulate. I want to tell the naysayers that we no longer live in the 1950s. In 2024, the world has changed a lot, and a man and a woman can be in a live-in relationship.”
Backing Zeenat Aman‘s statement, Somy Ali stated, “We have seen so many cases where people get married without knowing each other and then end up getting into a divorce. This is quite common in arranged marriages in both Pakistan and India. Dowry is illegal in both India and Pakistan, yet people do not shy away from asking it. Everything goes on behind the curtains, be it India, Pakistan or America. One last thing I would like to say about Zeenat Ji. What she has suggested can help in bringing down the divorce rate. If you are in a live-in, then you will be able to figure out if you have compatibility with your partner. Zeenat Ji has done a huge favour to us by expressing her views on live-in relationships.”
In case you missed it, about a month ago, Zeenat Aman shared an Instagram note, saying, “I strongly recommend that you LIVE TOGETHER before getting married! This is the same advice I’ve always given my sons, both of whom have had, or are in, a live-in relationship. It just seems logical to me that before two people get their families and the government involved in their equation, they first put their relationship to the ultimate test.”
Read the full note below:
Somy Ali has appeared in 90s films such as Krishan Avtaar, Yaar Gaddar, and Aao Pyaar Karen. Meanwhile, Zeenat Aman will be soon seen in Bun Tikki alongside Shabana Azmi and Abhay Deol.