Veteran actress Zeenat Aman, who will next be seen in the film Bun Tikki, recently shared a powerful message on Instagram about knowing her worth and addressing undervaluation by brands.
Accompanied by stunning photos in a red outfit, Aman wrote, "Thank you, but no thank you. I can't tell you my precise worth, but I do know when I'm being undervalued."
She recounted her experiences with "unpleasant" brand deals, highlighting issues such as last-minute invitations mistakenly addressed to other celebrities, impolite emails with minimal details, and shady proposals to post content without a paid partnership tag.
Aman particularly criticized multimillion-dollar brands that offer low fees for endorsements while expressing admiration with terms like "icon" and "fashion inspiration." She noted the disparity between the high fees these brands pay their ambassadors and the low compensation offered to her, despite selling their basic items for exorbitant prices.
"I am over 70 years old, and I have held my own in this industry for over half a century," Aman stated. "I work with an unusual professionalism. I have a social media audience that is entirely organic and beautifully engaged. I have immense respect for myself and for you who follow my page. I am certainly worth more than the price of a designer handbag or high-heel shoe."
Aman invited her followers to share their stories of being undervalued and standing their ground.
Her post received supportive comments from various celebrities. Bhumi Pednekar shared raising hands emojis, Maria Goretti wrote "Wow" with a black heart, and Celina Jaitly also said "Wow" with a fire emoji. Sushant Divgikr called her "an icon," while Shamita Shetty expressed her love with repeated "Love! Love! Love!" comments. Manisha Koirala added clapping hands emojis in support.
Zeenat Aman will be starring alongside Abhay Deol and Shabana Azmi in the upcoming film Bun Tikki.