Mukesh Khanna criticizes Zeenat Aman's stance on live-in relationships as western influence

Veteran actor Zeenat Aman's recent endorsement of live-in relationships as beneficial for couples has drawn criticism from Shaktiman fame actor Mukesh Khanna, who suggests that such relationships are not part of Indian culture or history but are rooted in Western civilization.

Zeenat Aman had shared her views on live-in relationships in an Instagram post, saying, "I’m aware that Indian society is a little uptight about ‘living in sin’ but then again, society is uptight about so many things! Log kya kahenge? (What will people say?)." She strongly recommended that couples should live together before getting married to better understand each other. She also revealed that she had given this advice to her sons, who have either been or are in live-in relationships.

However, Mukesh Khanna disagrees with Aman's viewpoint, attributing her stance to her Western lifestyle. "Live-in relationships are not recognised in our culture and history. It has come from Western civilisation. Zeenat Aman is speaking about the matter, and she has lived her life according to Western civilisation from the very beginning," Khanna stated in an interview with Dainik Jagran.

Khanna expressed concerns about the potential consequences of such arrangements, saying, "Just imagine if a boy and a girl live with each other like husband and wife before marriage, and they do not get along well, then imagine what will happen to both of them. Those who are saying such things should think before speaking."

The Shaktiman actor's criticism adds to the voices of other industry veterans like Saira Banu and Mumtaz, who had also expressed disagreement with Aman's perspective.

Zeenat Aman was married to actor Mazhar Khan in 1985 and had two sons with him. The couple remained together until Mazhar Khan's death in 1998.