Zeenat Aman Recalls 'Awkward' Fan Encounter Upon Being Confused With Parveen Babi, After Her Passing

The golden era of Bollywood had two ultimate fashion icons — Zeenat Aman and Parveen Babi. The glamorous actresses, both ruling the '70s and '80s, would often be mistaken for one another, given their similar features and styling choices. Today, even at 73, Zeenat Aman remains a bold woman whose style and vigour still scream elegance. In a recent AMA session, the actress recalled an uncomfortable fan encounter when she was confused with Parveen Babi, but it was after the latter’s passing.

Zeenat Aman recalls the time she was mistaken for Parveen Babi after her demise

Recently, the glamorous diva, Zeenat Aman took to the discussion platform, Reddit, hosting an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session. Among the various questions that the actress answered, one particular thread that grabbed much attention was where Zeenat recalled an awkward fan encounter in Dubai. Zeenat was asked whether she had ever been confused for Parveen Babi in public. The user wrote:

“Hi, Zeenat Ji. As a kid, I would always get confused between yourself and Parveen Babi. Did you ever get confused in public by fans?”

The veteran actress confirmed that this was a common mix-up and even called Parveen “stunning,” adding that she never minded the comparisons. However, she recounted an incident in Dubai that left her in an uncomfortable position. Zeenat’s response read:

“That was a very common mistake. Parveen was stunning so I didn't mind it either! There was one very awkward moment in Dubai when a woman went absolutely gaga over me thinking I'm Parveen, but this was AFTER her passing! It was so uncomfortable, and I was the one to have to break it to that dejected fan that her favourite actress is no more.”

The striking similarities between Zeenat Aman and Parveen Babi

Zeenat Aman and Parveen Babi witnessed similar career trajectories during the '70s and '80s. Both actresses had successful modelling careers before transitioning to Bollywood and gained massive stardom. Fans were smitten by their bold on-screen personas and Western-inspired fashion sense. They were often pitted against each other due to their association with megastar, Amitabh Bachchan. However, despite rumours of rivalry, Zeenat and Parveen’s equation was warm, and they also starred together in films like Ashanti and Mahaan. 

That is not all! On Parveen Babi’s birth anniversary, April 4, 2023, Zeenat posted a long note in the late actress’s honour. Taking to her Instagram, Zeenat shared two black and white pictures of her and Parveen, and there too, she recalled the Dubai incident. In the heartfelt note, Zeenat wrote:

“I’d like to remember and honour Parveen today, on her birthday… the media at the time spun tales of competition and rivalry between us, but in reality, we were always warm towards each other. Not best friends, but contemporaries, colleagues and well-wishers… Parveen was remarkable in many ways, and I hope she will be remembered for the effervescent person she was.”

See the post here.

Parveen Babi’s untimely death

Parveen Babi, who made history as the first Indian actress to grace TIME Magazine's cover, battled personal struggles, including paranoid schizophrenia. She tragically passed away in 2005 at the age of 50, due to multiple organ failure. Her death went unnoticed for three days until neighbours reported her absence.

Meanwhile, Zeenat is gearing up for her return to the screen with Netflix's The Royals alongside Ishaan Khatter and Bhumi Pednekar, and another film, Bun Tikki, co-starring Shabana Azmi and Abhay Deol.

Did you ever confuse Zeenat Aman with Parveen Babi? Let us know!

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