Zeenat Aman criticises brands for devaluing her, says she's worth more than price of designer handbag

Her post was lauded by several female Bollywood actors including Archana Puran Singh, Bhagyashree, and Manisha Koirala.

Veteran Bollywood actor Zeenat Aman, on July 23, 2024, criticised luxury brands on Instagram for underpaying her. She expressed disappointment, noting that while brands call her an 'icon' and 'fashion inspiration,' they fall short on fair compensation.

Without naming anyone, the actor said she was shocked by the 'impudence' of multimillion-dollar brands expecting her to endorse them for a low fee.

She talked about the disappointing collaboration requests she gets, like last-minute invites meant for other celebrities, rude emails with little information, and blunt demands to "share commercials".

But the worst offenders for her are the multimillion-dollar luxury brands that expect her endorsement just for "brand association" and offer insultingly low fees.

Aman highlighted the big difference in pay between her and other brand ambassadors, some of whom reprised roles she (Aman) originally played. She said these brands pay their ambassadors generously but expect her to promote their products for much less.

This comment from the actor made netizens wonder if she was targeting Priyanka Chopra, who might have reprised one of Aman's roles in an ad. However, this is just speculation.

Even though these brands praise her as an "icon" and "fashion inspiration," they do not offer fair pay for her time, effort, reputation, and influence.

Highlighting her long career and professionalism, Aman reminded her followers that she has been in the industry for over 50 years. Being over the age of 70, she still works with great professionalism and has an organic and engaged social media audience.

She expressed deep respect for herself and her followers, stating that her worth is much more than the price of a designer handbag or high heels.

Aman concluded her post by asking her followers to share their own stories of being undervalued or standing up against it. Her message struck a chord with many, highlighting a widespread issue of undervaluation and disrespect in different industries.

Other notable Bollywood actors, including Archana Puran Singh, Bhagyashree, Manisha Koirala, Abhay Deol, Bhumi Pednekar, Sumona Chakravarti, and Sophie Choudry, praised Aman for addressing the disparity and resonated with the issue.