When Sanjay Khan allegedly thrashed ex-wife Zeenat Aman's head, beaten her brutally on the floor inside a hotel room

When Sanjay Khan allegedly thrashed ex-wife Zeenat Aman's head, beaten her brutally on the floor inside a hotel room

Zeenat Aman, an iconic actress, was one of the most celebrated stars and models of her time. At just 19, she made history by becoming the first Indian to win the Miss Asia Pacific title in 1970. Born on November 19, 1951, to a Muslim father and a Maharashtrian Brahmin mother, Vardhini Karvaste, she developed an interest in dance and cinema from an early age, largely influenced by her father, Amanullah Khan, a renowned screenwriter, and her cousin, the famous actor Raza Murad.

ZEENAT AMAN ACTING CAREER

Zeenat Aman made her acting debut in 1971 with Hare Ram Hare Krishna, and soon became one of the most successful actresses of her generation, starring in numerous critically acclaimed films. She worked alongside some of the biggest stars of the time, featuring in classics such as Satyam Shivam Sundaram: Love Sublime, Don, Qurbani, Yaadon Ki Baarat, Laawaris, Dostana, Roti Kapda Aur Makaan, Dharam Veer, and Hum Kisise Kum Naheen. She was one of the highest-paid actresses of her era, and her magnetic presence was enough to captivate any audience. Despite her status as a dream woman, however, her personal life was marred by turbulence, especially in love and marriage.

ZEENAT'S LOVE LIFE 

Zeenat’s first marriage, in 1978, was to Sanjay Khan, despite his existing marriage to Zarine Katrak. The relationship fell apart after just a year, and the marriage was annulled in 1979. The actress, heartbroken by the failure of her first marriage, found solace in actor Mazhar Khan’s company.

Mazhar Khan and Zeenat Aman married in 1985 and had two sons, Azaan and Zahaan. However, once again, Zeenat's personal life was marked by turmoil, leading to their separation just before Mazhar's death in 1998.

ZEENAT'S MARRIAGE WITH SANJAY KHAN 

Though Zeenat was well aware of the difficult nature of her marriage to Sanjay Khan, which included physical abuse, there is one incident that remains etched in history, shedding light on the true nature of her former husband. During the filming of one of her movies in Lonavala, Sanjay Khan called her to Mumbai, claiming he wanted to shoot a song for Abdullah, in which Zeenat was a lead actress. Initially, she declined as she had prior commitments but, deeply in love with him, Zeenat eventually agreed to return.

Upon reaching Mumbai, she was informed that Sanjay was at the Taj Hotel partying with his wife, Zarine. Zeenat went to the hotel, intending to settle the issue of her dates. When Sanjay saw Zeenat at the hotel, he lost control and savagely assaulted her in the hotel room. He violently dragged her by the hair, repeatedly punched and kicked her, and battered her without mercy. Shockingly, Zarine Katrak not only did nothing to intervene but actually praised Sanjay for his actions and encouraged him to continue the assault. She even verbally abused Zeenat, urging her husband to teach Zeenat a lesson she would never forget.

SANJAY KHAN DAMAGED ZEENAT AMAN'S EYE

The brutal assault that day caused severe damage to Zeenat’s eye, a condition that left a permanent mark on her vision. Despite the horrific abuse, Zeenat chose not to involve the authorities, as her love for Sanjay remained strong, and she hoped to resolve the issue privately. However, the incident eventually became public, with her doctor revealing that Sanjay had previously abused Zeenat.

The doctor recalled, "This is not the first time this man (Sanjay Khan) has beaten her. Once before, she (Zeenat Aman) was given a black eye and kicked in the ribs so hard that I insisted on an X-ray for fear of a crack."

After the incident came to light, Sanjay Khan claimed that Zeenat’s eye problem was hereditary, insisting that it was a condition her mother, who suffered from strabismus, had passed down to her. However, sources close to the hotel and Zeenat's friends confirmed the truth of the allegations.

One source stated, “We all know what had happened between Sanjay Khan and Zeenat. I was a first-hand witness to it. First of all, anyone who raises their hand on a woman and that too so brutally that she is scarred for life should be in jail, not writing his self-glorifying fairytale biography. And secondly, if you were brazen enough to humiliate and hurt a lady in public, why are you shy of admitting it now? This is as bad as the film Sanju, which completely whitewashed Sanjay Dutt’s image.”