Zeenat Aman reveals why 'meaningful relationships' have been difficult to come by for her

On a post on Instagram on Monday morning, Zeenat shared an old picture of herself from her younger days and wrote that "this Monday, a meditation on meaningful relationships."

The 72-year-old diva, who was first married to actor Sanjay Khan and was annulled in 1979, after he beat her and physically assaulted her, said that she has not had too many meaningful relationships.

"I didn't dwell on it when I was younger, but now I have been giving it some thought. There is a saying - it's lonely at the top. Well, it's lonely at the bottom too. I have experienced both," said the actress, who then got married to actor Mazhar Khan in 1985.

She added: "In my own private examination of my life, I have realised a crude truth. Meaningful relationships have been difficult to come by because my public persona has always overshadowed my true self."

She said that the "idea that people have of me has been something of a prison, even while it has been a privilege."

"With men, their intent was almost always obvious, which was flattering but ultimately shallow. And with women... the nature of society, especially back in those days, forced comparisons that led to envy in one too many cases."

She then asked what is the measure of a meaningful relationship then?

For the actress, it is "when there is reciprocity."

"In celebrating each others successes, enduring the bad times together, being able to speak and receive home truths, and above all, reaching a point where your outward masks (and don't we all have them?) can be removed."

"Sadly, I have had limited success in this arena. The silver lining is that it has made me cherish those meaningful relationships I do have all the more. Perhaps I have bored you with this pontification, but it is followed by this one earnest wish - that each of you finds meaningful relationships, romantic or otherwise, to add brilliance to your lives."