Elaborating further, the actress added, “People think romance is going to last forever. Nothing lasts forever. Relationships are always a work in progress. There has to be give and take, adjustment and compromise if things are to work. Relationships evolve. If you think the honeymoon phase is going to last forever, it doesn’t.”

Zeenat Aman has previously revealed that she gives the same advice to her sons, encouraging them to live with their partners before deciding on marriage. Her perspective is also shaped by her own difficult experiences with relationships.

She was briefly married to Sanjay Khan, a relationship that ended amid allegations of physical abuse after an infamous incident in a hotel room, during which she sustained serious injuries to one of her eyes. She later married actor Mazhar Khan, but the marriage was also troubled. Zeenat has previously spoken about infidelity during her pregnancy and the unhappy end to their relationship.

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Earlier, Zeenat Aman had faced intense criticism after sharing her views on live-in relationships in an Instagram post.

“One of you asked me for relationship advice in the comments section of my last post. Here’s a personal opinion I haven’t previously shared—if you’re in a relationship, I strongly recommend that you LIVE TOGETHER before getting married!” she wrote.

She added, “This is the same advice I’ve always given my sons, both of whom have had, or are in, a live-in relationship. It just seems logical to me that before two people get their families and the government involved in their equation, they first put their relationship to the ultimate test.”

Explaining her reasoning, Zeenat continued, “It’s easy to be the best version of yourself for a few hours a day. But can you share a bathroom? Weather the storm of a bad mood? Agree on what to eat for dinner every night? Keep the fire alive in the bedroom? Work through the million tiny conflicts that inevitably arise between two people living in close proximity? In short—are you actually compatible?”

Acknowledging that her opinion could spark controversy, she concluded, “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?”

Her remarks, however, did not sit well with Saira Banu, who strongly disagreed with the advice.

“She has all of a sudden come into this huge social media popularity, and I can understand her excitement about sounding like a cool aunty. But giving advice that is counter to our moral values is not the solution to increasing your following. Aap Zeenat ko hi le lo misaal ke taur par (Take Zeenat for example). She knew Mazhar Khan for years before marrying him. Her marriage was a living hell. She should be the last person doling out advice on relationships,” Saira had said.