Somy Ali backs Zeenat Aman amid backlash, says ‘live-in-relationships can bring down divorce rates’

Somy Ali was a popular actor in the Hindi film industry during the 1990s. However, she has now devoted herself entirely to the cause of supporting survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking. Somy is known for her candid opinions and never hesitates to speak her mind. In an exclusive interview with Hindustan Times, she expresses her support for Zeenat Aman's views on live-in relationships amid the latter receiving backlash. (Also read: Ex-girlfriend Somy Ali condemns death threats on Salman Khan: ‘Nobody deserves what he is experiencing’)

Somy Ali justifies live-in-relationships

Somy defends Zeenat's social media post on live-in-relationships. She says, “When I lived in Vidhyachal at Mount Mary, Zeenat Ji and Mazhar Bhai (Zeenat's late husband) were my neighbours. Jackie Shroff and Ayesha (Shroff) also used to live nearby. Whenever we used to go for a shoot, we would catch up. Recently, a lot of people have condemned her. Our population has peaked at 8 billion. I am not at all against live-in relationships. Whatever Zeenat Ji has said, I 100% support her in this. Because when you are in a live-in relationship with someone, you can set boundaries. No means no. You get to know about each other. We all have our idiosyncrasies. There can be habits that you like or dislike in an individual. So, you can learn a lot about personal likes and dislikes in a live-in relationship. It helps in bringing down divorce rates.”

Somy Ali praises Zeenat's views on live-in relationships

Reflecting on the rising divorce rates, she points out, “Currently, divorce rates have gone high in India, Pakistan and across the globe. Zeenat ji is highly intellectual and has studied journalism in San Fransisco through scholarship. She is intelligent, well-read and articulate. I want to tell the naysayers that we no longer live in the 1950s. In 2024, the world has changed a lot, and a man and a woman can be in a live-in relationship.”

She further adds, “We have seen so many cases where people get married without knowing each other and then end up getting into a divorce. This is quite common in arranged marriages in both Pakistan and India. Dowry is illegal in both India and Pakistan, yet people do not shy away from asking it. Everything goes on behind the curtains, be it India, Pakistan or America. One last thing I would like to say about Zeenat Ji. What she has suggested can help in bringing down the divorce rate. If you are in a live-in, then you will be able to figure out if you have compatibility with your partner. Zeenat Ji has done a huge favour to us by expressing her views on live-in relationships.”

Somy was seen in the Om Puri-Jeetendra-starrer thriller Chupp before she quit her acting career and became a social activist.