Bollywood veteran Zeenat Aman has recalled a phase of "self-imposed obscurity" when she chose to avoid public events, dropping a photo clicked at the 2010 IIFA Awards in Colombo, Sri Lanka — a rare outing for her during those days.

Reflecting on a significant yet understated phase of her life, marked by a lack of documentation, especially of glamorous moments, Zeenat wrote, “There aren’t too many pictures of me from this phase of my life. And certainly very few glamorous ones. Which makes this memory all the sweeter. Those were the quiet years - acutely so for me, but probably a phase that many middle-aged women can relate to.”

The actress recounted that she was surprised to receive an invitation to the IIFA Awards in the summer of 2010, steeped as she was in homemaking with only occasional work appearances.

“Despite some reluctance on my part, the awards committee insisted on plucking me out of my self-imposed obscurity. So my two boys and I packed our bags and boarded a flight. It turned out to be a wonderful visit,” shared Zeenat, adding that she was honoured with an award for outstanding achievement in cinema at the ceremony.

“I felt the allure of my craft after a long while. Not to mention that the people-watching was exceptional,” she wrote, acknowledging how the recognition allowed her to once again feel the charm of the industry she had distanced herself from.

“You see, I am more an observer than a talker. The event was sponsored by a renowned alcohol company, and their vodka kept the attendees in unguarded, high spirits! There were enough shenanigans underway to fill a gossip magazine, but you know me, I believe discretion is the better part of valour,” the actress concluded.

Tanishaa Mukerji and Shilpa Shetty Kundra reacted to Zeenat’s post. “Stunning as always,” wrote Tanishaa, while Shilpa’s comment included a string of heart emojis.

Zeenat last appeared in Ashutosh Gowarikar’s 2019 epic war drama Panipat alongside Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt and Kriti Sanon. She will soon be seen in Faraz Arif Ansari’s upcoming directorial Bun Tikki, a Manish Malhotra production that also marks her on-screen reunion with Shabana Azmi after the 1982 crime drama Ashanti.