1970s In 1970, she participated in the
Femina Miss India pageant, where she came in second place and was titled the 'First Princess'. Following this, she competed in, and won, the
Miss Asia Pacific International pageant, becoming the person to hold both pageant titles at the same time. After winning these pageants Aman began acting, appearing first in the film
The Evil Within (1970) alongside
Dev Anand, which was commercially unsuccessful. In 1971, Aman appeared in a minor role in
O. P. Ralhan's
Hulchul, and in the same year appeared in the film
Hungama, which starred
Vinod Khanna,
Kishore Kumar,
Mehmood and
Helen; both films were
flops at the box office. Actor and director
Dev Anand soon approached Aman to star as Jasbir/Janice in his 1971 musical drama
Haré Rama Haré Krishna, after actress
Zaheeda turned down the role. The film was a critical and commercial success, and proved to be a breakthrough for Aman. She won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress and the
Bengal Film Journalists' Association Award for Best Actress (Hindi) for her performance in the film. In the 1970s,
Cine Blitz magazine was launched, with Aman on the cover of its first issue. In 1973, she starred in
Heera Panna, yet again appearing alongside Anand, and in Nasir Hussain's
Yaadon Ki Baaraat as Sunita, the love interest of
Vijay Arora. The latter film was described by film scholar Kaushik Baumik as "the first quintessential Bollywood film", proved to be a major commercial success at the box office. Aman's performance in the song "Chura Liya Hai Tumne Jo Dil Ko" garnered considerable attention, after which she became known as the "girl in white carrying a guitar". She also starred in
Dhund (1973) alongside
Sanjay Khan and
Danny Denzongpa; its plot was inspired by the
Agatha Christie novel
The Unexpected Guest. The cast's performance was praised, and the film was a moderate commercial success. In 1974, Aman starred in
Manoj Kumar's action drama
Roti Kapda Aur Makaan, where she portrayed Sheetal, an opportunist who deserts her jobless lover for a millionaire. Aman had continued to star alongside Dev Anand throughout the year, appearing together in
Prem Shastra and
Ishq Ishq Ishq. She played Nisha, a recovering prostitute, in the
Shammi Kapoor-directed film
Manoranjan, and starred in
Ajanabee as Rashmi, an ambitious girl who runs away to marry her lover but then faces a difficult choice; the latter film had an average box office performance. In 1975, Aman appeared in two films: she portrayed an assassin
Warrant, and played 'Sharmeeli' in
Chori Mera Kaam; both films were successful. Aman appeared in
Deewaangee alongside
Shashi Kapoor, and had an uncredited voice role in
Balika Badhu. In 1977, she starred as a princess in
Dharam Veer alongside
Dharmendra,
Jeetendra, and
Neetu Singh. This was the second highest-grossing Hindi film of that year. She had roles in the films
Darling Darling (again alongside Dev Anand) and
Chhailla Babu, which was a commercial success. Aman next appeared in
Hum Kisise Kum Naheen as Sunita, the lover of
Rishi Kapoor, which was the third highest-grossing Hindi film of the year. Aman next attempted to enter
Hollywood with
Krishna Shah's film
Shalimar, but it proved unsuccessful in both the United States and India. Aman next starred in
Raj Kapoor's romantic drama
Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1978), which she influenced Kapoor to let her audition for, as she described to
Cinestaan: "When I knocked on the door and he [Kapoor] asked who it was, I replied, 'Your future heroine'. I think he was touched by my dedication and determination to act in his film". The film was a box office success, but it initially drew criticism from critics, with many describing the plot as counter-intuitive; the subject dealt with the "soul being more attractive than the body" despite Kapoor's showcase of Aman's sex appeal. Aman's performance in the film garnered high praise and she received her first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. The producer of the film,
Nariman Irani, had been losing money at the time, which led the actress to take the role to help him and refusing payment for her work. Irani died midway through filming. The film released to significant commercial success, while garnering positive reviews for Aman's performance. It inspired the
Don franchise, where Aman's character has been portrayed by
Priyanka Chopra. In 1979, Aman starred as Shabnam in
The Great Gambler. She described her experience working on the film as one of her favourites, particularly when they filmed in Italy. When released, it became a
sleeper hit. Her final role that year was a guest appearance in the film
Gol Maal. 1980s In 1980, Aman first had roles in the films
Takkar as Sapna, and in
Ram Balram as Madhu. She also starred as Radha alongside Vinod Khanna in
Bombay 405 Miles. Aman next starred as Zainab in the
Sanjay Khan directed film
Abdullah, starring alongside
Raj Kapoor,
Danny Denzongpa and Khan himself. The film had one of the highest budgets spent on any film at the time. Despite underperforming in India, the film achieved success in the
Soviet Union. Aman next starred as Fatima in the Indian-Soviet produced film
Adventures of Ali-Baba and the Forty Thieves, better known as
Alibaba Aur 40 Chor, which is one of three film adaptations of the
original folk tale, and was also noted for being one of the first movies to cast actors of other nationalities. It was a moderate success, and was one of the more successful Indian-Soviet co-productions. Aman next starred in the
Feroz Khan-directed film
Qurbani alongside Khan and Vinod Khanna; she was cast as Sheela, a singer and dancer. The film was a major success at the box-office, The song "
Aap Jaisa Koi", which had been sung by
Nazia Hassan and picturised on Aman, received high praise. Aman also starred as Sheetal in the film
Dostana alongside Amitabh Bachchan. She was next cast as a rape victim seeking justice in
B. R. Chopra's
Insaf Ka Tarazu, which was one of few films at the time to focus on its storyline rather than its soundtrack. The film earned Aman critical acclaim and her second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. In the same year, she starred as Julie in
Pukar, which had an average performance at the box office. which would be her last film role before temporarily retiring from the film industry.
2000s After ten years of inactivity, Aman appeared in a cameo role in
Bhopal Express. She didn't appear in another film until 2003, when she played Alice in
Boom. The film drastically underperformed at the box office, creating financial problems for the film's crew, including the producer
Ayesha Shroff. In 2004, she appeared as
Mrs. Robinson in the play
The Graduate staged at St Andrew's Auditorium in
Mumbai. She also made an appearance, along with actress
Hema Malini, in the talk show
Koffee with Karan hosted by
Karan Johar. Aman then had roles in the films
Maksham (2005), ''Jaana... Let's Fall in Love'' (2006) as Raju's mother, and in
Chaurahen which was released in 2012, but had originally been filmed and shelved in 2007. In 2008, Aman guest starred in the romantic comedy
Ugly Aur Pagli. The following year, she starred in the film
Geeta in Paradise. In 2008, Aman received a Lifetime Achievement Award during the Zee Cine Awards, as a recognition of her contribution to Hindi Cinema. She also received an "Outstanding Contribution to Indian Cinema" award at the 2010 IIFA Awards held at
Colombo, Sri Lanka.
2010s In 2010, Aman starred as Rebecca in
Dunno Y... Na Jaane Kyon. Originally aired at film festivals nationwide, the film drew immense controversy and was panned by critics for its
gay stereotypes. However, the film achieved success through film festivals and later achieved a limited theatrical release. In the film, Aman performed the songs
Aap Jaisa Koi and
Chura Liya Hai Tumne Jo. It later spawned the sequel
Dunno Y2... Life Is a Moment, released in 2014, which Aman also starred in. In 2012, Aman was cast as Roma in the film
Strings of Passion. Aman had roles in the films
Dil Toh Deewana Hai (2016) and
Sallu Ki Shaadi (2017).
Sallu Ki Shaadi was made as a tribute to actor
Salman Khan. In 2017, Aman was cast in the short-lived web series
Love Life & Screw Ups, in which she played the main role of Joanna, a
spinster with a drastic love life and personal problems, who frequently mingles with younger people. The show was featured in international film festivals, including a film festival in Poland, being the first Indian web series to be shown at a festival there. While the series received generally mixed reviews, where she portrayed the minor role of Sakina Begum, a character described by director
Ashutosh Gowariker as "a feisty character leading her province of Hoshiyarganj." In a September 2019 interview with
Eastern Eye, Aman discussed her current activity in the film industry, saying that "There are no great age appropriate roles for ladies my age. They are very few and far between in Hindi cinema, so that's it, but I wouldn't say no if a really great role came along." In January 2021, it was announced that she would star in the upcoming murder-mystery film
Margaon: The Closed File, her first leading role since the 1980s. In the film, which is a tribute to
Agatha Christie, Aman portrayed the "head of an Anglo Indian family who is an independent woman, a mother as well as an entrepreneur." == Legacy ==