Veteran actress Farida Jalal reflects on how she became the face of love on screen. She set a moral line early on, and has stayed true to it, still building a six-decade career across films, TV and OTT, proving that money is easy but respect and status are hard-earned through sacrifice.
Veteran actress Farida Jalal has seen a lot in her personal and professional life, and she often talks about it all. She is sometimes depicted as a sister, sometimes as a mother, and sometimes as a grandmother.
Restricted to supporting roles, she brought such vibrant life to these characters through her acting that she became the familiar face of loving relationships on screen. Farida has delivered stellar performances over nearly six decades in every medium, from cinema screens to television and OTT, including films like ‘Mammo’, ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ and ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’.
Farida Jalal sets a limit and sticks to it
In her interview with Navbharat Times, Farida said that she set a limit for herself and promised to never cross it.
Was this rule a problem for her? She replies, “Look at it. I decided to maintain a certain limit and not cross it. And yet, I have reached this point. I am successful, right? I am still working today. The public has given me a lot of love. Look, anyone can make money, whether through good or bad means, but it is difficult to get respect and that status.”
You have to make a lot of sacrifices for that.”
Farida Jalal chooses the roles of the sister over the roles of the heroine
When asked how, despite bagging the Best Actress title alongside superstar Rajesh Khanna in the talent hunt, she mostly ended up playing the hero’s sister early in her career, she explained that she never wanted to be a heroine. She said, “No, because at that time, the heroines only sang. They got the songs and the nice clothes. The sisters got all the drama.” There are some great scenes coming up where I can showcase my acting skills, so should I go for that or wear a chiffon saree and sing? Why should I bother? When I’m doing more of a sister role, why wouldn’t I?
Farida Jalal’s latest work
On the professional front, Farida Jalal was recently seen in O Romeo opposite Shahid Kapoor, while Aruna Irani appeared in Kesari Veer alongside
Sunil Shetty
,
Vivek Oberoi
and
Suraj Pancholi
.
