Farida Jalal

Farida Jalal Biography

Farida Jalal is an actress of Bollywood who has done numerous character roles in movies. Most famous of all her movies is ‘Aradhana’ where she was paired opposite Rajesh Khanna and two songs were pictured on her. Those two songs including others were huge hits that time and she became a common face in Bollywood screen. Her film career spans over 50 years and she has given some memorable performances as second heroine, sister, mother and grandmother in many movies. She has worked in many tele-serials as well of which comedy serial ‘Dekh bhai dekh’ aired on Doordarshan was very famous before 15 years. Though this lady with a beautiful smile contributed a lot to Hindi movies and movie Aradhana placed each and every person in success paths with leading roles, Farida Jalal was one person whose career haven’t moved up with the success of Aradhana and she got only second heroine roles – once she told in a magazine interview.

Farida Jalal won the talent hunt organized by Filmfare and it gave her direct entry to Bollywood during 60’s. She debut with ‘Yeh raste hain pyar ke’. But she has been always offered second actress role as hero or heroine’s sister, friend or rejected fiancée. Aradhana was her big film with Mohd Rafi-Lata song, ‘Baghom mein bahaar hai’. She has done leading role only once in her life time. It was for the movie ‘Jeevan Rekha’ opposite her husband Tabrez Barmavar. She was enjoying a happy married life till his death in 2003.

After 1963, it took long 5 years to get a role in movies. In 1968, she did a role in Baharom ki manzil. She did Dev Anand’s Mahal and Shakthi Samantha’s Aradhana in the year 1969. Mahal was a suspense action thriller, where she did the role of a nurse who takes care of Thakkur, Devananad’s father.  In 1970, she did 4 movies, of which Dilip Kumar’s Gopi was a memorable role. She did sister’s role in that movie. For the movie Paras, she won best actress supporting actress award at Filmfare. Her roles in Bobby, Loafer and Achanak were well appreciated.

During late 80’s and 90’s she began to play mother’s and old lady’s role in movies. Ladla, Krantiveer, Dulaara, mammo, Elaan, Kaho na pyar hai, DDLJ, Kuch kuch hota hai, Mein prem ki diwani hoon, Tera gadu chal gaya, Henna, Garv, Tarzan and Diwangee are her best movies. She won best supporting actress award for her role in Henna and Mammo won her best actress critics award of Bengal film association.

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Updated: May 02, 2013