When you meet Farida Jalal many emotions come into play. At once you think of the lovable mother of Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge and many other commercial films. At another level, your mind goes to television where she is a perennial favourite of children as the grandmother. Yet, the emotion which stays while talking to Farida Jalal at the launch of a new show Satrangi Sasural is one of a loved family elder.
She speaks like a caring aunt and is easily dismissive of anything she does not like. Like many elders in a family, she too finds contemporary films noisy and shallow while being nostalgic about yesteryear films.
“Today, the literature, writings and the lyrics which used to be there, are missing. Those kind of films cannot be made today. From where will you bring people like Yash Chopra? We still remember old songs but now, for instance there is a film Happy New Year and the only word of its popular song I remember is India Waale .”
On the same lines, she recalls the fan following of the late Rajesh Khanna with whom she starred in Aradhana .
“Sharmilaji (Sharmila Tagore) Kaka and I were part of the film. Wherever we went we found hundreds of girls rushing towards him, they did crazy things and at times I used to feel so irritated, I felt like slapping them.”
Today, she is far from happy with the roles which are coming her way. “I have played mother to almost every hero maybe Shah Rukh, Salman, Aamir or any other big name. But see nowadays even the mothers are made to look very glamorous; they even wear backless blouses which I can never do. So I do not find myself fitting in such roles.”
Still she has managed to find something new and challenging in Satrangi Sasural , “For me there is no difference working on the silver screen or the small screen. It is the content that matters. In this show, I am the boss. I am playing the grandmother of the male lead Vihaan. My co-actors are very nice, it feels good to work with all of them. I am loving the show. There are seven mothers-in-law but yet it is completely different from other saas-bahu shows.”
She is not through with her innings yet. Farida Jalal is planning to produce a reality show shortly. “My son Yasin will produce it and I will be supporting him. We are working on it and it may take some time maybe a year or so.”
Though she is going to help her son Yasin to put together the reality show, she is of the firm opinion that you cannot teach anybody acting. “Acting in front of the camera is a very difficult thing. Acting is something which comes naturally. This is something which cannot be taught or learned but yes one can learn the technicalities.”
Satrangi Sasural premiered on Zee TV on December 3 and will be aired from Monday to Friday at 10 p.m.
