Farida Jalal's Candid Interview: "Makers of 'Mammo' told me they had Waheeda Rehman in mind"

Today, 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge' completes 25 years. Four days ago, 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' completed 22 years. Farida Jalal is one of the common links between the two movies; Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol and Karan Johar of course being the other three.
ETimes got into a long conversation with the senior actress who has seen more than 5 decades of Indian cinema on Friday evening.Here are the excerpts from what we spoke:
You have done over 200 films and been around for more than 50 years in Indian cinema. Do you think the industry has given you your due?
Oh, I would love to do it all over again. People who are fond of me and are in love with my work feel that I have not been given my due. And they tell me this upfront. Honestly I've got a lot of respect and adulation. But yes, there is little remorse somewhere in my heart that I could have done more. There's so much more that I could have offered, a lot of it was just not tapped at all. I will be taking it all away with me the day I go from here.
As an actor, you can fit into several kinds of roles. I put in so much variety in all the mother roles I did and yet they didn't give me anything different. And that's sad. Else I would have done more and you would have been more proud of me (laughs).

My male counterparts got such a variety of roles. Why not me and other women?
You did a lot of roles of not only a mother but sister as well. What are you referring to when you say that you could have offered a lot more?
Look at the male counterparts- Anupam Kher, Om Puri and Paresh Rawal. They were cast opposite me. And now look at the fact that they have got to do a villain's role, comedian's role, lawyer's role, doctor's role. And their body language was so different in all. What haven't they done? But what about the women? Why aren't we given those opportunities?
I am told by people that I have a very good dialogue delivery and know how to modulate my voice very well. But... (trails off).
Having said that, I am in a happy space. I am happy that I have been around for so long. I love my life. I love my film industry. I hate what's going on at this moment. I don't want to get there but it hurts deeply because I am in love with my profession. Creative people are much better off in the rest of the world.

Do you see a change in the roles that women have been offered in recent times?
I hope and pray that it happens. But yeah, a little bit has started to happen in that direction. But again, that's happening for only the leading ladies. What about the character artistes?
Neena Gupta is still a getting mother's role only
I go back to an interview I did with Neena Gupta (see video below), a few weeks ago. I would like to tell you she is finally satisfied that she's getting her due...
What is she getting? To play a mother, na? I saw her in 'Badhaai Ho' and she was wonderful. But doesn't it all boil down to essaying just a mother's part, in her case as well? I would like to see Neena playing the lead in a hard-hitting, woman-oriented film. That's because she's a good actress and she'll do a great job.


Looking at the quality and quantity of your body of work, it disturbs me to read the line in Wikipedia: Farida Jalal is best remembered for 'Paras', 'Henna' and 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge'...
(Laughs) These are the movies that gave me awards.
Are you saying that apart from his/her film's box-office collection, an actor is measured by the number of awards he gets in his career? Nothing beyond that?
It should be beyond that. But you see, it boils down to the hits you deliver. 'Paras', 'Henna' and 'DDLJ' were all big hits.
An exception alright, but that reminds me that you got one Critics Award as well...
'Mammo', which was a delight. I have tremendous affection and respect for Shyam Benegal ji. I very much remember when I had gone to meet him, he kept the script of 'Mammo' in my lap and said, "This is the script of 'Mammo' and you are 'Mammo'." I was dumbfounded. I had gone to meet him while I was on my way to do some shopping in South Mumbai with mom. I came down and told my mother that I am not interested in doing any shopping and we should return home.

And?
On my way back, I was reading the script right from the beginning. That's what happens when an actor wants to do something different and gets what he wants.
Shyam Benegal told me he had Waheeda ji in mind for 'Mammo'
'Mammo' was a great experience. To top it, God gave me an award for it. I couldn't have asked for more. I was told by Shyam Benegal ji and Khalid Mohamed (writer of 'Mammo') that they had Waheeda Rehman ji in mind for the 'Mammo' role. Didn't know why she didn't want to do it. And then Surekha Sikri was supposed to play my younger sister but they felt that I looked very young, So, Surekha ji eventually played my older sister. All that had to happen, but the end result was lovely.
'Mammo' was an altogether different landscape from your body of work till then. Did you approach it differently than otherwise when it came to the craft aspect?
Frankly, I didn't do any homework for 'Mammo'. I had started living the role before I landed up on the sets. So, I just went with the flow. It came to me, very naturally.
You were on stage in a talent hunt with Rajesh Khanna in 1965 and then you did 'Aaradhna' opposite him. Did you feel at that point that you were on your way to become a heroine?
Before 'Aaradhna', I had done Rajshri Productions' 'Taqdeer' (1967). The Rajshri guys are from a different planet. They give you so much respect; everything in that company is something else. Aaradhna was my second film. Auditions un dinno mein hote hi nahi the. There were so many girls vying for the role. But when I finally was happy that I had got the role, let me tell you that I was nervous about romancing on screen. In that romantic song in 'Aaradhna' with Rajesh Khanna ji 'Baago mein bahaar hai' where I come out as a very coy girl, I wasn't putting on any act. I was actually feeling very shy. So to answer your question, yes I did nurse that thought. But it didn't happen. And then, I went on to do 'Gopi' wherein I played Dilip Kumar saab's sister.
Mehmood helped Mumtaz to get her first lead role; you need a man to do some 'himmat' for you
On the other hand, I remember Mumtaz not getting a heroine's role too, at least for some time. She was getting roles opposite Dara Singh and Mehmood. It was Mehmood who saw the spark in her and he went to Dilip saab and recommended her name. He requested Dilip saab, who said 'Ok, let me see'. And the next thing you knew, she was cast opposite Dilip saab in 'Ram Aur Shyam'. After that, the heroes who had earlier said 'no' to working with Mumtaz were all ready for that! That's the way it goes! You need a man to do a little 'himmat' for you I guess, which Mehmood did in case of Mumtaz.
But if you had become a heroine, how would you've romanced the hero which is more or less an essential ingredient? You just said that you were nervous when it came to romance...
Well, I would have had my rules consisting of certains dos and don'ts. I would have never crossed the lines, not for anything else in this world.
Pay package? The women must have been paid lesser than the men, even in those days. In fact, far lesser...
Right. And, it is justified that today's heroines should get as much as heroes do. But then they (makers) turn around and tell you to keep quiet as it is the hero who brings commercial viability. What can you argue then? That's true as well, na? Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan- aren't these actors really big? Don't films indeed run on their name?
What would I have gotten in the milieu of multi-starrer during the mid and late 80s?
In '83, you went away to Bangalore. Buzz then was, you were dejected with the roles you were getting...
I married Tabrez Barmavar in '78 (co-star in 'Jeevan Rekha'). If you trace back, that exactly was the time when multi-starrers had become almost the order of day. Amitabh Bachchan, Shatrughan Sinha, Shashi Kapoor, Parveen Babi, Hema Malini...they were all doing it. What work would I have landed up with, in that milieu? I definitely didn't want a teeny-weeny appearance opposite a comedian- be it anybody. The comedian would have been doing everything and I would have had to just stand in the frame. The actor in me would have died. I refused thousands of roles of those kinds. One day, Mehmood called up my mother to ask what was wrong that I was not taking up films opposite him. He asked if money was the bone of contention. We told him that we didn't want to get into that lane and he understood. I did go on to do 'Paras' opposite Mehmood but that was a meaty role.

It was said that it was a better role than the one Raakhee had as the female lead of that film...
Of course! She sang all the songs and I did all the work.
What made you come back to Mumbai in 1990 and start doing movies again?
While I was in Bangalore I did the TV serial 'Ghar Jamai'. Then, the producer of 'Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi'
came all the way to Bangalore to ask me if I could do 'YJHZ'. This producer, S S Oberoi his name, was a friend of my husband. He said he wanted a known face opposite Shafi Inamdar else TRPs would drop. My husband said 'Hello?' as he didn't want me to do it. But I was dying to act. Actor kabhi marta hai? Oberoi kept convincing my husband that he would put me in a good hotel, pay me well and I could shuttle at times. Finally, it was sorted that I am doing it. Shooting 'YJHZ' was a picnic, almost the entire shoot was at RajKamal Studios. But what actually brought me back was Raj Kapoor's 'Henna'. I had done 'Bobby' with Rajji and Daboo (Randhir) and Chintu (Rishi) are like brothers to me. I can never forget how I chilled at RK Studios if there was time between my scenes. Rajji used to send me upstairs to see whichever movies from his RK library I wanted to see. And, he told me after 'Bobby' that I will have to come back whenever he calls me. See how promises are kept!
Post 'Henna', were you flooded with offers almost instantly- 'Laadla', Krantiveer', 'Raja Hindustani' and so many others?
Post Heena, the Kapoors had a party at the Taj. At the party, I couldn't believe that filmmakers were walking up and talking to me about several projects, ideas and opinions. You can imagine!
And then?
My husband stayed in Bangalore while I came away, though he joined later at some point.
Rajesh Khanna wasn't easy to work with in Aaradhna
I am going back to 'Aaradhna'. Correct me if I am wrong but you felt that Rajesh Khanna wasn't easy to work with...
He at least wasn't easy to work with when we did 'Aaradhna'. He would not talk much. I think he was caught up with thinking.about his ownself: 'What's happening around me?' Where am I going?' But then, he was sweet as well. Like he made some balloons to cheer me up once. In fact, after the movie ended, he was extremely good to me. We gelled very well at the award functions. Initially though, I didn't get the vibes.

Imagine if you, as a mother, encountered real life situations of your roles in 'Kya Kehna' and 'DDLJ'...
'DDLJ': I would find out if the boy is good. If he is, I would tell my daughter to go ahead with him. It's her life, after all.
'Kya Kehna!': It was a situation that the girl (Preity Zinta) finds herself in because it just happened. I would stand by my daughter all the way in such situations.
What's your most favourite scene from 'DDLJ' and 'K2H2'?
I recall this scene from 'K2H2' which was shot in Ooty and it was a scene which is so reflective of real life. It's where I tell Kajol to firmly tell Shah Rukh Khan about her feelings for him. I tell her that men don't let emotions rule over their principles. As for 'DDLJ' again it's a scene with Kajol where I tell her that her father will not understand her feelings of love for Shah Rukh.
And, I can't forget that scene where I suddenly come into the frame and the camera first focuses on my hands when Hrithik is struggling to tie his shoe laces in 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham'.

I held Adi and Karan's hand when they were beginners, now they should be there for me
Not too long ago, you were called by Yash Raj to do 'Happy With Love Shots'...
I held Aditya Chopra and Karan Johar's hand when they were beginners. Now, they should be there for me. But whenever they've called, I have gone. Like, the short film for YRF, 'Happy With Love Shots', was one example. And, I loved when Karan Johar himself called me to do 'Student Of Year'; he could have easily told one of his team members instead to call me. I loved that moment when his number flashed on my mobile and he told me that he has told his team that if and when he has any movie for me, he himself will call.

Does your son Yaseen want to act?
Nope, but he plans to produce and direct films.
Let me conclude by asking you about what you feel about our young crop of actors...
The essence and soul is missing. There is talent no doubt, but their concentration on social media must decrease.