Farida Jalal Recalls About Dilip Kumar's Kindness: 'He Would Drink Tea From An Elderly Man's Saucer'

Veteran actress Farida Jalal, who gained widespread recognition through her roles in the films Aradhana, starring alongside Rajesh Khanna, and Gopi, where she appeared with Dilip Kumar, has shared her differing experiences with the two legendary actors. In her reflections, Farida described Rajesh Khanna as an “arrogant” individual who was disrespectful towards her on set. Conversely, she spoke fondly of Dilip Kumar, whom she affectionately regarded as a brother, reminiscing about his gracious and decent nature.

In an interview with Bollywood Bubble, Farida Jalal recounted her time working on Gopi. She expressed her admiration for Dilip Kumar, stating, “I was a hardcore Dilip Kumar fan; him and Meena Kumari both. I still am. He’ll always remain in our hearts. When the offer for Gopi came, I knew that I had to do it. I learned so much from him during Gopi, both as an actor and as a human being. He was the kind of person who would spot an elderly light man drinking tea by himself, and say, ‘Why are you sitting alone?’ He’d go over and share the tea with him, and drink from his saucer. I couldn’t believe this.”

She continued, “And he didn’t do it to make a fake impression, he didn’t do it for appearances. Some people did that as well. Nobody was looking. Only I was there. That’s who he was. There was nobody else like him. I considered him as my brother.”

Farida reminisced about how Dilip Kumar would often scold her for not maintaining her appearance and for gaining weight. He would even monitor her diet but would soften when he realized he might be too harsh.

“I still call him ‘bhaijaan’. “He taught me that no matter how successful you become in life, it’s important to keep your feet firmly on the ground. Money will come and go, but the audience’s love and respect is forever,” she shared.

In stark contrast, Farida had less favorable memories with Rajesh Khanna. “I would think this man is very proud, very arrogant. When I would ask for rehearsal, he would say ‘How many rehearsals?’ I was a newcomer. I felt very bad. I even said ‘How can you talk to me like that? I can ask for 10 rehearsals if I want’. We fought there, Sharmila ji intervened. She protected me, she would speak in my defence,” she recalled.