Farida Jalal Says She Was Asked to Play Jaya Bachchan's Mother-in-Law in Kal Ho Naa Ho: 'I Opted Out’

Farida Jalal has come a long way in showbiz and is one of the most loved veteran actresses in Indian cinema. Revisting her filmography, the actress recently, revealed that she was supposed be a part of Nikkhil Advani and Karan Johar’s Kal Ho Naa Ho with Shah Rukh Khan. However, she opted out of he film.

In an interview with Rajshri Unplugged, the actress shared, “Kal Ho Na Ho, mei bhi mai hone waali thi….Lekin uss wakt aisa tha ki kabhi Khushi kabhi Gham mein, Mai aur Jaya ji ek umar ke aurate play karri thi, usmein. Mai balki unkee bachcho ko mai bada karti hoon. Kal Ho Na Ho mein unki saas ka role tha. Toh woh logo ko accept hi nahi hone waala tha…” [I was supposed to be a part of Kal Ho Naa Ho too. However, on learning that I’ve been offered to play Jaya Bachchan’s mother-in-law for the film, I decided to opt-out. We had just starred together in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham were we played the same age. More than that, the audience wouldn’t have accepted me either.]

The role eventually went to Sushma Seth.

In the same interview Farida who has worked with Shah Rukh Khan in films like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai among many others heaped praises for the actor. While shooting for Duplicate, she shared, “I remember we were in Mauritius to shoot Duplicate. So me and my mother were at the airport. Who will believe that he came in, took the luggage trolley from us and was pushing it for us,” the actor told Rajshri Unplugged.

She further added, “Shah Rukh is a funster. He is a joker. He’ll make you laugh all the time. He will say something or the other that’s funny but he is a perfect gentleman. He knows how a woman should be respected, how she should be treated.”

Farida won accolades for her performances in various films. She became the recipient of many prestigious awards like Filmfare Award and Bengal Film Journalists Award. She has primarily enacted the roles of a mother and grandmother in the current era of films. She also featured in popular daily soaps like Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi (1984), Dekh Bhai Dekh (1993), and Jeanie and JuJu (2013). In the 1990s and the early 2000s, Farida became a household name for playing strong female characters and numerous motherly roles.