Farida Jalal is one of the most celebrated actresses in Hindi cinema. In her career spanning almost 50 decades, Jalal appeared in over 200 films and has many blockbuster movies to her credit. Amongst them are Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol starrer ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ which is said to be Farida’s most memorable and loved performance of all time. But did you know it was DDLJ that gave the veteran actress a major boost to her career?
In an old interview, the Kuch Kuch Hota Hai actress revealed Aditya Chopra’s directorial played a crucial role in her life and proved to be a game changer in her career. Farida Jalal revealed that DDLJ helped her to quote any price as her salary for many upcoming films. Speaking with Rediff.com, Farida Jalal had said “DDLJ gave my career a boost, and placed me on a pedestal. In a way, the film was a turning point in my career. I got a lot of films after DDLJ released, and I could quote any price.” ALSO READ: Farida Jalal: I never probe into an Aditya Chopra film
She added that after the release of ‘DDLJ,’ the placement of her name in film credits also changed and that was a lot for a character artist like her. Jalal also revealed that she never went to London to shoot the movie. She recalled, “Most of the film was shot at Filmistan studios, including our London house, the song Mehdni laga ke rakhna and so many other scenes. I never went to London to shoot the film.”
On a related note, Farida Jalal played the role of Kajol’s mother in ‘DDLJ,’ who supported her daughter to marry the person of her choice. Produced by Yash Chopra, the 1995 release was the highest-grossing Indian film of that era and one of the most successful Indian films in history. It also starred Amrish Puri, Satish Shah, Anupam Kher, Mandira Bedi, and others.