Farida Jalal on life after DDLJ: I could quote any price after the film’s success

In a career spanning five decades, Farida Jalal has been a part of more than 200 films, but the success of the Aditya Chopra directorial, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, marked a major milestone in her professional life. In a 2014 interview that is currently making rounds on the internet, Farida opened up about how the success of the 1995 musical romance movie boosted her career.

Farida played Simran’s (Kajol) mother Lajwanti, who supported her daughter to pursue her dreams. Farida was widely appreciated for the way she portrayed the character in the film, and DDLJ’s success made her a household name.

In the interview, the actress 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.” She also stated that due to the massive success of the film, she had multiple movie offers in hand, and could quote any price she wanted. After the release of DDLJ, the placement of her name in films also changed. “This means a lot for a character artist like me,” she said.

In the same interview, she also revealed an interesting anecdote about the film that she never actually went to London for the shoot of the film. The majority of the ‘London scenes’ were shot at Filmistan Studios.

The 73-year-old actress will be seen portraying the pivotal role of Nawab’s wife in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s upcoming series Heeramandi. She was last seen in Saif Ali Khan and Alaya F starrer Jawaani Jaaneman. Farida will also feature in Pashmeena, which marks the comeback of Preity Zinta.

Farida is a renowned personality in Bollywood, who has acted in iconic films like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Mammo.