Mumbai— Veteran actress Farida Jalal once spoke candidly about a deeply personal chapter of her life — her parents’ divorce and the impact it had on her formative years.
Appearing on the celebrity talk show Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai in 2021, hosted by Farooq Shaikh, the celebrated actress recalled her childhood and how it was shaped by early separation from her parents and life in a boarding school.
Farida revealed that her parents divorced when she was just two years old, after which the court ordered that the children be placed in a boarding school. Eventually, her mother took custody, but the experience of growing up away from home left a lasting impression on her.
“My real name is Farida Sami. My parents divorced when I was two. After the custody hearing, the court ordered that the kids be sent to boarding school. My mother eventually got custody,” she shared on the show.
Farida attended a missionary school, where she also began discovering her passion for performing. She fondly remembered how even as a child, she was drawn to the stage:
“As far as I remember, I always wanted to act. Even in school, I used to perform a lot of Indian dances. Every function had a dance by ‘Farida Sami’,” she said with a smile.
She recalled a particular moment when her teachers would ask her to translate the lyrics of the songs she wanted to dance to:
“There was a song that went, ‘Come in the shade of my eyelids.’ The teacher said, ‘No, no, no. You can’t dance to that.’ So another song had to be chosen instead. Can you believe it?”
Despite these early constraints, her love for performance continued to grow, eventually leading her to a remarkable acting career.
Over the span of nearly five decades, Farida Jalal has acted in more than 200 films, becoming one of the most cherished faces in Indian cinema. Known for her warm screen presence and versatility, she has played memorable roles in blockbuster films such as Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Raja Hindustani, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai, Dil To Pagal Hai, and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham.
Her story is not just one of cinematic success, but also of resilience, passion, and the power of turning childhood challenges into lifelong inspiration. (Source: IANS)
