Farida Jalal recently recalled her experience of working with Sharmila Tagore and Rajesh Khanna in the 1969 film Aradhana. The veteran actress, who was last seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi, opened up about how Sharmila Tagore defended her during an altercation with Rajesh Khanna.
Farida told Zoom, “I was the nervous one during the film’s shoot. I was a convent girl, so you take a guess. I was raised by my maternal grandmother and my mother. I had an elder brother. My parents divorced when I was barely two years old, so I had no father figure. We were a small family. I was very shy and had just come out of school when I did that film, and I had a romantic song with Rajesh.”
Farida was a newcomer when she landed Aradhana. She recalled, “During Aradhana, I was inexperienced. I had just done one film and was shooting for another while also shooting for Aradhana. So, I was unsure about doing romantic scenes and songs. Sharmila ji, whom I used to call Rinku di, was such a pillar of support to me. She is so beautiful inside and out. She looked after me, and was so protective all the time. Every time something happened and she saw my face drop, she would quickly come and stand beside me and even dismiss Rajesh Khanna.”
Explaining how Sharmila Tagore snapped at Rajesh Khanna during the shooting of the film’s song ‘Baghon Mein Bahar Hai’, Farida said, “I was shooting for the romantic song Baghon Mein Bahar Hai with Rajesh Khanna, and I was so conscious. I remember I asked for an extra rehearsal, and Rajesh said, ‘How many rehearsals?’ That put me off for the rest of the film. I was unsure, and that’s when Rinku di came to my support. She told him, ‘How can you say that? We will have 10 more.’ She was a darling.”
Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore starrer Aradhana was the biggest hit of 1969. The film also featured Farida Jalal in a key role.
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