LUCKNOW: Amitabh Bacchan’s ‘Begum’, Rekha’s mother in Umrao Jaan, ‘Badi Apa’ in Secret Superstar — veteran actress Farrukh Jaffer passed away on Friday here at the age of 88. Jaffer was not keeping well for some and breathed her last at a private hospital.
Best known for her energy, vigour and full of life nature and her recent portrayal of Amitabh Bachhan’s wife ‘Fatima Begum’ in the movie ‘Gulabo Sitabo’ directed by Shoojit Sircar, the octogenarian started her acting career in 1981 with Muzaffar Ali’s ‘Umrao Jaan’, in which she played Rekha’s biological mother. After Umrao Jaan, she went on winning hearts of her audiences with her different roles in ‘Swades’, ‘Peepli Live’, ‘Secret Superstar’, ‘Sultan’, her recent starrer ‘Mehrunisa’. The list goes on.
In March this year, she also won the Filmfare award for the best supporting actress for her role in ‘Gulabo Sitabo’. As soon as the news of her death spread, tributes poured in from her colleagues, friends, family members, co-stars, including actor Ayyushman Khurana and screenwriter Juhi Chaturvedi, who wrote Sircar’s film.
Remembering the time he spent with Jaffer on the sets of Umrao Jaan and other short films, director Muzaffar Ali said that she will always stay as an important figure and a part of his creative works. “She was not just a character in my films. She was a part of our production team as well in the film, her diction and command over Urdu language was so strong that we learnt from her everyday. She was so full of humour that the set always felt lively when she was around. The last scene of Umrao Jaan when she meets Rekha is very memorable for me,” added Ali.
Jaffer was born in 1933 in Jaunpur and moved to Lucknow after her marriage to journalist and freedom fighter SM Jaffer at the age of 14. She graduated from Lucknow University. Before becoming a household name with her acting, she landed a job at the All India Radio (AIR) as a radio announcer.
She later moved to Delhi when her husband was posted there and joined AIR Urdu Service, while also attending acting classes by Ebrahim Alkazi from National School of Drama. But, soon left her job and moved back to Jaunpur where she spent 15 years as a ‘pradhan’.
Jaffer was also socially active and was a part of several campaigns and protests. She continued to work and get roles till the end of her days.
“She lived her life fully, especially the latter years of her life. She used to go to the university wearing ‘gharara’ on a bicycle. I remember she took us along with her to a theatre play of Ali Baba where she was given the role of ‘Marjana’. In the green room, while getting ready, she continued to say dialogues of Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand and sing her favourite song ‘Hawa me udhta jaye mera laal dupattaa’. When she was in ICU, Aamir Khan productions approached us again to speak to her regarding a role, but her story was till here only,” said her youngest daughter Shaheen Ahmad.
Jaffer is survived by two daughters — author Mehru Jaffer and Shaheen.
