After a certain age you are given nothing to do, says Farida Jalal

Farida Jalal will be seen as a grandmother in her new horror web series, Parchayee. The series is based on the short stories of Ruskin Bond.

Veteran actor and everyone’s favourite on-screen mom Farida Jalal’s new project is not something you would expect of her, horror web series Parchayee. For those wondering why she took the big leap from her warm and motherly roles to something so seemingly different, she didn’t. Jalal is still playing the ‘granny-next-door’ on the show.

Farida Jalal plays a grandmother in her new horror web series Parchayee.

Jalal knows and accepts that there is an ageism problem in the film and television world. “Every actor dreams of good roles, but one also needs opportunities. After a certain age you are given nothing to do. Same old thing again and again and again. Do a mother’s role here and a mother’s role there,” she told HT in an interview.

ZEE5’s Parchayee is a based on acclaimed writer Ruskin Bond’s short horror stories. Talking about her role, Jalal said, “She is the boy’s grandma. It’s his journey as he tries to figure out more about his mother. Behind that is a story which has a few elements of horror. So he wants to know about the mystery but the grandma doesn’t want to say it. So she just tells him to stay away from it all, go to school study. She sees him off the school every day, does his work for him. She is a very caring and protective grandma. She is not involved in any of the horror bit.”

Jalal is known for films like Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham and Dil Toh Paagal Hai. She also appeared in hit 2003 comedy show, Shararat. She played the matriarch of a family of angels and was loved for her role. Jalal knows such roles are hard to come by now. “It was different. I don’t get those roles anymore. If I got something like that, I will just not think twice,” she said.

When asked what kind of roles she would have liked to play, she says, “There are so many. I would like to do Mother India, Pakeezah and Sharmila Tagore’s role in Aaradhna. There is no limit on dreaming.” Jalal was also a part of Aaradhna. She played the girl that Rajesh Khanna falls for in the film.

Talking about her new series, she says transitioning into horror was not difficult for her as she still had to play the sweet and caring grandma even here. “Be it a horror movie or a comedy movie, if I am in my own space, it’s okay na. I am the same here. You watch it and tell me about it. I am the calm and cool dadi to the little boy. I am not doing anything ‘horror’ in the show, the horror is about something else,” she said.

The show airs on January 15 on ZEE5.

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