Fraida Jalal, best known for playing the quintessential Bollywood mother over the years, is now mostly seen in the role of a grandmother but the veteran actress says she has the potential of taking on more challenging characters.
Farida, 65, who has starred in films like 'Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge', 'Dil To Pagal Hai' and 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai', among others, says she feels sad that she never got the opportunity to experiment in her film career.
"It is difficult to play similar roles. I kept getting roles of a mother and now of a grandmother. A mother could be so much more like she could have been a doctor, a teacher, but I never got such roles. It is saddening. I can do so much more than what is offered to me," Farida told PTI.
"I meet my fans and they still love me as much and they want to see more of me on-screen be it in TV or films. I feel that I am capable of doing a lot more than what I am doing right right now," says Farida, who was last seen on the big screen in 2012 film 'Student of The Year' in which she played Siddharth Malhotra's grandmother.
Farida says she was always bracketed in the role of a mother and now a grandmother in films and that is the worst thing that can ever happen to any actor.
"It (getting typecast) is the most terrible thing that can happen to an actor. I feel as an actor one should be be able to do a variety of characters... That is the challenge," she says.
Besides films, Farida has been part of several hit TV shows like 'Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi', 'Dekh Bhai Dekh' and 'Baalika Vadhu'. She will be next seen on the small screen in 'Satrangi Sasural' on Zee TV.
The actress says she was more than happy to be a part of the new show as it gave her a chance to reunite with her 'Baalika Vadhu' maker Purnendu Shekhar and also the role was very different from what she has donned on-screen till date.
"My character is very different. I have always played these happy-go-lucky characters - chirpy, friendly. This show will see me in a different avatar. I play a grandmother, who is a no-nonsense woman. She is very strict. It was great working with writer-producer Purnendu Shekhar after 'Baalika Vadhu'."
The show also stars Samta Sagar, Bhavna Balsavar, Sadia Siddiqui, Resham Tipnis, Sonali Sachdev and Sheetal Thakkar among others.
Farida says she has been offered two films but her TV commitments are keeping her busy and she is yet to take a call on the movie projects.
