Veteran actor Farooq Zafar, known for his performances in the films “Gulabo Sitabo” and “Sultan”, died at a hospital here on October 15. She was 89 years old.
His elder daughter Mehru Jaffer said that her mother was unwell and was admitted to Sahara Hospital earlier this month.
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“He was admitted to the hospital on October 4 due to breathing problems. She was not well. His lungs were unable to take in the oxygen that was given to him. He passed away around 6 in the evening,” said Ms. Mehru.
Zafar’s grandson Shaj Ahmed also shared the news of his demise on Twitter.
He wrote, “My grandmother and freedom fighter’s wife, former MLC Mr. SM Jaffer and veteran actress Mrs. Farooq Zafar passed away today at 7 pm in Lucknow.”
His last rites will be performed on the morning of 16 October.
Jaffer, who was one of the first radio announcers of Vividh Bharati Lucknow in 1963, began her journey on screen with the 1981 classic “Umrao Jaan”, in which she played Rekha’s mother.
She later appeared in a few TV shows, but gained further acclaim in 2004 with the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer “Swadesh”.
Some of her other notable performances were in the Aamir Khan-backed “Peepli Live”, in which she played a beedi-smoking mother-in-law, and the Salman Khan-led “Sultan”, in which she starred as the superstar’s Uber. . – Cool grandma. She played the role of Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s grandmother in “Photograph”.
But her most memorable performance was as Fatima Begum, wife of megastar Amitabh Bachchan’s character, in “Gulabo Sitabo” directed by Shoojit Sircar. In his interview with PTI, the actor expressed happiness over the praise for his scene-stealing performance in the film.
“I heard that Begum takes the beat in the picture. (I have heard that Begum outshines everyone in the film). This kind of appreciation about my character makes me happy,” she had said in a June 2020 interview.
In the film she played a 95-year-old wife to Bachchan’s 78-year-old Mirza, who awaits her wife’s death in order to own Fatima Mahal, the abandoned mansion at the center of the conflict. But in the final moments of the film, Begum manages to unite Mirza in her own game.
Screenwriter Juhi Chaturvedi, who wrote “Gulabo Sitabo”, paid tribute to Zafar.
“Begum has gone Farooq ji, there was no one, there will be no one like you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing us to connect with you. Please be safe in the other world of Allah. RIP #FarrukhJaffar #Begum #FattoBi #FatimaBegum #GulaboSitabo,” he wrote on Instagram along with a picture of the actor.
Zafar was married to journalist-politician Syed Muhammad Zafar, and is survived by daughters, Mehru and Shaheen.
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