Sharmila Tagore came to Farida Jalal's rescue when Rajesh Khanna refused to rehearse romantic scene

Sharmila Tagore and Rajesh Khanna-starrer Aradhana is still remembered by fans as one of the best films of their career. But did you know that it was not all merry on set during the shoot of the film? In a recent interview with Zoom, Farida Jalal- who also starred in the 1969 film- shared how she felt inexperienced at that time. It was Sharmila who was ‘protective’ of her to an extent that she would even dismiss Rajesh Khanna during the shoot. (Also read: Farida Jalal clarifies statement on losing touch with Shah Rukh Khan, calls him ‘the best we have’)

What Farida said about working on Aradhana

When asked about working with Rajesh Khanna, Sharmila said, "[It was] very nice. 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 a little shy and had just come out of school when I did that film, and I had a romantic song with Rajesh.”

'Rinku di came to my support'

She went on to add, "Sharmila ji, whom I used to call Rinku di… she was such a pillar of support to me. She is so beautiful from within. She looked after me, and was so protective all the time. Kuch unnis bis baat hui mera face utar jata tha (Every time something happened and she saw my face drop), she used to come and stand beside me, and Shakti Da ko bhi bol deti kuch… Rajesh Khanna ko bhi bol deti (would dismiss him as well). 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 ‘kitne (how many) rehearsals?’ he said something like that and that put me off for the rest of the film. I was unsure, and that’s when Rinku di came to my support. ‘How can you say this? We will have 10 more,’ she said. She was a darling.”

Aradhana received widespread acclaim upon release, especially for S.D. Burman's soundtrack, and went on to become one of the biggest hits of Hindi cinema at that time.

Meanwhile, Farida was last seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar. The show released on Netflix last month, and has already been renewed for a second season.