Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan’s courtship days were made of late night coffee dates, fights like kids and long conversations about cinema. Farida Jalal, who called herself ‘the third wheel’ of the relationship, recounted details.

Farida Jalal was witness to Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan’s cute ‘love-hate’ relationship (Express Archive Photo)

In a career spanning several decades, veteran actor Farida Jalal has delivered several memorable performances, including those in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham where she played the ‘cool’ dadi and ‘daai jaan’ respectively. The actor, who was recently seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, has often fondly spoken about the time when she worked with yesteryear stars and the friendships she shared with them, in her interviews.  Farida also shared screen space with both Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan (then Jaya Bhaduri) in several films and over the years, they became close friends. Farida, who had known the couple when they were still in their courtship period, would often accompany them on coffee dates.

 Farida Jalal, Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan have been close friends for years (Photo: Amitabh/Instagram)

During a recent interview with Bollywood Bubble, she shared that the three often went on coffee outings to the Taj hotel and enjoyed long drives together. The Duplicate actor also recalled being witness to their fights.  “Mai Pali Hill mein rehti thi aur Amitji Juhu mein. Unki shaadi hone wali thi hui nahi thi. Dono mein courtship chal raha tha aur jhagde jaise couple ke hote hai aapas mein waise hote the. Amitji raat ke waqt khud gaadi chalate the aur Jaya bagal mein baithti aur main peeche. Mai unko bolti mujhe ‘Kebab mein haddi banake kyu late ho aaplog’. (I used to stay in Pali Hill and Amitabh resided in Juhu. They were not married at that time. They were in a courtship period and used to fight as every couple does. Amitji used to drive, Jaya sat beside him and I would be in the backseat. I used to tell them, ‘I feel like I am third wheel but they insisted me to join them’).”

 Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan (Express Archive Photo)Farida reminisced that she insisted the couple didn’t take her along on their coffee outings as it would be late in the night. “I was someone who used to go to bed early but they would still call me. And they kept on fighting and I witnessed it. Jaya roti thi, woh manate the (Jaya used to cry and he used to pacify her.) I used to love those moments. My friendship with Jaya goes a long way. I lovingly called her Jiya. While returning from those coffee dates, they used to talk about films. They then dropped me off and went home. All I can say is they are lovely people. They called me and Gulzar saab to their wedding. No one else from the industry was there,” she shared.

 Jaya Bachchan and Amitabh Bachchan have been married for almost five decades now. (Photo: Amitabh Bachchan/Instagram)She further clarified that while they regularly fought with each other, they were never serious, calling the reason behind their quarrels, “stupid.” “Unke jhagade bahut stupid baton pe hote the jo main nahi bata sakti. Lekin baccho ki tarah hote the wo jhagade. Aise koi buri baat nahi hoti thi, pyaar mohabbat ki ache baatein hoti thi. Ye jaldi ruth bhi jaati na jaya. (They would fight over stupid things which I can’t even share. They used to fight like kids. And there was nothing wrong in it, it was all lovingly. Jaya even used to get angry at the drop of a hat),” she recalled.