Best remembered as the Rubab player in the song Mehbooba O’ Mehbooba in “Sholay (1975),” Jalal Agha was a versatile actor and director who worked in more than 60 films from the late 1960s to the early 1990s.
Early Life and Career
He was born on July 11, 1945, in Bomaby, as the son of the famous comedian and actor Agha. His father, Agha, was a well-known comedian actor, and his mother, Masoom, raised him alongside three sisters. As the only son, Jalal enjoyed a pampered upbringing. He attended boarding school in Pune and later The Scindia School in Gwalior, developing an independent streak.
Jalal pursued acting at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune, graduating with formal training. His education shaped his craft, though he began acting as a child before completing his studies.
He started his career as a child artist, playing the role of young Jehangir in K. Asif’s classic film Mughal-E-Azam (1960). Reportedly, it was Dilip Kumar himself who asked his father, Agha, for his permission. Kumar, a friend of Agha, smuggled him onto the set, probably for a test. Agha initially refused, but at the persistence of Dilip Kumar, Agha allowed Jalal to do the iconic role.
Jalal Agha In Films
Jalal studied acting at the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, and made his debut as an adult in K.A. Abbas’s suspense crime-thriller “Bambai Raat Ki Bahon Mein (1967),” opposite Persis Khambata. The film was critical success and gave Jalal the intial confidance. The same year he starred opposite Farida Jalal in the Rajshree’s Taqdeer and Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Majhli Didi. In 1969, he acted in K.A. Abbas’s Saat Hindustani (1969), as one of the seven revolutinaries struggling for Goa’s indpendence.
He played the lead in Khwaja Ahmad Abbas’s next “Do Boond Pani(1971)” against Simi Grewal. The film was set against the backdrop of Rajasthan and focused on the scarcity of water, the eventual building of a dam, and how his character “Ganga” sacrificed his life for the safety of the dam.
He mostly played supporting roles, often as a friend or a lover of the main characters. He was known for his comic timing, his expressive face, and his ability to play different characters. Some of his other notable films are Basu Chatterjee‘s “Sara Akash (1969),” Brij Sadanah’s Kahputli (1971), M. S. Sathyu‘s Garam Hawa (1974), Muzaffar Ali’s Gaman (1978), Shyam Benegal‘s Junoon (1979), and Subhash Ghai‘s Karz (1980), among others.
Seasoned Actor
Some of his other memorable roles include Richard, Julie’s silent lover in “Julie (1975),” the singer in “Sama Hai Suhana Suhana” from the film “Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani (1970),” Shabana Azmi’s brother in “Thodi si Bewafai (1980),” “Amol Palekar‘s friend and roommate in “Gharonda (1977),” and Naseeruddin Shah‘s friend in “Dil Akhir Dil Hai (1982).” Jalal also appeared in some English-language films, such as Bombay Talkie (1970), Gandhi (1982), Kim (1984), and The Deceivers (1988).
Some of his other notable films include Aya Sawan Jhoom Ke (1969), Bombay Talkie (1970), Gomti Ke Kinare (1972), Zindagi Zindagi (1972), Call Girl (1974), Us Paar (1974), Mrig Trishna (1975), Taxi Taxie (1977), Shankar Hussain (1977), Adha Din Adhi Raat (1977), Hum Kisise Kum Naheen (1977), Hamara Sansar (1978), Ghata (1978), Nauker (1979), Man Pasand (1980), The Naxalites (1980), Dil… Akhir Dil Hai (1982), Baazi (1984), Tarang (1984), Jatt Walaity (1992), Pehla Nasha (1994), and many more.
Jalal Agha The Multifaced Artist
He wrote and directed a film called Goonj (1989), starring Kumar Gaurav, Juhi Chawla, and Tinu Anand, which was about drug abuse among youth. The film was nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Story. He then directed “Nirvana,” starring Amol Palekar, Naseeruddin Shah, Sarika, and Tinu Anand, but the film never got released.
He also directed the iconic Doordarshan TV serial Kahkashan (1991–92), produced, researched, and scripted by Ali Sardar Jafri. It was based on the life stories of famous poets like Hasrat Mohani, Jigar Moradabadi, Josh Malihabadi, Majaz Lucknawi, Firaq Gorakhpuri, and Makhdoom Mohiuddin.
He is also remembered for his iconic Pan Parag ad and a stunning photoshoot for Debonair Magazine. He was also seen with very young Aishwarya Rai in Prudent Mouth Freshner ad.
Personal Life
Jalal married model Valerie Pereira in 1973. They had two children, Saleem Christopher Agha Bee and Vanessa Bee Feuerstein. Their marriage was not successful, and the couple divorced in 1982. For some time, his kids lived with him, but his wife took them to Germany, where she remarried. His wife even prevented him from seeing his children until he transferred his Juhu flat into her name. He did it even without consulting his family. The failure of his films and personal problems took a toll on his health.
Jalal died of a heart attack on March 5, 1995, at the age of 49. His daughter Vanessa is settled in Chicago, Illinois, and married to Paul Feuerstein. His son Salim is chef in Goa.
Jalal Agha on IMDB
