By Admin 
Many artists came into Hindi cinema but only a few were able to make their mark even beyond the borders of the country. Saeed Jaffrey was one of those selected names. As big as his success was on screen, his real life was equally complicated and full of pain.
Saeed Jaffrey was far ahead of today’s times
Today, if a Bollywood actor does a Hollywood film, it is considered a big achievement. But in the sixties, when the doors were almost closed for Indian artists in foreign films, Saeed Jaffrey made his strong presence felt in British and American cinema.
Childhood hobby became the purpose of life
Born on 8 January 1929, Saeed Jaffrey was fond of acting since childhood. Growing up, he made this hobby his career. He started as an English announcer in All India Radio where his voice was liked a lot. After radio, Saeed Jaffrey came into the world of theatre. In the year 1951, he started ‘Unity Theatre’ along with Frank Thakurdas and Benji Benegal. Theater gave depth to his acting which he benefited from in films.
Six decade long and memorable film career
The career of Saeed Jaffrey, who entered cinema with the film ‘Guru’, lasted for almost six decades. He worked in more than 150 films, which included Hindi as well as British and American films. In Hollywood, he played strong roles in films like ‘The Willoughby Conspiracy’, ‘The Man Who Would Be King’, ‘Sphinx’ and ‘A Passage to India’. His work in the film ‘Gandhi’ was also highly appreciated and he became the first Asian artist to be nominated for an International Award.
Played memorable characters in Hindi films
In India, Saeed Jaffrey won the hearts of people with films like ‘Shatranj Ke Khiladi’, ‘Chashme-Baddoor’, ‘Masoom’, ‘Dil’, ‘Hina’ and ‘Ram Teri Ganga Maili’. Raj Kapoor’s films gave him special recognition. Despite so much success on screen, Saeed Jaffrey’s personal life was not happy. He himself believed that he was successful as an actor but considered himself a failure as a husband and father.
First marriage and growing distance in relationships
His first marriage was with Madhur Jaffrey, who was an actress and later became a writer. The meeting during the theater turned into love and they got married in 1958, but with time the differences between the two increased. It is said that Saeed Jaffrey was greatly influenced by the British lifestyle and wanted to see his wife in the same way. This created sourness in the relationship and despite having three daughters, they got divorced in 1966. After the divorce, Saeed Jafri started living with a foreign woman but later he deeply regretted his decision. He continued to consider himself guilty of his first wife and daughters.
Fame doesn’t teach you everything. Life doesn’t teach you everything.
In many interviews, Saeed Jaffrey admitted that in the pursuit of his career he neglected his relationships. His life teaches that along with fame and success, it is equally important to manage relationships. Even though Saeed Jaffrey’s personal life remains incomplete, the impression he has left with his brilliant acting. She will always keep him alive in people’s memories.