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Farrukh Jaffar Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 4, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth1935

Age88 Years (at time of death)

BirthplaceChakesar village, Jaunpur, United Provinces of British India (now Uttar Pradesh, India)

ProfessionActor, radio announcer

NationalityIndian

Marital statusWidow (at time of death)

SpouseSyed Muhammad Jaffar

FamilyTwo daughters: Mehru Jaffer and Shaheen

Farrukh Jaffar Biography

Farrukh Jaffar was an Indian radio announcer, actress and dramatist whose career began at All India Radio in the 1960s and later included memorable film,电视

Early life and background

Farrukh Jaffar was born in 1935 in Chakesar village in Jaunpur, in what was then the United Provinces of British India. She grew up in a zamindar Muslim family and completed a bachelor's degree after studying at Lucknow University. As a teenager she married Syed Muhammad Jaffar and later settled in Lucknow, a city she often described with affection.

Career

Jaffar's career in broadcasting began in 1963 when she joined All India Radio in Lucknow as an announcer. She was part of the first group of presenters when Vividh Bharti began operations in Lucknow and became widely known as an Akashvani Lucknow announcer. While at AIR she wrote and presented radio plays and programs, including the popular Panchrangi program and the play series Geeton Bhari Kahani, helping to make her a familiar voice to listeners.

In the late 1960s Farrukh relocated to Delhi when her husband took up work as a newspaper correspondent. In Delhi she joined Vividh Bharti at AIR and rose to become a senior anchor in the Urdu External Services. She left AIR Delhi around 1970 and returned to her home region where family responsibilities called her.

Alongside broadcasting, Jaffar pursued stage and screen acting. She studied acting at workshops conducted by Ebrahim Alkazi of the National School of Drama and performed in stage productions, including an Urdu translation of Luigi Pirandello’s Six Characters in Search of an Author.

Her film debut came with Umrao Jaan (1981), in which she played the mother of the film’s central character. The role arose informally after director Muzaffar Ali saw her at a family gathering and cast her in the part. Over the following decades she appeared in a steady stream of films and television shows. Her television credits include Husn-e-Jana, Adha Gaon, The Shawl and Neem Ka Ped (1991).

On the big screen she returned to films after a long gap with a role in Swades (2004). Subsequent appearances included Peepli Live (2010), Chakravyuh, Sultan and Tanu Weds Manu. She was noted for performances in Amma Ki Boli (2012), Barefoot to Goa (2013), Parched (2015), Anwar Ka Ajab Qissa (2013), House Next Door (2017), Secret Superstar (2017) and Photograph (2019). In 2013 she played a role in Anwar Ka Ajab Qissa alongside Nawazuddin Siddiqui; in 2019 she was the lead in Mehrunissa, her first film as a protagonist. In 2020 she appeared as Begum in Gulabo Sitabo, sharing the screen with Amitabh Bachchan.

Her portrayal of Amma in Peepli Live drew particular acclaim and earned her a nomination for the Apsara Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Directors and actors across generations featured her in character roles; she worked with leading figures including Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Salman Khan.

Public profile

Jaffar was known for a natural, unadorned style of acting. She often spoke about her long association with Lucknow and the different neighbourhoods where she lived over the years. Her husband, Syed Muhammad Jaffar, had been active as a freedom fighter and later worked in journalism and politics. They had two daughters, Mehru Jaffer, who became an author and journalist, and Shaheen, who ran a school.

Later life and death

Farrukh Jaffar continued to act into her later years, appearing in films through the 2010s and into 2020. She died on 15 October 2021 at her residence in Gomti Nagar, Lucknow, at the age of 88. The reported cause of death was a brain stroke.

Latest updates

At the end of her life Jaffar was remembered for a long career that spanned radio, theatre, television and film. Her body of work included both character parts and lead roles, and she remained closely associated with the cultural life of Lucknow.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Farrukh Jaffar, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded
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Recent Work

Mehrunissa

Played the protagonist; noted as her first film as a lead

2019
Gulabo Sitabo

Played the role of Begum alongside Amitabh Bachchan

2020
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Career Highlights

  1. Joined All India Radio Lucknow as an announcer in 1963 and became a prominent voice on Akashvani Lucknow
  2. Film debut as Rekha’s mother in Umrao Jaan (1981)
  3. Noted role as Amma in Peepli Live (2010), earning an Apsara Award nomination
  4. Acting work across stage, television and film including Swades, Peepli Live, Parched and Gulabo Sitabo
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Farrukh Jaffar born?

1935

What is Farrukh Jaffar known for?

Actor, radio announcer

What is Farrukh Jaffar’s marital status?

Widow (at time of death)

Who is Farrukh Jaffar married to?

Syed Muhammad Jaffar