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Jaya Bachchan Turns 77: While Jaya is often seen as the wife of superstar Amitabh Bachchan...
Read More Jaya Bachchan, a name that is synonymous with an enduring legacy, is celebrating her 77th birthday today, on April 9. Over the decades, the veteran actress, who came face to face with the camera at a very young age, seamlessly transitioned from a young performer to a powerhouse talent in the Indian entertainment industry. While she is often seen as the wife of superstar Amitabh Bachchan and the mother of Abhishek Bachchan, her life as an award-winning actress and a parliamentarian often goes unnoticed.
So, on this birthday, let’s have a look at some lesser-known facts about the Bollywood veteran: Jaya Bachchan Turns 77: Lesser-Known Facts Jaya Bachchan was born Jaya Bhaduri on April 9, 1948. She is the daughter of the very talented Bengali poet and author Tarun Kumar Bhaduri and his wife, Indira. She graduated from the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune, securing a gold medal.
In one of the episodes of Kaun Banega Crorepati 16, Amitabh Bachchan shared that Jaya was a junior NCC (National Cadet Corps) and even had led her battalion during a Republic Day parade. She was also awarded the Best Cadet award. At the age of 15, Jaya first faced the camera, starring in a supporting role in Satyajit Ray’s 1963 film Mahanagar.
She made her debut in Hindi cinema as an adult in 1971 with the drama Guddi, directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee. Reportedly, Jaya’s favourite actor is Dharmendra, with whom she acted in her debut film Guddi. Years later, she played his romantic interest in Samadhi.
Jaya was already a superstar in the 1970s when she first met Amitabh Bachchan while he was still struggling in the industry. Back then, she predicted that he would become one of the biggest stars. She first acted with Amitabh in the 1972 film Bansi Birju.
Some of their hit films include Zanjeer, Abhimaan, Chupke Chupke, Sholay and Silsila. On June 3, 1973, Amitabh and Jaya tied the knot. She was pregnant with her first child, Shweta, while she was filming Sholay.
Following the release of Yash Chopra’s Silsila in 1981, Jaya decided to take a hiatus from cinema to look after both her children: Shweta and Abhishek. Jaya played a crucial role in reviving her husband’s career. She wrote the story of the 1988 film, Shahenshah, which turned out to be one of the blockbuster hits.
After a break of 17 years, Jaya made her comeback on the silver screens with Govind Nihalani’s Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa in 1998. Jaya was advised by her family friend and late politician Amar Singh to join Samajwadi Party. In 2004, she was first elected to the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh.
In her decades-long career, Jaya has received several Filmfare and IIFA awards and was also honoured with Padma Shri in 1992. After another hiatus, she was seen in Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani..
