Jaya Bachchan

Early life and family

Jaya Bachchan was born as Jaya Bhaduri into a Bengali family on 9 April 1948 in Jabalpur, in the Central Provinces and Berar of the Dominion of India (now in Madhya Pradesh, India). She is the daughter of Tarun Kumar Bhaduri, a journalist, author, and poet, and his wife, Indira. She has two sisters, Rita and Nita. Nita's son Kunal Ross is married to actress Tillotama Shome.

Bachchan was educated at Loreto Convent School, Shillong; St. Joseph's Convent School, Bhopal; and at Loreto College, Kolkata. She was awarded the Best All-India N.C.C. Cadet Award during Republic Day celebrations of 1966. She then graduated with a gold medal at Film and Television Institute of India, Pune.

Jaya married actor Amitabh Bachchan, on 3 June 1973. The couple has two children: Shweta Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan, who is also an actor. Shweta is married to industrialist Nikhil Nanda, grandson of Raj Kapoor, and has two children, Navya Naveli Nanda and Agastya Nanda, while Abhishek is married to Miss World 1994 and actress Aishwarya Rai with whom he has a daughter, Aaradhya Bachchan.

Acting career

Bachchan first starred in Satyajit Ray's Bengali film, Mahanagar (1963) at the age of 14, with Anil Chatterjee and Madhabi Mukherjee. She then appeared in two more Bengali films: a 13-minute short Suman, and the comedy Dhanyee Meye (1971), where she played the role of Uttam Kumar's sister-in-law.

Inspired by her experience with Ray, she joined the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune and graduated with a gold medal. Hrishikesh Mukherjee cast her in Guddi (1971), to play the eponymous role of a petite school-girl obsessed with film star Dharmendra. Guddi was a commercial success, These films include Uphaar (1971), Piya Ka Ghar (1972), Parichay (1972), Koshish (1972) and Bawarchi (1972). They also made her a superstar.

In Gulzar's Koshish, Bhaduri and Sanjeev Kumar played a deaf couple who struggle through their difficulties as disabled people. She described the film as "a learning experience" which motivated her to do social work in future.

She first acted with Amitabh Bachchan in Bansi Birju (1972), followed by B. R. Ishara's Ek Nazar also in the same year. All their successive films as a pair were huge hits – Abhimaan (1973), Chupke Chupke (1975), Mili (1975) and Sholay (1975).

Her daughter Shweta was born around the time Jaya and Amitabh were working on Sholay. Following this, she retired from films and focused on raising her children, making an exception for Yash Chopra's Silsila (1981), once again opposite her husband. During the late 1980s, she wrote the story for Shahenshah (1988), which starred her husband in the lead.

Comeback and intermittent work (1998–present)

After a gap of 17 years, she returned to acting with Govind Nihalani's Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa (1998), a film about the Naxalite movement. Her performance in the film earned critical acclaim, and earned her a second Filmfare Special Award.

In 2000, she starred alongside Karisma Kapoor and Hrithik Roshan in the crime drama Fiza as a mother longing for her son's return who goes missing during the 1993 Bombay riots. The film received critical acclaim upon release, with particular praise directed towards Bachchan's performance. Sanjeev Bariana of The Tribune opined that "Bachchan delivers a commendable performance, displaying mixed emotions through trying times delicately.", while Screen film critic Chaya Unnikrishnan noted that "Bachchan looks every bit a Muslim woman and etches out her character superbly." Moreover, it emerged as a commercial success at the box-office, grossing worldwide. Fiza earned Bachchan her first Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.

She then starred in Karan Johar's ensemble family drama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001) with her husband and in Nikhil Advani's romantic comedy drama Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003), playing Preity Zinta's mother, Jennifer Kapur, both of which also earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. She starred with her son Abhishek in Laaga Chunari Mein Daag (2007) and Drona (2008).

Bachchan's speech during the musical launch of Drona in 2008 was criticised by some sections of politicians in Maharashtra. In response to the film's director, Goldie Behl, making his introductory speech in English, she said in Hindi, "Hum UP ke log hain, isliye Hindi mein baat karenge, Maharashtra ke log maaf kijiye". (Translation: "We are people from UP, so we will speak in Hindi. People of Maharashtra, please forgive us.") Subsequently, she encouraged actress Priyanka Chopra to speak in Hindi. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray commented that she had no business referring to all the people of Maharashtra in her statement. He threatened to ban all of her films unless she apologised in a public forum for hurting the sentiments of Maharashtrians. MNS workers began to attack theatres screening The Last Lear, which starred her husband. Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut also criticised her statement, "After making all your success and fortune in Mumbai, if you feel like saying that we are from UP, it's miserable". Amitabh tendered an apology for her statement on her behalf.

In 2011, she appeared in the Bangladeshi film Meherjaan starring Victor Banerjee and Humayun Faridi. The film is based on a Bangladesh-Pakistan love story in the backdrop of the 1971 Bangladesh atrocities. In 2023, she starred alongside Dharmendra and Shabana Azmi in Karan Johar's romantic comedy family drama Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, which emerged as the third highest-grossing Hindi film of the year. Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama noted, "Bachchan is electrifying. Her commanding presence, authoritative attitude and cold stares – this is a stand-out act that's sure to be talked about by moviegoers." Her performance in the film earned her a fourth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Artistry and legacy

One of the highest paid actress of the 1970s, in 2022, she was placed in Outlook Indias "75 Best Bollywood Actresses" list. Filmfare included Bachchan's performances in Abhimaan in its Bollywood's "80 Iconic Performances" list.

Writing for Times of India, Subhash K. Jha termed her an "exceptional talent" and noted, "During her brief innings of superstardom she was a far bigger star than her husband." Samriddhi Patwa of Filmfare noted, "The Bengali actress who had long hair, a sweet smile, and significant roles conquered the silver screen." Dinesh Raheja of Rediff.com termed her an "outspoken actress" and noted, "Diminutive she may be, but Jaya Bhaduri has managed to cast a long shadow over the world of Hindi films." Indian Express said that her filmography is "full of gems" and added, "The Bengali beauty ruled the silver screen with meaningful roles." Kanika Katyal of Firstpost noted, "Full of vigour and idealism, Jaya found herself at home in the "middle cinema" of the 1970s", and added, "Each time she emoted, the camera was firmly in her grip."

Political career

Bachchan was first elected in 2004 as the Member of Parliament from the Samajwadi Party, representing Uttar Pradesh in the Rajya Sabha till March 2006. She was disqualified in 2006 for holding an office of profit. Subsequently, she got a second term from June 2006 till July 2010 and in February 2010 she stated her intent to complete her term. She was re-elected in 2012 for the third term and again in 2018 for her fourth term in the Rajya Sabha from Samajwadi Party. Also, she campaigned for All India Trinamool Congress during 2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election.

Parliamentary Committee assignments

• 13 September 2021 onwards: Member, Committee on External Affairs

Positions held

Jaya Bachchan has been elected 5 times as Rajya Sabha MP.

As per the Election affidavit of 2018 (Rajya Sabha), Jaya Bachchan has assets worth ₹1,001.63 crores and liabilities worth ₹105.64 crores.

Rajya Sabha

Filmography

Films

Other roles

Accolades

Civilian Award

• 1992 – Padma Shri – India's fourth highest civilian honour by the Government of India.

Major film awards

Other film awards

Won

• 1972 – Bengal Film Journalists' Association Award for Special Award (Hindi Film) – Guddi
• 1999 – Anandalok Award for Special Editors' Award
• 2001 – Bengal Film Journalists' Association Award for Best Supporting Actress – Fiza

Honours and recognitions

• 1994 – Yash Bharti Award, Uttar Pradesh's highest award from the Government of Uttar Pradesh
• 2000 – Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image Award for her "abiding contribution to Cinema"
• 2004 – Lifetime Achievement Award at the Sansui Viewers' Choice Movie Awards
• 2010 – Lifetime Achievement Award at the "Tongues On Fire" Film Festival in London
• 2012 – Lifetime Achievement Award at Jaipur International Film Festival (JIFF)
• 2013 – Master Deenanath Mangeshkar (Vishesh Puraskar) Award for her dedicated services to Indian theatre and cinema

Sources

References

• Jaya Bachchan at Bollywood Hungama

References

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