Jaya Bachchan Wiki, Age, Caste, Children, Family, Biography & More

Jaya Bachchan is a well-known Indian actress and politician. She has been associated with the Samajwadi Party, an Indian political party since 2004.

Wiki/Biography

Jaya Bhaduri (her name before marriage) was born on Friday, 9 April 1948 (age 75 years; as of 2023), in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. Her zodiac sign is Aries. She completed her schooling from St. Joseph’s Convent School, Bhopal. Later, she joined the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune and graduated with a gold medal in diploma in acting.

Physical Appearance

Height (approx.): 5′ 2″

Hair Colour: Salt & Pepper

Eye Colour: Black

Family, Caste & Husband

She was born in a Bengali Brahmin Family. Her father, Taroon Kumar Bhaduri was a renowned author and poet. Her mother’s name is Indira Bhaduri. Jaya is the eldest of three sisters, one of her sisters is Rita Verma, who is married to Rajeev Verma (who played the character of Salman Khan’s father in Maine Pyar Kiya, 1989).

Jaya got married to the legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan on 3 June 1973. She saw Amitabh for the first time at Pune’s Film Institute in 1970. Amitabh was a struggling actor at that time, and she was a well-known face of the Hindi Film Industry. As per the sources, Amitabh was reading a magazine and saw a picture of Jaya featured on its cover. Amitabh was mesmerised with her beauty and realised that she was the girl of his dreams, a perfect combination of traditional and modern look. Jaya and Amitabh met officially through Hrishikesh Mukherjee on the sets of Guddi in 1971. Jaya shared this incident in an interview, she said,

I was introduced to him on the sets of Guddi. I was impressed by him and somewhat in awe as he was Harivanshrai Bachchan’s son. I felt he was different, though people laughed at me when I said that. I expressed my feelings and said he’s going to make it big, even though I was aware he wasn’t the usual stereotype hero. I fell in love with him very soon.”

Soon, their friendship turned into love while they were shooting for the film ‘Ek Nazar’ (1972), and after the success of the film Zanjeer (1973), they both got married. In an interview, Amitabh shared how they got married, he said,

While shooting for Zanjeer, I promised Jaya that we will go together on a trip abroad if the movie becomes a hit. The movie was a hit. In an attempt to keep the promise, I decided to take Jaya on a trip. This idea was opposed by my father, he was against the idea of Jaya and me making a trip as friends. To keep my promise to Jaya along with making sure I did it with his father’s will, I got married to Jaya.”

On 17 March 1974, Jaya gave birth to her first child, Shweta Bachchan, and on 5 February 1976, her second child, Abhishek Bachchan was born.

On 16 February 1997, Shweta Bachchan got married to the businessman Nikhil Nanda, and the couple is blessed with two children, daughter Navya Naveli Nanda and son Agastya Nanda.

On 20 April 2007, Abhishek Bachchan got married to Aishwarya Rai, and the couple has a daughter Aaradhya Bachchan.

Career

Actor

Jaya Bachchan started working as a child actor in the Bengali films when she was 15 years old. She debuted in the Bengali film Mahanagar in 1963, directed by Satyajit Ray. After acting in three Bengali films, she joined the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune to brush up her acting skills.

In 1971, she made her debut as a lead actor in the Bollywood film Guddi. Some of her popular Bollywood films are Uphaar (1971), Koshish (1972), and Kora Kagaz (1974). In 1972, she acted with Amitabh Bachchan as the female lead for the first time in the film ‘Bansi Birju.’

Apart from this film, she has acted with her husband in many other Bollywood films including Zanjeer (1973), Abhimaan (1973), Chupke Chupke (1975), Mili (1975), and Sholay (1975). Her last film as a ‘lead actress’ was Silsila in 1981.

She then took a break of 14 years from Bollywood to focus on her personal life. In 1988, she wrote the story of Shahenshah, the movie turned out to be a big hit. She made a comeback with the Marathi film ‘Akka’ with her husband in 1995.

Later, she acted as a supporting actor in various films including Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham… (2001), Desh (2002), Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003), and Laaga Chunari Mein Daag (2007). In 2011, she appeared in a Bangladeshi film ‘Meherjaan.’

Politician

Jaya was elected as the Member of Parliament from the ‘Samajwadi Party’ in 2004, representing Uttar Pradesh in the Rajya Sabha till March 2006. In 2006, she was disqualified as a member of the Rajya Sabha; as she was holding an office of profit- Chairperson of the UP Film Development Board. In an interview, she said,

The complaint has come from the Congress party. It is a shame that people like us are not allowed to sit in Parliament.”

Her second term started from June 2006 to July 2010. Subsequently, her third term was from 2012, and in 2018, she was re-elected for the fourth time in the Rajya Sabha. In February 2024, she filed the nomination for the fifth term in the Rajya Sabha.

Controversies

• She made a controversial statement on the use of the English language during the musical launch of the film Drona (2008), she said,

Hum UP ke log hain, isliye Hindi mein baat karenge, Maharashtra ke log maaf kijiye.”

Later, Amitabh apologised on her behalf.

• She has been in news for throwing tantrums and lashing out on the media representatives at various events.

Awards & Honours

Padma Shri

1992: In the field of Art

Filmfare Awards

1972: Special Award for Uphaar

1974: Best Actress Award for Abhimaan

1975: Best Actress Award for Kora Kagaz

1980: Best Actress Award for Nauker

1998: Special Award for Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa

2001: Best Supporting Actress Award for Fiza

2002: Best Supporting Actress Award for Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham…

2004: Best Supporting Actress Award for Kal Ho Naa Ho

2007: Lifetime Achievement Award

International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA Awards)

2001: Best Supporting Actress Award for Fiza

2002: Best Supporting Actress Award for Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham…

2004: Best Supporting Actress Award for Kal Ho Naa Ho

Honours & Recognitions

1994: Yash Bharti Award, UP state’s highest award

2013: Master Deenanath Mangeshkar (Vishesh Puraskar) Award for her dedicated services to Indian theatre and cinema

2017: Best Parliamentarian Award by Lokmat

Note: She has many more accolades to her name.

Address

Jalsa, B/2, Kapol Housing Society, VL Mehta Road, Juhu, Mumbai – 400049, Maharashtra, India

Salary

MP Salary: 50,000 (INR) plus allowances

Assets/Properties

Movable Assets

• Bank Deposits: Rs. 6,84,16,412

• Bonds, Debentures, and Shares in Companies: Rs. 4,29,79,224

• Personal Loans/ Advances Given: Rs. 28,58,06,315

• Motor Vehicles: Rs. 8,85,612

• Jewellery: Rs. 26,10,69,543

• Other Assets: Rs. 1,85,10,467

Immovable Assets

• Agricultural Land: Rs. 5,75,00,000

• Non-Agricultural Land: Rs. 6,00,00,000

• Residential Buildings: Rs. 1,15,55,00,000

Note: The given estimates of movable and immovable assets are according to the financial year 2016-2017. It excludes the assets owned by her husband and dependents.

Net Worth

Jaya’s net worth for the financial year 2016-2017 was estimated to be Rs. 1,10,74,39,461. It excludes the net worth of her husband and dependents.

Signature

Favourite Things

• Travel Destination(s): London and Switzerland

• Colour(s): Blue and White

Facts/Trivia

• Jaya is called as ‘Didibhai’ by her sisters.

• Jaya was the head of NCC batch in her school and was awarded the best All India NCC Cadet on the Republic Day celebrations, 1966.

• Her hobbies include listening to music, reading, and cooking.

• She is often spotted consuming alcohol in parties.

• Unlike Amitabh, she is a non-vegetarian.

• Reportedly, one of her close friends, Rajesh Khanna was not happy with the friendship of Jaya and Amitabh.

• While shooting for Sholay (1975), she was pregnant with her first child.

• Jaya used to call Amitabh ‘Lambuji’ until their daughter, Shweta, too started calling him by the same name.

• Jaya’s happy married life went through a rough phase when the rumours of Amitabh and Rekha’s affair started. Jaya said in an interview,
  

  I totally trust my husband and I know this industry. I have never been threatened or felt insecure about anything he did. I am associated with a family who believes in having a relationship. You should not be very positive about anything. Especially in this profession, where you know that nothing is easy here. If he really left me and then he never belonged to me.”

• Reportedly, Jaya once called Rekha for dinner and said that she would never leave her husband and Rekha should step back.

  An Old Picture of Jaya And Rekha

• Reportedly, the 1981 film Silsila was loosely based on the real-life love triangle of Jaya, Amitabh, and Rekha, which was directed by Yash Chopra.

  A Still from Silsila

• In KBC 11, Amitabh revealed that he was attracted to Jaya’s long hair, and he had saved her contact name as ‘JB’ in his phone.

  An Old Picture of Jaya

• In an interview, Jaya said that she has been pampering Amitabh just like her child.

  Candid Moment of Jaya Bachchan and Amitabh Bachchan

• Jaya has appeared in various television commercials with her husband.

  A Still From Jaya and Amitabh’s TV Commercial

• Once she was asked about “Nepotism” in Bollywood, she replied,

Nepotism charges are not true. My son is still struggling. The first film you can get maybe if you are from the film industry, but lots of sons of lots of film people are still waiting.”

• She moved to tears while giving a speech on the 2012 Delhi Nirbhaya rape case.

• After submitting the details about her income and properties in the 2018 Rajya Sabha Elections, she became one of the richest MPs in India.

People now want the Government to give a definite answer. Such people (the accused in a rape case) need to be brought out in public and lynched.”