Jaya Bachchan (née Bhaduri; born 9 April 1948) is an Indian actress and politician. She is a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha from the Samajwadi Party, serving since 2004. Known primarily for her work in Hindi and Bengali cinema, she is noted for reinforcing a natural style of acting in both mainstream and “middle-of-the-road” cinema. She has received several accolades, including nine Filmfare Awards and the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian honour awarded by the Government of India.
Making her film debut as a teenager in Satyajit Ray’s Mahanagar (1963), Bachchan’s first screen role as an adult was in Guddi (1971), directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, with whom she collaborated in several films thereafter. She was noted for her performances in films like Uphaar (1971), Koshish (1972) and Kora Kagaz (1974). She starred alongside Amitabh Bachchan in several films, including Zanjeer (1973), Abhimaan (1973), Chupke Chupke (1975) and Mili (1975). The cult film Sholay (1975) saw her playing the much-lauded role of a young widow.
Following her marriage to Amitabh Bachchan and the birth of their children, she restricted her work in films, notably starring in Nauker (1979) and Silsila (1981). After a 17-year sabbatical, she returned to acting with Govind Nihalani’s independent drama Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa (1998). She has since played emotionally troubled mothers in the commercially successful dramas Fiza (2000), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham… (2001) and Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003). After another hiatus, she will make her comeback in 2023.
Personal life
Early years and family
Jaya Bhaduri is the daughter of Taroon Kumar Bhaduri, a journalist, author, and poet and his wife, Indira. She studied at St Joseph’s Convent School, Bhopal and graduated from Film and Television Institute of India in Pune.
On 3 June 1973, she married Amitabh Bachchan. The couple have two children: Shweta Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan, who is also an actor. Shweta is married to industrialist Nikhil Nanda, grandson of the Kapoor family in Delhi, and has two children, Navya Naveli and Agastya Nanda, while Abhishek Bachchan is married to actress Aishwarya Rai, and has a daughter, Aaradhya Bachchan.
Drona speech controversy
Bachchan’s speech during the musical launch of Drona in the second half of 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.
Read More: Mithun Chakraborty | Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
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 Bachchan 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 very unfortunate”. Amitabh tendered an apology for her statement on her behalf.
Jaya Bachchan Age Boyfriend Husband Family Biography
| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Maiden name | Jaya Bhaduri |
| Full Name | Jaya Bhaduri Bachchan (After Marriage) |
| Nickname | Didibhai Jansatta |
| Profession(s) | Actor and Politician |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| Height (approx.) | in centimeters– 158 cm in meters– 1.58 m in feet & inches– 5’ 2” |
| Eye Colour | Black |
| Hair Colour | Salt & Pepper |
| Film Career | |
| Debut | Film, Bengali (Child Actor): Mahanagar (1963) Film, Hindi (Actor): Guddi (1971) |
| Awards, Honours, Achievements | 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) 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. |
| Political Career | |
| Party | Samajwadi Party |
| Political Journey | • 2004: Elected as the Member of Parliament • 2004-2006: Represented Uttar Pradesh in the Rajya Sabha • 2006: Disqualified as a member of the Rajya Sabha • June 2006 – July 2010: Second term • 2012: Third term • 2018: Re-elected for the fourth time in the Rajya Sabha |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 9 April 1948 (Friday) |
| Age (as of 2023) | 75 Years |
| Birthplace | Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh |
| Zodiac sign | Aries |
| Signature |  |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | KolkattaDeccan Chronicle |
| School | St. Joseph’s Convent School, Bhopal |
| College/University | Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune |
| Educational Qualification | Diploma in Acting Man’s World India |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Caste | Bengali Brahmin Wikipedia |
| Food Habit | Non-Vegetarian India Forums |
| Address | Jalsa, B/2, Kapol Housing Society, VL Mehta Road, Juhu, Mumbai – 400049, Maharashtra, India |
| Hobbies | Listening to Music, Reading, and Cooking |
| Controversies | • She has been seen lashing out at paparazzi for clicking her photos and asking irrelevant questions from her on various occasions. India Today • Her controversial remarks on the use of English language at the music launch of the film Drona (2008) made a huge controversy, she said, Hum UP ke log hain, isliye Hindi mein baat karenge, Maharashtra ke log maaf kijiye” (she was from Uttar Pradesh and people of Maharashtra should excuse her for speaking in Hindi). Later, Amitabh Bachchan apologised on her behalf. Rediff • On 21 December 2021, the Rajya Sabha was disrupted and adjourned after Jaya Bachchan, a member of Samajwadi Party in Rajya Sabha, said the bad days of the government were here. It all started when Ms. Bachchan rose to speak on the Narcotics and Drugs Psychotropic Substances (Amendment) Bill, 2021 and objected to a “personal remark” made by one of the members of the treasury benches against her. She also accused Bhubaneswar Kalita, who was in the chair of being partisan. She said, “I don’t want to thank you. I don’t know if I should recall the days when you used to sit here (Opposition bench) and troop into the well shouting slogans against the government or now when you are sitting in that chair.” Ms. Bachchan signed off her speech by saying – “You don’t have any empathy for your colleagues sitting outside, your bad days will be here, I curse you.”The Hindu |
| Relationships & More | |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Affairs/Boyfriends | Amitabh Bachchan (Actor) |
| Marriage Date | 3 June 1973 |
| Family | |
| Husband/Spouse | Amitabh Bachchan |
| Children | Son– Abhishek Bachchan (Actor) Daughter– Shweta Bachchan Nanda (Indian author) |
| Parents | Father– Taroon Coomar Bhaduri (Author and Poet) Mother– Indira Bhaduri |
| Siblings | Sister(s)– 2 Times of India • Rita Verma • She has one more sister. |
| Favourites | |
| Actor(s) | Dilip Kumar and Dharmendra |
| Actress(es) | Nargis Dutt and Hema Malini |
| Travel Destination(s) | London and Switzerland |
| Colour(s) | Blue and White |
| Money Factor | |
| Salary (as a Member of Parliament) | Rs. 1 Lakh + other allowances Times of India |
| Assets/Properties | Jaya Bachchan and Amitabh Bachchan’s joint declared property (as in 2018) Immovable Assets: Rs 460 crore Movable Assets: Rs 540 croreTimes of India |
Career
Acting career
Jaya Bachchan with husband Amitabh Bachchan, son Abhishek Bachchan and daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai
Jaya Bachchan is an alumna of the Film and Television Institute of India. She first starred in Satyajit Ray’s Bengali film, Mahanagar (1963) at the age of 15, 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 the 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, and created the girl-next-door image for her, which she was often associated with through the rest of her career. While she did venture out to play glamorous roles as in Jawani Diwani, (1972) and a semi-negative character of an amnesia-faking heroine in Anamika (1973), she was most recognised for her roles epitomising middle-class sensibility, which she played amiably in films of “middle-cinema” directors such as Gulzar, Basu Chatterjee and indeed Hrishikesh Mukherjee. 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 (1973), 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. When Amitabh had faced a string of flops and most lead heroines refused to work with him in the Salim–Javed scripted Zanjeer (1973), she agreed to step in. The film turned out to be a big hit creating Amitabh Bachchan’s angry-young-man image. All their successive films as a pair were huge hits – Abhimaan (1973), Chupke Chupke (1975), Mili (1975) and Sholay (1975).
Jaya Bachchan with her husband Amitabh Bachchan in 2002
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.
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. In 2000, she starred in Fiza for which she received the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. She also starred in Karan Johar’s ensemble family drama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham… (2001) with her husband. She then starred in Johar’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).
In 2011, she appeared in the Bangladeshi film Meherjaan starring with Victor Banerjee and Humayun Faridi. The film is based on a Bangladesh-Pakistan love story in the backdrop of the 1971 Bangladesh atrocities.
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 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 4 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.
| # | From | To | Position | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 2004 | 2006 | MP (1st term) in Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh (by-poll) | SP |
| 2. | 2006 | 2012 | MP (2nd term) in Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh | SP |
| 3. | 2012 | 2018 | MP (3rd term) in Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh | SP |
| 4. | 2018 | Present | MP (4th term) in Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh | SP |
Awards and recognitions
Civilian Award
- 1992 – Padma Shri – India’s fourth highest civilian honour from the Government of India.
Major film awards
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Filmfare Awards | Special Award | Uphaar | Won |
| Best Actress | Nominated | |||
| Guddi | Nominated | |||
| 1974 | Koshish | Nominated | ||
| Abhimaan | Won | |||
| 1975 | Kora Kagaz | Won | ||
| 1976 | Mili | Nominated | ||
| 1980 | Nauker | Won | ||
| 1982 | Silsila | Nominated | ||
| 1998 | Special Award | Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa | Won | |
| 2001 | Best Supporting Actress | Fiza | Won | |
| 2002 | Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham… | Won | ||
| 2004 | Kal Ho Naa Ho | Won | ||
| 2007 | Lifetime Achievement Award | — | Won | |
| 2001 | International Indian Film Academy Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Fiza | Won |
| 2002 | Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham… | Won | ||
| 2004 | Kal Ho Naa Ho | Won |
Other film awards
Won
- 1972 – Bengal Film Journalists’ Association Awards – Special Award (Hindi Film) – Guddi
- 1999 – Anandalok Awards – Special Editors’ Award
- 2001 – Bengal Film Journalists’ Association Awards – Best Supporting Actress – Fiza
- 2001 – Zee Cine Award for Best Supporting Actress – Fiza
- 2002 – Sansui Viewers Choice Awards for Best Supporting Actress – Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham…
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 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
Filmography
| Year | Film | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | Mahanagar | Bengali film |
| 1971 | Guddi | Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Actress |
| Uphaar | Filmfare Special Award. Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Actress | |
| Jai Jawan Jai Makan | ||
| Aahat – Ek Ajib Kahani | Released in 2010 | |
| Dhanyee Meye | Bengali film | |
| Janani | Bengali film | |
| 1972 | Jawani Diwani | |
| Bawarchi | ||
| Parichay | ||
| Bansi Birju | ||
| Piya Ka Ghar | ||
| Annadata | ||
| Ek Nazar | ||
| Samadhi | ||
| Koshish | Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Actress | |
| Shor | ||
| 1973 | Gaai Aur Gori | |
| Anamika | ||
| Phagun | ||
| Zanjeer | ||
| Abhimaan | Filmfare Award for Best Actress | |
| 1974 | Dil Diwana | |
| Kora Kagaz | Filmfare Award for Best Actress | |
| Naya Din Nai Raat | ||
| Doosri Sita | ||
| 1975 | Mili | Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Actress |
| Chupke Chupke | ||
| Sholay | ||
| 1977 | Abhi To Jee Lein | Unreleased |
| 1978 | Ek Baap Chhe Bete | Guest appearance |
| 1979 | Nauker | Filmfare Award for Best Actress |
| 1981 | Silsila | Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Actress |
| 1995 | Akka | Marathi film |
| 1998 | Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa | Filmfare Special Award |
| 2000 | Fiza | Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 2001 | Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham… | Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 2002 | Koi Mere Dil Se Poochhe | |
| Desh | Bengali film | |
| 2003 | Kal Ho Naa Ho | Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 2007 | Laaga Chunari Mein Daag | |
| 2008 | Love Songs : Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow | |
| Drona | ||
| 2009 | Animal | |
| 2010 | Aap Ke Liye Hum | |
| 2011 | Meherjaan | Bengali language Bangladeshi film |
| 2013 | Sunglass | Bilingual film |
| 2016 | Ki & Ka | Cameo |
| 2023 | Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani |