Jaya Bachchan

Jaya Bachchan (née Bhaduri; born 9 April 1948) is an Indian actress and politician known mainly for her work in Hindi films. She is a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha from the Samajwadi Party, serving since 2004. Regarded among the finest actresses of Indian cinema, she is noted for reinforcing a natural style of acting in both mainstream and "middle-of-the-road" cinema. Bachchan has received several accolades, including nine Filmfare Awards and the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian honour awarded by the Government of India.
Bachchan made her film debut as a teenager in Satyajit Ray's Mahanagar (1963), her 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. She won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for Abhimaan, Kora Kagaz and Nauker.
Following her marriage to actor 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). Bachchan won three Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for playing 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 made her comeback with Karan Johar's romantic comedy family drama Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023).
Early life
Bachchan was born as Jaya Bhaduri on 9 April 1948. She is the daughter of Tarun 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.
Acting career
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).
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. 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."
Personal life
Jaya married actor Amitabh Bachchan, on 3 June 1973. 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.
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.
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.
Reception and legacy
Bachchan is regarded as one of the greatest actors of Indian cinema. 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, "Dimunitive 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."
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 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
Notes
References
External links
Jaya Bachchan at Bollywood Hungama
1948 births
Actresses in Bengali cinema
Loreto College, Kolkata alumni
University of Calcutta alumni
Indian film actresses
Living people
Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts
Indian actor-politicians
Samajwadi Party politicians
Actresses in Hindi cinema
Actresses from Kolkata
Politicians from Kolkata
Rajya Sabha members from Uttar Pradesh
20th-century Bengalis
21st-century Bengalis
Women in Uttar Pradesh politics
21st-century Indian women politicians
21st-century Indian politicians
21st-century Indian actresses
20th-century Indian actresses
Women members of the Rajya Sabha
Jaya
Filmfare Awards winners
Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award winners
International Indian Film Academy Awards winners
Zee Cine Awards winners
Members of the National Cadet Corps (India)