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Jaya Bachchan was one of Indian cinema’s most acclaimed and popular stars when she married Amitabh Bachchan in 1973. He had just delivered the massively successful Zanjeer, and they’d been together for a couple of years by then. After their sudden marriage, Jaya decided to step back from acting and focus on her family. She had two children with Amitabh, daughter Shweta and son Abhishek, and didn’t act again until 1998. She had appeared in only two films across two decades. In an article published in the Illustrated Weekly of India, her father, journalist Taroon Coomar Bhaduri, wrote about her decision to quit acting – she hadn’t made a comeback yet – and emphasised that Amitabh shouldn’t be blamed for it.
He wrote, “When Jaya decided to quit films, we said nothing. In my family, we have never thrust our decisions on the children. When Jaya said she wanted to join films, we said all right, go ahead. When she decided to quit, I felt, of course, that her talent was being wasted. But it was purely her decision. I don’t think she’s ever regretted it.” He noted that despite Jaya being away from films, her popularity remained intact, and she even entertained the possibility of returning if offered a good enough project. “Jaya’s mystique remains intact. In the ephemeral world of razzmatazz, her appeal and magic have withstood the test of time,” he wrote, and defended his son-in-law against any blame. “I don’t think Amitabh can be blamed for Jaya’s decision to quit. But he has been blamed for so many things, poor fellow,” Jaya’s father added.
A picture from Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan’s wedding. (Express Archive Photo)
Praising Jaya for being a ‘very organised person’, her father continued, “One should see how she runs her household. Her eye for detail encompasses everything. She also does a lot of work for spastic children. I think she is a good mix of the traditional and the modern.” He also recalled how committed Jaya was when Amitabh met with a near-fatal injury on the sets of the film Coolie in the early 1980s. “You should have seen Jaya during the days Amitabh was in hospital. She appeared unruffled and cool. But at the same time, she did whatever people told her to do—she wore all sorts of beads, talismans and prayed fervently for Amit’s recovery. She put up a brave front but underneath, she was realistic. She was prepared for the worst,” he wrote.
In an interview with Times Now, Jaya said that she doesn’t appreciate her decision to quit acting made to seem like she was forced into it. “I’m not that kind of a person. No one can make me do what I don’t want to,” she said. On an episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati, Amitabh praised Jaya for devoting her entire attention to their family when he was away working. “Jaya was always supportive and never complained,” he said. While Jaya doesn’t work frequently any more, she has appeared in the hit films Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham and Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani – both directed by Karan Johar – in the last couple of decades.
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