When friends mocked Amitabh, Jaya stood up for him : The untold story of love at first sight

Mumbai

Some relationships resemble a film-like story—starting with struggles and eventually reaching a strong and mature bond.

One such relationship is between Jaya Bachchan and Amitabh Bachchan. At a time when Amitabh had not yet established himself in Hindi cinema, Jaya was already an emerging star in both Bengali and Hindi films. She was known for her calm and composed personality. The occasion to talk about her is her 78th birthday on April 9.

It is often said that people salute the rising sun, but the relationship between Jaya Bachchan and Amitabh Bachchan was quite the opposite. While today’s stars often think about marriage after achieving success, Jaya fell in love with Amitabh at a time when he had not yet made a mark in the industry, whereas she had been working in films since childhood.

She had worked as a child artist in Bengali and Hindi films. It is said that when Jaya Bachchan first saw Amitabh Bachchan at a film studio, she was instantly drawn to his simplicity and personality. She even shared her feelings with her friends, but they did not like him at all and mocked him by calling him “a stick,” commenting on his tall, lean appearance and big eyes. Hearing this, Jaya got upset and firmly said that she believed he would achieve something big in Hindi cinema.

On the other hand, Amitabh Bachchan noticed Jaya’s beauty through a magazine photoshoot. In an interview, he revealed that Jaya was both traditional and modern—qualities he was looking for in a partner. Their closeness began during the shooting of the film Guddi, although at that time Jaya spent more time shooting with Dharmendra.

Jaya would often talk about Amitabh with Dharmendra as well. It is said that during the early phase of his career, due to consecutive flops, many actresses refused to work with Amitabh Bachchan. At that time, Jaya agreed to work with him in the film Zanjeer, which turned out to be a blockbuster. Zanjeer was the film that transformed Amitabh Bachchan from a struggling actor into an overnight superstar.

 

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