Veteran actress Jaya Bachchan has never shied away from speaking her mind, and her recent statements have once again proven why she is one of Bollywood’s most outspoken stars. Known for her honesty, wit, and no-nonsense attitude, the ‘Sholay’ actress shared personal stories, sharp opinions, and candid observations about family, marriage, and the film industry. From her emotional struggles as a mother to her blunt take on modern celebrities and the paparazzi, Jaya left fans both amused and thoughtful. She made headlines with her boldest remarks while speaking at the recent We The Women Asia session in Mumbai.
Jaya Bachchan on feeling disturbed after Shweta’s marriage and her father’s reaction to Abhishek ’s birth
The ‘Guddi’ actress opened up about one of the most emotionally challenging phases of her life, her daughter Shweta Bachchan’s wedding. She revealed feeling “disturbed like never before” and struggling to adjust to life at home after her daughter’s marriage.She said, “After Shweta got married, I felt a loneliness. I felt very, very, I mean, I’ve never been so disturbed in my life like I did when she got married. I don’t know what happened. I just could not stop crying.” She also admitted that she had been the hardest mother to Shweta, yet felt helpless at that moment, “There was something that just left me, and I said, ‘Look, I can’t do this’.”When asked if this was like empty nest syndrome, she said she didn’t know, adding, “Maybe because I come from a family of girls. When Shweta was born, my father was celebrating, and he was so happy. When Abhishek (Bachchan) was born, he said, ‘Haan, theek hai.'” The journalist then said, “Poor Abhishek, poor boy.” Jaya quickly replied, “Poor boy. Well, he’s making up for it now, getting all the love.”
Jaya Bachchan called marriage ‘outdated’ and said granddaughter Navya should not get married
The conversation then turned to her granddaughter, Navya. When asked if she hoped Navya would marry soon, the ‘Abhimaan’ actress said she does not want her granddaughter to marry yet and called marriage an “outdated concept.”She explained, “I don’t want Navya to get married. I’m a grandmother now. Navya turns 28 in a few days. I think I’m too old to advise young girls today how to bring up children. Things have changed so much. Today, these little children are so smart. They are so smart, they’ll outsmart you. Just enjoy life.”She also reflected on how legal paperwork does not define relationships, saying, “Delhi ka ladoo hai khao toh mushkil na khao toh mushkil. Just enjoy life. You don’t have to make it (signal with a pen and paper)… we didn’t even sign the register in old times; later on, we found out we had to sign the register, and we signed it after I don’t know how many years of our marriage. That means we were living illegally.”
Jaya Bachchan on young stars using paparazzi to gain attention
The ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham’ actress also criticised young actors who call the paparazzi to take their photos. She revealed, “I don’t know them; I really don’t know who these people are. Young toh mera grandson bhi hai, jiski picture release hone wali hai, and he is not on any social media. Everyone teases him, saying, at some point you will have to get on to a social media platform, and he says, ‘We will see.’ But agar aapko apna photo nikalvane ke liye camera bulana padhe, toh what kind of a celeb are you?”
Jaya Bachchan claimed Amitabh Bachchan would call marriage his ‘biggest mistake’
Talking about her husband Amitabh Bachchan, the ‘Silsila’ actress admitted she never asked him about marriage, joking that he might call it his biggest mistake. She said, “I have never asked him his views on marriage. Maybe he will call it the biggest mistake of his life, but I don’t want to hear that!”She explained their very different personalities, saying, “Can you imagine if I had married someone like me? He would be in Vrindavan, and I would be somewhere else!”Jaya added that while she speaks freely, Big B keeps things to himself, “He is a different personality. Maybe that’s why I married him.”
Jaya Bachchan on paparazzi behaviour and their clothes
The ‘Zanjeer’ actress also gave a statement about the paparazzi, criticising their behaviour and dress, “You know it’s very strange. My relationship with media is fantastic. I am the product of media. But my relationship with paparazzi is zero. Who are these people? Are they trained to be representing the people of this country? You call them media? I come from media. My father was a journalist. I have tremendous respect for such people.“She continued, “But yeh jo bahar gande, tight pant pehnke, hath mein mobile leke (they were cheap tight pants and have a mobile in their hand), they think just because they have a mobile, they can take your picture and say what they want. And, the kind of comments they pass! What kind of people are these people? Kahan se aate hain, kis tarah ka education hai? Kya background hai? They will represent us? Just because they can get through to YouTube or whatever social platform?”
Jaya Bachchan on the work front
She was last seen in Karan Johar’s 2023 hit ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’, starring Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt. The National Award-winning film, released on July 28, 2023, also featured Dharmendra, Shabana Azmi, Tota Roy Chowdhury, Churni Ganguly, Aamir Bashir, and Kshitee Jog.
