When Amitabh Bachchan called Jaya Bachchan ‘embarrassingly straight'—and 'meant it as the highest compliment

Time of India

3 days ago

Noted actors
Amitabh Bachchan
and
Jaya Bachchan
are still going strong with each other and in the cinema. Now that they have been married for more than fifty years, their love story continues to keep their relationship intact, one of the defining love stories of Bollywood.
Their relationship began back on the sets of
Hrishikesh Mukherjee
's Guddi (1971) while Jaya was an already established star. Amitabh would not be the lead actor in the film, but when Jaya met him, her impression was made. Jaya stated in an old interview about their meeting, "I was introduced to him on the sets of Guddi. I was impressed by him and somewhat awed because he was Harivanshrai Bachchan's son. I fell in love with him very quickly."
It wasn't until they worked together in Ek Nazar (1972) that Amitabh began to feel the same.
A year later, in 1973, they tied the knot—just before the release of Zanjeer, the film that would catapult Amitabh to superstardom.
Jaya Bachchan says Amitabh Bachchan is the 'grumpiest' person when her friends visit their home
In a candid conversation with Stardust magazine many years ago, Amitabh opened up about their relationship. He expressed deep gratitude for having a partner who understood the intricacies of their shared profession. 'Jaya is a very spontaneous person—not at all like me,' he said. 'It's just very fortunate for me that she's from the same profession as me, and so she understands.
She was always familiar with the environment I was in.
She knows what the film industry is all about, so in fact, it's a boon to have her.'
While many assume that marriages in showbiz are fleeting, Amitabh strongly disagreed. 'You say that marriages in this industry don't last. But with all due apologies and all due respect to others, how do you put me in the same category?' he asked, making it clear that their commitment was lifelong.
He also touched upon their contrasting personalities—Jaya's frankness and his own reserved nature. 'Jaya is extremely open and very straight. Sometimes embarrassingly straight, but that's how her nature is,' he admitted, adding, 'I've never tried to disturb that quality of hers, and she's not disturbed my quality of being to myself.'
Reflecting on their early days, Amitabh acknowledged that when they got married, Jaya was already a star, while he was still striving to find his footing.
Despite their differing positions in the industry back then, both shared similar values—especially when it came to materialism. 'I appreciate a more normal and simple relationship. That is what attracted me to Jaya. She's very simple and very down-to-earth—away from all this,' he said.
'Even today, I don't believe in extravagant gifts or outings, and neither does she.'
Through all the highs and lows—both personal and professional—Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan have held onto something rare: a love built not on glamor, but on understanding, honesty, and deep respect.