Early life
Jaya Bhaduri or Jaya Bachchan (April 9, 1948) was born in a Bengali family to Indira and Taroon Kumar Bhaduri, writer, journalist and stage artist in Jabalpur. She studied in St. Joseph's Convent School, Bhopal.
Personal life
On June 3, 1973, she married actor Amitabh Bachchan. The couple have two children: Shweta Bachchan-Nanda and Abhishek Bachchan, who is also an actor. She has lived her entire married life in the public eye, yet she has always kept her distance from the media (especially when it comes to her personal life).
Her son Abhishek Bachchan married Indian actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan on April 20, 2007.
Her mother Indira Bhaduri resides in Bhopal in Central India.
Jaya has two grandchildren from her daughter Shweta; Navya Naveli and Agastya Nanda. Her son-in law is Nikhil Nanda.
Career
She started her career with a supporting role in Satyajit Ray's Bengali film, Mahanagar at the age of 15. The Bengali comedy Dhanni Meye (1971) was a great early success for Jaya.
After initial success in her native West Bengal, she became a success after Guddi in which she played a schoolgirl obsessed with film star Dharmendra after which she moved to Mumbai and starred in many Hindi hit films, such as Jawani Diwani, Koshish, Anamika, Piya Ka Ghar and Bawarchi. She acted with her husband Amitabh Bachchan in the hit films Zanjeer (1973), Abhimaan (1973), Chupke Chupke (1975) and Sholay (1975).
Her daughter Shweta was born while Jaya and Amitabh were working on the film Sholay. Following this she retired from films and focused on raising her children. Her last film as a lead actress was Silsila (1981), also opposite her husband. After which she stopped acting in movies. During the late 1980s she wrote the story for the film Shahenshah which starred her husband in the lead.
After a gap of film appearances for 18 years, She returned to acting with Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa (1998), a film that sensitively portrays the Naxalite movement, and has since played mother roles which she has been praised for. In 2000 she starred in the film Fiza opposite Karisma Kapoor and Hrithik Roshan. The film was considered one of her best performances and she received the Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award for her work. Doing a few films every year she also starred in Karan Johar's family drama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001) with her husband again. She then starred in Karan Johar's next film, Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003). She played the role of Preity Zinta's mother, Jennifer, for which she again received a best supporting actress award.
Her latest film is Laaga Chunari Mein Daag where she appeared with son Abhishek Bachchan and actresses Rani Mukerji and Konkona Sen Sharma.
Political career
Of late, Bachchan became active in politics, notably with the Samajwadi Party and has been a Member of Parliament, representing Rajya Sabha.
Bachchan returned to the Upper House as MP of Samajwadi Party in July 2006. Her husband, Bollywood film star Amitabh Bachchan, accompanied her to the swearing-in ceremony.
