Bollywood has seen many people romance, some were flashy but fizzled out soon while the others were an affair of a day. But there were only handful of such love stories that rewrote the definition of love for the young generation. One such love story was written 44 years ago by the Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan. The superstar broke many hearts when he got hitched to his long-time ladylove. The couple is celebrating the 40 years of ethereal love today and so everyone gets nostalgic to the day when they both came together as one.
Jab They Met- The First Sight
Back in early 1970s, the reserved and shy Jaya saw Amitabh at Pune Film Institute while accompanying the famous filmmaker K. Abbas along with other actors. It was Amitabh’s calm personality that caught her attention. But she never paid any attention. When Big B was struggling to create a place for himself in Bollywood, Jaya was already a star.
When Amitabh Bachchan fell in love with the picture of Jaya Bachchan
Can you imagine that a cover of a magazine can start a love story? Amitabh fell for Jaya when he saw her picture on the glossy cover of a magazine. He couldn’t get over her charm. He immediately felt something strange in her heart for her. Hrishikesh Mukherjee did the job of cupid for them, though unintentionally. He brought them together on the set of ‘Guddi’ for a formal meeting. Amitabh Bachchan was excited to work opposite her.
“I was introduced to him on the sets of Guddi. I was impressed by him and somewhat in awe as he was Harivanshrai Bachchan's son. I felt he was different, though people laughed at me when I said that. I expressed my feelings and said he's going to make it big, even though I was aware he wasn't the usual stereotype hero. I fell in love with him very soon.”
And then the cupid struck..
Jaya was first to realise her feeling for him. On the sets of ‘Ek Nazar’, Amitabh realised his love for Jaya as well. Rajesh Khanna, close friend of Jaya, never gave a nod to their relationship. Big B used to visit her frequently on the sets of ‘Bawarchi’, where Rajesh Khanna received him coldness. But that made her fall for Bachchan even harder.
How the marriage happened?
The major turn of their love story arrived when their friends made a condition that if their movie ‘Zanjeer’ becomes hit, they will go to London for holiday. Amitabh’s parents being traditional rejected his idea of London visit. Amitabh then took the decision to tie the knot. He proposed, and she said yes! That’s how Jaya Bhaduri became Jaya Bachchan- the better half of Amitabh Bachchan.
