During a special birthday episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati 17, Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan treated the audience to a funny old story. He shared a laugh with guests Javed Akhtar and Farhan Akhtar. The tale was all about a certain hit song and the stern words he received from his wife, Jaya Bachchan. It seems even a superstar gets an earful from time to time.
The story revolved around the famous song ‘Mere Angne Mein’ from his 1981 film, ‘Laawaris’. Back then, Amitabh really got into character for the music video. He transformed himself into various female roles. He appeared as short women, tall women, stout women, and thin women. The song became a massive hit with the public. However, it seems his wife had a very different take on his performance.
Amitabh recalled the film’s trial screening. As soon as the song began, Jaya got up from her seat. She walked right out of the theater, quite upset. “When the song started, Devi ji (Jaya) got up from her seat and walked straight out,” he explained with a chuckle. He later faced a barrage of criticism from her. She clearly told him, “How dare you do such a song?” She really disliked it.
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The story didn’t end there. About 15 years later, Amitabh was performing ‘Mere Angne Mein’ at an awards ceremony. He jokingly called out for all the types of women mentioned in the song to join him on stage. Then, as the lyric about the ‘short’ woman came up, he made a grand gesture. “When it was time for the ‘short’ line, I said, ‘No need to call her, she’s right here with me!'” He then lifted Jaya into his arms. He said, “Pick her up in your lap, what work does a child have?”
The microphone was close to Jaya. Amitabh thought she would definitely say something back. To his surprise, she remained quiet. She simply wiped the lipstick marks off his cheeks. “That,” Amitabh laughed, “is the true habit of a wife. Nothing else matters, only the lipstick stains!” The audience erupted in applause, loving this peek into their famous marriage.
Amitabh called this a “typical wife trait,” a mix of love and playful complaints. It’s how relationships grow deeper, he noted, full of laughter and understanding.
Their love story is one of Bollywood’s most cherished tales. Amitabh and Jaya first met at FTII Pune. Their friendship blossomed into romance on the sets of ‘Guddi’ in 1971. After the huge success of ‘Zanjeer’ in 1973, they married that same year on June 3rd. It was a simple wedding, attended only by family and close friends.
Over the years, they starred in many memorable films together. Movies like ‘Abhimaan’, ‘Sholay’, ‘Chupke Chupke’, ‘Mili’, ‘Silsila’, and ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham’ solidified their iconic pairing. Today, their children, Shweta Nanda and actor Abhishek Bachchan, are also making their own marks in the entertainment world.