Jaya Bachchan says marriage is 'outdated'; reveals why Amitabh Bachchan might call it ‘the biggest mistake of his life’

Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan's pic from their wedding day

Veteran actor and parliamentarian Jaya Bachchan has offered a glimpse into her 52-year marriage with megastar Amitabh Bachchan. Speaking to Barkha Dutt, Jaya opened up about the changing dynamics of their relationship, her evolving views on marriage as an institution, and the contrasting personalities that define their bond.

Jaya, who married Amitabh Bachchan on June 3, 1973, reflected on how their starkly different temperaments may have been the reason their marriage endured for more than five decades. Calling herself opinionated and outspoken, she contrasted this with Amitabh’s measured and restrained disposition.

“He does not speak. He is not free with his opinion like I am. He keeps it to himself, but he knows how to convey what he wants to at the right time, in the right way… which I don't! That's the difference. He is a different personality; maybe that's why I married him! Can you imagine if I had married somebody like me? He would be in Vrindavan, and I would be somewhere else,” she told Barkha.

Jaya further revealed that she no longer views marriage with the same conviction she once did. She discussed how she advises the younger generation, including her granddaughter Navya Naveli Nanda, to think differently about tying the knot.

On being asked whether Amitabh shares her perception of marriage today, Jaya responded with characteristic bluntness. “He might say that it was the ‘biggest mistake of my life,’ but I don’t want to hear that.”

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Jaya shared that the institution of marriage itself has become “outdated” in her eyes.

Over the decades, Jaya and Amitabh's family expanded with the births of their children, Shweta Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan. Shweta later married entrepreneur Nikhil Nanda, and the couple is now parents to Navya Naveli Nanda and Agastya Nanda. Abhishek, meanwhile, married actor Aishwarya Rai, and the pair welcomed their daughter, Aaradhya.

Professionally, Amitabh and Jaya have shared the screen in several classics, including Zanjeer, Abhimaan, Sholay, and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham.