Amitabh Bachchan gave several remarkable performances in the classic 1981 film ‘Laawaris’, but one song in particular, ‘Mere Angne Mein’, had a profound effect on both his family and the audience. The song, performed by Amitabh in drag, gave the movie more humor and satire. Although the audience seemed to appreciate it, Amitabh Bachchan’s wife, Jaya Bachchan, had a totally different reaction, one that left Amitabh feeling her wrath.
When Big B and Jaya made an appearance on Rendezvous with Simi Garewal, he recalled this incident. When questioned if Jaya had ever reacted strongly to his work, Amitabh admitted and shared, “There isn’t a single film where the madam has not got up with great repulsion and walked out of the theatre.” Jaya quickly interjected, “That’s not true.”
But Amitabh mentioned Laawaris as a particular instance. He asked Simi, “Do you remember a film called Laawaris that I worked on?” After she verified, Amitabh disclosed, “We did a drag number in that called ‘Mere Angne Mein’. When the song started, during the time when we were seeing the rushes, she walked up to me, shouted in my ear and said, ‘how can you dare do something like this?’ And stormed out.” Jaya acknowledged, without refuting, “I was absolutely repulsed by it. It was really bad.”
Amitabh and Jaya have been married for more than 50 years and are still regarded as role models for their enduring love. But Amitabh once made the amusing observation that Jaya is stricter with him than she is with their kids.
During an episode of ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati 15’, Amitabh and contestant Jaya Patel, a teacher, had a lighthearted moment. She explained that although she maintained a rigid professional life, she was a softer person at home. Inquiring about Amitabh’s thoughts on the name Jaya, alluding to his wife. Amitabh joked, “Well, my experience… (pauses)” with his customary charm before admitting that Jaya can be both strict and lenient.
With a smile, Big B shared, “When she’s strict, it’s better to stay locked in your room or just step out for a while.” He further added, “When she’s lenient, everything is great. But yes, she’s stricter with me. When I watch this episode with her, she’ll scold me. It scares me, so I avoid talking too much about my personal life.”
On the work front, Amitabh Bachchan was last seen in ‘Kalki 2898 AD’, which also featured Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, Kamal Haasan, and others. He is currently seen in ‘Vettaiyan’ with Rajinikanth. The film hit the theatres on October 10.
When Jaya Bachchan addressed husband Amitabh Bachchan’s love affair rumours with Rekha: ‘My life would have been hell if…’
