Jaya Bhaduri Bachchan is an Indian actress. Jaya is married to Amitabh Bachchan, a legend in Hindi cinema. Her son Abhishek Bachchan is also currently a successful actor. She is active in politics, notably with the Samajwadi Party and has been a Member of Parliament, representing Rajya Sabha.

Jaya was born in a Bengali family to Indira and Taroon Kumar Bhaduri, writer, journalist and stage artist in Jabalpur.

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).

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.

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 .

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.

Awards and recognition

Filmfare Awards

• * 1974 - Filmfare Best Actress Award, Abhimaan
• * 1975 - Filmfare Best Actress Award, Kora Kagaz
• * 1980 - Filmfare Best Actress Award, Naukar
• * 2001 - Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award, Fiza
• * 2002 - Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham
• * 2004 - Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award, Kal Ho Na Ho
• * 2007 - Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award

IIFA Awards

• * 2001 - IIFA Best Supporting Actress Award, Fiza
• * 2002 - IIFA Best Supporting Actress Award, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham
• * 2004 - IIFA Best Supporting Actress Award, Kal Ho Na Ho

Honours and recognitions

• * 1972, BFJA Awards: Special Award (Hindi film) for Guddi
• * In 1992, she was honoured with the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian award       from the Government of India.

• * In 1998, she was honoured with the Omega Award for Excellence : Lifetime Achievement

• * She is a recipient of the “Yash Bharati Samman”, UP state’s highest award from the

Government of Uttar Pradesh.

• * 2001, BFJA Awards: Best Actress in Supporting Role

• * 2002, Best Actress in a supporting role, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham at the Sansui

Viewers Choice Awards

• * 2004, Lifetime Achievement Award at the Sansui Awards.