Revealed: Jaya's father was unhappy with her wedding to Amitabh
Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan, one of Bollywood's most celebrated couples, tied the knot on June 3, 1973 in a private ceremony in Mumbai. However, behind the hush-hush event, there was a lot of tension. The details of the event were disclosed by Amitabh's father, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, in In the Afternoon Of Time: An Autobiography by Harivansh Rai Bachchan. The wedding took place at a friend's residence located on the top floor of the Skylark building in Malabar Hills.
Bachchan wedding: A modest affair with limited enthusiasm
The wedding was a modest event with only five baraatis, including Harivansh and political leader Sanjay Gandhi. Harivansh noted in his book that Jaya's family did not seem particularly enthusiastic about the wedding. He wrote about how Jaya's parents desired a Bengali-style marriage ceremony, which wasn't opposed by the groom's family yet, he observed an absence of joy among Jaya's family members during these proceedings.
Traditional rituals and quiet celebrations marked the wedding
The first stage of the wedding was the var-puja, a veneration of the groom. This involved Jaya's father visiting Amitabh's residence with gifts and conducting a small ceremony. Harivansh reciprocated by doing the same for Jaya. He noted that Amitabh's haldi ceremony was conducted quietly. The baraat was received without any fanfare, and upon reaching the mandap, they found Jaya, then known as Jaya Bhaduri, dressed as a bride. Harivansh noticed a genuine shyness on her face.
'My family is utterly ruined'
The Bachchan family misled their neighbors about the reason for decorations at their house, attributing it to an upcoming film shoot featuring Amitabh. After the ceremony concluded, his observations about the Bhaduri family not being completely happy were confirmed. He wrote, "Before we left, I embraced the father of my new daughter-in-law and congratulated him on getting a son-in-law like Amit, expecting him to say the same in respect of Jaya. But he said, 'My family is utterly ruined.'"
Bachchans: A flourishing family post-wedding
Amitabh and Jaya have been married for 51 years now and have two children together - Shweta Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan. Shweta is married to Nikhil Nanda, and they have two children, Agastya Nanda and Navya Naveli Nanda. Abhishek is married to Aishwarya Rai, and they have a daughter named Aaradhya Bachchan. Despite the initial reactions at their wedding, the couple has built a successful family life together.
