Veteran actor and politician Jaya Bachchan‘s recent appearance in parliament has drawn significant attention.
On Monday, Jaya Bachchan objected to Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh addressing her as “Shrimati Jaya Amitabh Bachchan.” A video from the Rajya Sabha has been doing the rounds on the internet in which the Samajwadi Party MP can be seen pointing out that instead of taking her actor-husband’s name, she could have been called just “Jaya Bachchan”.
“Sir, sirf Jaya Bachchan bolte toh kafi hojata (only Jaya Bachchan would have sufficed),” she responded.
Jaya Bachchan looked irked after Deputy Chairman Harivansh addressed her using Amitabh as her middle name.
She strongly reacted by saying, “Ye jo hain kuch naya tarika hain ki mahilaayin apni pati ke naam se jajaye. Unka koi astitva nahi. Unki koi upalabdhi nahi hain, apne mein aur astitva nahi hain. Ye jo naya shuru hua hain… (This is something new, that women will be recognised by the name of their husbands…they (women) have no identity; they have no achievements, no identity of their own. This new thing that has started…)”
Jaya and Amitabh Bachchan tied the knot on June 3, 1973. They have two children — author Shweta Bachchan Nanda and actor Abhishek Bachchan. They have acted in several films, including ‘Zanjeer’, ‘Sholay’, ‘Abhimaan’, ‘Mili’, ‘Chupke Chupke’, ‘Silsila’, and ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham’.
In 2004, she entered politics, representing the Samajwadi Party as a Rajya Sabha MP. She has been a vocal advocate for various social causes, including women’s rights.
