- By Srishti Pandey
- Wed, 24 Jul 2024 11:38 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan's wedding on June 3, 1973, remains one of Bollywood's most iconic events. Held in Mumbai, the ceremony was intimate, with only close friends and family in attendance. Over the years, the couple's wedding photos have captivated the public, but Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Amitabh's father and renowned Hindi poet, revealed some lesser-known details in his autobiography, In the Afternoon of Time.
As per Rediff's report, Harivansh Rai described the wedding as a small affair with only a handful of guests. The ceremony took place at a friend’s home on the top floor of the Skylark building in Malabar Hills. Among the baraatis were just five people, including Harivansh Rai and political leader Sanjay Gandhi. He noted that Jaya’s family did not seem particularly enthusiastic about the wedding.
"Jaya’s parents wanted the marriage to be conducted in the Bengali manner, to which we had no objection," Harivansh Rai wrote. The var-puja, a ceremony venerating the groom, was held at Amitabh’s residence, Mangal. He reciprocated with a similar ceremony for Jaya at Beach House. However, he noticed a lack of joy among Jaya’s family. "Nobody in the family, apart from Jaya, showed even the slightest trace of pleasure."
Harivansh Rai also recounted that Amitabh’s Haldi ceremony, typically a lively event, was subdued. "The joy that was so confined by this constriction spilled out in a tingling of the spine and a tearful glimmering of the eye, especially in Teji’s case," he wrote, referring to Amitabh’s mother, Teji Bachchan. Even the neighbours were unaware of the wedding, as the family told them the decorations were for a film shoot.
The wedding itself was modest, with the baraat arriving without fanfare. At the mandap, Harivansh Rai observed Jaya Bhaduri, as she was then known, appearing genuinely shy. After the ceremony, the five baratis had dinner and left, leaving both families to complete the remaining rituals. Before departing, Harivansh Rai congratulated Jaya’s father on gaining a son-in-law like Amitabh, expecting a similar compliment in return. Instead, Jaya’s father responded, "My family is utterly ruined."
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Despite the rocky start, Amitabh and Jaya have been married for 51 years and have two children, Shweta Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan. Shweta is married to Nikhil Nanda and has two children, Agastya and Navya Naveli Nanda. Abhishek is married to Aishwarya Rai, and they have a daughter named Aaradhya Bachchan.
