Amitabh Bachchan opens up about parents’ ‘inter-caste’ marriage, describes himself as ‘half-Sikh’

Also read – Amitabh Bachchan-Jaya Bachchan’s wedding priest protested against their inter-caste marriage: ‘The whole affair was kept secret’

Jaya’s journalist father, Taroon Coomar Bhaduri, had recounted the story of Amitabh and Jaya’s marriage in a 1989 Illustrated Weekly of India piece. He recalled being summoned to Mumbai by Amitabh, and not immediately understanding why. His wife explained to him that Amitabh and Jaya had decided to tie the knot. The marriage was organised quickly, in complete secrecy. “There is no point now in going into the details of how the whole affair was kept secret and the marriage arranged in the flat of friends of our family, the Pandits, at Malabar Hill. But there is something more to it,” Jaya’s father wrote.

Amitabh Bachchan’s father-in-law and Jaya Bachchan’s father Taroon Bhaduri had spoken about how the couple’s wedding changed their lives. (Express Archive Photo)

Jaya’s father wrote that as an atheist, he was unconcerned about the marriage ceremony, but his wife wanted it to be conducted in accordance with Bengali traditions. Describing the priest’s protests, he wrote, “A Bengali marriage is usually a long-drawn-out but a highly interesting affair. The Bengali priest (who was located with great difficulty) at first protested against having to preside over a marriage between a Bengali brahmin (Jaya) and a non-Bengali non-brahmin (Amit). After a lot of hassles, this was sorted out. Amit went through all the rituals, offending no one, and the ceremony went on until early the next morning.”

Jaya and Amitabh tied the knot in 1973. They have two children, daughter Shweta Bachchan Nanda, and son Abhishek Bachchan. They also have three grandchildren, Agastya and Navya Nanda, and Aaradhya Bachchan.