When Jaya Bachchan 'Stormed Out' After Seeing Amitabh Bachchan's 'Mere Angne Mein': 'She Shouted...'

In the iconic 1981 film Laawaris, Amitabh Bachchan delivered many unforgettable performances, but one particular song, Mere Angne Mein, left a lasting impression not only on audiences but also on his family. The song, performed by Amitabh in drag, added humour and satire to the film. While the audience enjoyed it, Amitabh’s wife, Jaya Bachchan, had a very different reaction—one that left Amitabh feeling her wrath.

Amitabh recalled this incident during an appearance on Rendezvous with Simi Garewal, where he appeared alongside Jaya. When asked if Jaya had ever reacted strongly to his work, Amitabh admitted, “There isn’t a single film where the madam has not got up with great repulsion and walked out of the theatre.” Jaya quickly interjected, “That’s not true.”

However, Amitabh brought up Laawaris as a specific example. “Do you remember a film called Laawaris that I worked on?” he asked Simi. When she confirmed, Amitabh revealed, “We did a drag number in that called ‘Mere Angne Mein’. When the song started, during the time when we were seeing the rushes, she walked up to me, shouted in my ear and said, ‘how can you dare do something like this?’ And stormed out.” Jaya didn’t deny it, admitting, “I was absolutely repulsed by it. It was really bad.”

Despite such moments, Amitabh and Jaya have been married for over five decades and continue to be admired for their strong bond. However, Amitabh once humorously pointed out that Jaya is stricter with him than with their children.

During an episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati 15, Amitabh shared a light-hearted moment with a contestant named Jaya Patel, who was a teacher. She revealed that while strict in her professional life, she was gentler at home. Curious, she asked Amitabh how he felt about the name Jaya, alluding to his wife. With his usual charm, Amitabh quipped, “Well, my experience… (pauses)” before confessing that Jaya can be both strict and lenient.

“When she’s strict, it’s better to stay locked in your room or just step out for a while,” Amitabh said with a smile. “When she’s lenient, everything is great. But yes, she’s stricter with me. When I watch this episode with her, she’ll scold me. It scares me, so I avoid talking too much about my personal life.”