She was considered one of the finest actresses of her time and an all time favourite of Hindi cinema.
Jaya Bachchan’s naturalistic style of acting, her spontaneity and the warmth she radiated on screen enamoured her film audiences. She was perfect for her time and many of her feel good films gained popularity.
Later on in her life, she still continued to steal the show and a tally of nine Filmfare awards that amply show her worth.
Here are five Jaya Bachchan films which reveal her superb acting range:
Guddi (1971)
Cast: Jaya Bachchan, Dharmendra, A K Hangal, Utpal Dutt, Samit Bhanja, Asrani
Director: Hrishikesh Mukherjee
Guddi (Jaya) is a schoolgirl who is totally infatuated with film star Dharmendra, thinking that he is a kind of super human being who can do no wrong. The extent of her crush is realised when she goes to Bombay where her sister-in-law’s brother Navin (Bhanja) proposes to her.
Navin speaks to his uncle (Utpal Dutt) who feels that she should meet Dharmendra once so that she realises that the reel world is different from the real world. Her contact with the actor finally opens her eyes and shows her the way forward.
Koshish (1972)
Cast: Sanjeev Kumar, Jaya Bachchan, Om Shivpuri, Seema, Asrani Director: Gulzar
A very touching and poignant story of a deaf mute couple and how they cope with their lives through hope and determination is splendidly brought to the screen by Gulzar. His task is made easier in that he has two of the finest actors in the late Sanjeev Kumar and Jaya Bachchan.
The couple have plenty of reverses in their lives and as they go along they have a son. Later in life they lose the son too but nothing is beyond the couple. They fight to live on another day.
Uphaar (1971)
Cast: Jaya Bachchan, Swaroop Dutt, Suresh Chatwal, Nandita Thakur, Leela Mishra, Kamini Kaushal
Director: Sudhendu Roy
An innocent and mischievous girl Minoo (Jaya) faces growing up pains after she is married off to Anoop (Dutt) but remains her childish self. She does not know how to run the household or do her wifely duties.
She refuses to go with Anoop to Kolkata where he works and this angers him and he says that he will not return until Minoo misses him and writes to him. The something awakens in Minoo and she begins to miss and love Anoop. Now Minoo wants to go to Kolkata and start her life with Anoop but she does not have his address.
Abhimaan (1973)
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Asrani, Bindu, A K Hangal
Director: Hrishikesh Mukherjee
A popular singer Subir (Amitabh) is on a high as his singing career soars. Then he meets Uma (Jaya) and they fall in love. He brings his bride to Mumbai and knowing that she is a good singer he begins to promote her.
On the downside, she becomes a top singer and his career begins to slide. The green-eyed monster raises his head and jealousy tears them apart. Uma has a miscarriage to add to the misery. Will love triumph? S D Burman’s music is captivating in this well-directed film.
Mili (1975)
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Ashok Kumar, Asrani, Aruna Irani, Parikshat Sahni
Director: Hrishikesh Mukherjee
Mili (Jaya) is suffering from pernicious anaemia (incurable those days) but she copes with it well by always being cheerful and happy. Her new neighbour Shekhar (Amitabh) is a drunkard who is always depressed.
Mili helps him overcome his habit and he falls in love with her. But when he comes to know of her illness he plans to run away. But a neghbour convinces him to stay. Shekhar marrries her and both go abroad for treatment.
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