‘Don't Believe In Divorce': Amitabh Bachchan Once Addressed Tension With Jaya Amid Rekha Controversy
Rekha, Amitabh Bachchan, and Jaya Bachchan were the most hit headline-makers of the 80s. An already married Bachchan was rumoured to be smitten by Rekha back in the day. However, nothing materialised since the Sholay star once said that he doesn't 'believe in divorce" amid rumours of tension in his marriage with Jaya.
Jaya Bachchan, reportedly, would dismiss rumours of her husband's affair in interviews. As written by Yasser Usman in his book Rekha: The Untold Story, published by Juggernaut, Jaya reportedly once said, 'Let the whole world say what they want. He [Amitabh Bachchan] has made a commitment to me and he has to have the courage (to say he's in love with somebody else!), and if he is doing something behind my back, it's his problem. Not my problem. He has to live with it. And with his conscience!"
Then came Amitabh's response to growing tensions in his marriage. An excerpt from the book read, 'Without taking Rekha's name, Amitabh responded to the reported tensions in his marriage: 'A divorce will never happen in our case. I don't believe in divorce because my basic instincts are Indian. I made an absolutely first-class choice when I took Jaya as my wife'."
Another portion from the book said, 'This is the closest that Amitabh ever came to even admitting that all was not well in the Bachchan household. But Rekha kept fuelling the media fire. In an interview with Stardust, she made a strange claim: that Jaya had invited her over to the Bachchan home one day. 'Jaya did not mind the relationship as long as she thought her husband was only having a fling. It's when she realised that he was really emotionally involved, that is when it began hurting her. She called me for dinner one evening and though we spoke about everything but him, before I left that day, she made sure to tell me, 'I will never leave Amit whatever happens'."
In 1981, Rekha, Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan even starred in a film together – a casting that only Yash Chopra could have dared to put together. Interesingly, the film's plot mirrored the personal lives of the lead actors. The reason, it continues to stay relevant even today.
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July 12, 2025, 16:58 IST
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