Jaya has that spark of spontaneity, echo her filmmakers unanimously. Whether it is her ‘bhai’ Gulzar who directed her in two of the most memorable films of her career - Koshish and Parichay, mainstream maverick Yash Chopra who made Silsila and Laaga Chunari Mein Daag with her or Rituparno Ghosh, the young meaningful maker, who directs her in Sunglass, they allvote for Jaya Bachchan in full force.

Another virtue that draws her associates is the friendships that she forges. Govind Nihalani, herHazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa director, admits unabashedly that the writing pen she gifted him after the film remains his “cherished possession”. Jaya inspires a sense of loyalty in all her colleagues, as Ghosh who directed her husband in The Last Lear confessed recently that his “loyalty towwards Jayadi will never change, I used to be a major Jaya Bachchan fan and I am an admirer of her acting prowess.”

Outspoken and forthright, this 15-year-old daughter of writer-journalist Taroon Kumar Bhaduri was launched by maestro Satyajit Ray in Mahanagar. She also starred in Dhanni Meye,another Bangla film. She enrolled herself at the Film & Television Insitute of India, Pune where she forged lifelong friendships with Danny Denzongpa and Romesh Sharma.

Noted filmmaker Hrishikesh Mukherjee went to meet her in Pune on her course director’s insistence for the title role of Guddi. That was 1971 when glamourous heroines in form-fitting sarees and starchily coiffured hairdos ruled the marquee. This simple, girl-next-door actor wooed cinegoers with her natural acting. Close on the heels of Guddi followed Uphaar wherein she essayed the role of child-woman opposite Swaroop Dutt so effectively that she was instantly endowed with a box-office appeal.

Jaya can be hailed as the pioneer of the trend of deglam heroines that her successors Smita Patil, Shabana Azmi and Rameshwari followed successfully. Though Jaya did prove her versatility in glamorous roles in Jawani Diwani opposite Randhir Kapoor and in Samadhi as Dharmendra’s beau.

But she is popularly remembered for her homely roles in Piya Ka Ghar, Koshish, Bawarchi and Nauker. She struck a great rapport with lyricist-filmmaker Gulzar with Parichayand Koshish. Another filmmaker she hails as her “mentor” is Hrishikesh Mukherjee and she starred in as many as five films - Guddi, Bawarchi, Abhimaan,Chupke Chupke and Mili,all of which were succesful.

She struck an instant rapport with her co-star Amitabh Bachchan after Ek Nazar and Bansi Birju, neither of which made any mark. However, the tables turned with Zanjeer (‘73) , wherein she played the mercurial gypsy and Amitabh was the the angry young man. Their courtship was in full bloom during this film and Jaya would bring “ghar ka khaana” for her lanky boyfriend. They celebrated the stupendous success of Zanjeer by tying the knot.

Jaya and Amitabh were married on June 2, 1973. Soon after, Jaya became pregnant, taking off for a long honeymoon to London. Abhimaan was released soon after their marriage. The film dealt with the husband - wife ego clashes over career achievements.

The following year, Jaya’s Kora Kagaz released and it was also highly acclaimed. That was also the year when her first born Shweta prompted her to change her priorities. She wrapped up Mili, Chupke Chupke and the blockbuster Sholay (‘75). And after the birth of her son Abhishek, she took a long break from film acting. The delayed Ek Baap Chhe Bete and Nauker were however released some years later.

But she returned to the silver screen six years later with Yash Chopra’s Silsila, a high-tension marital dramathat dealt with the other woman played by Rekha. The film gave rise to plenty of speculations, but did not make a big haul at the box office.

After that, it took her good 18 years to be wooed back to films, a feat that noted filmmaker Govind Nihalani achieved as he offered her a strong role in Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa(‘99). “What is unique about her performance is the spontaneity and sensitivity with which she approaches her role,” says Nihalani.

She kept appearing in notable motherly roles in Fiza , Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham..., Koi Mere Dil Se Pooche, Kal Ho Naa Ho and Laaga Chunari Mein Daag .

Jaya was at the helm of ABCL’s maiden production, the Chandrachud Singh - Arshad Warsi film Tere Mere Sapne. She had earlier dabbled in tele-serial production with the comedy Dekh Bhai Dekh. Her extra-curricular activities also include her Rajya Sabha memerbership as a representative of Samajwadi Party since 2006.

The multi-faceted actor’s most recent screen outing was as a Rajasthani royalty, playing screen mother to son Abhishek in Drona. Director Goldie Behl says that the most special casting in the film was that of Queen Jayati: “Jaya aunty agreed to do the film even before she heard the script. On her part she was saying “Yes” to her son, on my part I could never have seen anyone else playing the elegant and ever poignant Queen Mother,” he sighs happily.

Jaya’s tryst with films continues as her Sunglass will soon be up for release.

‘Only for significant roles’

Govind Nihalani who wooed back Jaya Bachchan after a 18-year-long hiatus back to films with Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa relates how his first and only choice for the pivotal role of the mother who discovers her son after his death was “Jaya”. He says he has known her over two decades as he was the operating cameraman in a film being directed by Kishor Rege,”That film never got made but we shared a cordial relationship since,” he says.

He bought the rights of Mahashweta Devi’s short novel by the same name after it was translated in English. “I just gave her the novel to read and if she had declined I had nobody else in mind,” he stresses. But his “instinctive casting” proved to be right yet again as Jaya not only accepted the role but also contributed to it in a big way,’She had evolved in life as a mother and thus she connected deeply with the role and contributed from her own experience through her body language to the film,” he narrates admiringly. There is no mechanism behind her acting, it’s a natural flow of creativity, he points out.