During a recent episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati 17, contestant Asha Dhiryan was asked to commend her own merits for 60 seconds. Post having completed the task, she requested Amitabh Bachchan to say something about his wife, Jaya Bachchan. With his trademark wit, the actor replied, “Madam, we’ve been married for 52 years. She has tolerated me for 52 years, what greater praise could there be!”
The studio erupted in laughter, as did audiences online, with clips of the moment going viral.
Turning a love story into a joke
Asha Dhiryan went on to narrate her own love story, sharing how her tall husband fell in love at first sight and pursued her assiduously with marriage proposals. At one point, she said, she even sent a shorter friend to scold him on her behalf. Amitabh instantly turned this into a joke, quipping, “When you mentioned your friend was this small and looking up to scold your husband, that’s nothing new for us!” The punchline was an affectionate nod to Jaya Bachchan’s petite frame.
Five decades of partnership
The exchange highlighted the easy camaraderie of a couple who have been married since June 3, 1973. Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan, parents of Abhishek Bachchan and Shweta Bachchan Nanda, have long been seen to incarnate stability in Bollywood’s world, which is often convulsive in nature.
In past interviews, Jaya has spoken about the trust that underpins their marriage. In 2008, she told People magazine, “You must have faith. I married a good human being and became part of a family that believes in keeping promises.” She added that artists need freedom to flourish, and that she never believed in “excessive possessiveness.”
The viral KBC moment exceeded the bounds of a mere joke; it was a glimpse into a marriage built on humor, patience, and resilience. For audiences, it reaffirmed the Bachchans as not limited to the station of Bollywood's royalty, but as a couple who still know how to laugh together, even after 52 years.
