Veteran actress and politician Jaya Bachchan is being defended by actor Sushant Divgikar after facing relentless online criticism. Divgikar took to social media to highlight Bachchan's extensive, unpublicized philanthropic work, particularly her dedication to helping children with cancer, HIV, and other serious health challenges.
Divgikar expressed dismay at the "merciless trolling and verbal abuse" directed towards Bachchan, emphasizing the disconnect between online narratives and the actress's real-life actions. "There is this narrative that has been created about her and it's appalling to see how people that know nothing about her have been so quick to jump on the bandwagon and have said the nastiest things about this lady!" Divgikar wrote. They further stated that Bachchan is "one of the most splendid artistes of the Indian film industry" and "the reason why so many live and smile".
Divgikar recalled first meeting Jaya Bachchan at age 14 while assisting their parents with organizing a quiz for visually impaired, blind, hearing-impaired, and autistic children in collaboration with a Mumbai-based NGO. When their mother sought celebrity guests for the event, Jaya Bachchan, along with Raveena Tandon and Yuvraj Singh, offered their support without charge.
Divgikar revealed that Bachchan continued to support children across various cities and villages by providing education, monthly and yearly rations, and additional funding for daily needs. Notably, Bachchan insisted on keeping her charitable activities private, requesting that the media not be present.
Bachchan's support extended to arranging special screenings for sick children. She organized a screening of the film Paa, starring her husband Amitabh Bachchan, for children infected with HIV and another screening for children with cancer. To protect the children's fragile immunity, she volunteered her in-house home theatre for the screenings.
Actress Anjali Anand, who has worked with Jaya Bachchan, also spoke out in support of the veteran actress, praising her kindness and supportive nature and calling for an end to the negative narratives surrounding her.
Jaya Bachchan, born Jaya Bhaduri on April 9, 1948, has had a long and successful career in Hindi and Bengali cinema. She is regarded as one of the greatest actresses in Hindi cinema. Some of her notable films include Guddi (1971), Uphaar (1971), Koshish (1972), Sholay (1975), and Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa (1998). Inspired by her role as a deaf person in the movie Koshish, Jaya was motivated to do social work in the future. Since 2004, she has also been a member of parliament in the Rajya Sabha, representing the Samajwadi Party.
