Amitabh, Jaya and Abhishek Bachchan at the 20th Annual Life OK Screen Awards on January 14, 2014 (Photo courtesy | Yogen Shah)
Amitabh, Jaya and Abhishek Bachchan at the 20th Annual Life OK Screen Awards on January 14, 2014 (Photo courtesy | Yogen Shah)

So recently reports were doing the rounds about how at a certain literary festival in Mumbai, veteran actor Jaya Bachchan made a comment about Abhishek Bachchan starrer Happy New Year. As per reports, the comment in question was:

Happy New Year is the most nonsensical film I’ve seen in recent years. I said that to the film’s lead actor as well. I watched it only because Abhishek was part of it. I told him he’s a great actor if he can act stupid in front of the camera like that, I can’t be part of what is being done in films these days and hence I don’t do films anymore.

Abhishek Bachchan in Happy New Year
Abhishek Bachchan in Happy New Year

While social media was blowing up with these comments, Amitabh Bachchan himself just called off the party! He shared an article on his social media today that puts all these rumours to rest and clarifies that Jaya’s quote was apparently used out of context.

Abhishek Bachchan in Happy New Year
Abhishek Bachchan in Happy New Year

When she called HNY nonsensical, what she said was that there are two kinds of cinema: those based on literary works and those that are pure entertainment. She enjoyed both these kinds of films. She went on to say that she loved Abhishek’s “nonsensical” act in the film as it is something she doesn’t think she’d be able to carry; she called it something that only a good actor can pull off! In the same breath, she said Amar Akbar Anthony is also one such film that entertains thoroughly and she loves the film!

The writer who hosted the conversation with Mrs Bachchan, Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi, also wrote in to clarify that the comments were taken out of context. Stay tuned for a piece from him soon that should hopefully put matters to rest.