Jaya Bachchan makes special request in Rajya Sabha, it has an Amitabh Bachchan connection

Actor and politician Jaya Bachchan urged the Rajya Sabha recently to issue commemorative stamps in honour of cult Bollywood films like Sholay and Deewaar, completing 50 years of their release. Interestingly, both these films starred her husband Amitabh Bachchan in the lead role. Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Jaya Bachchan said, "The initiative would serve as a cultural bridge between generations, highlighting the importance of preserving Indian cinematic heritage and the role of cinema in shaping our cultural identity."

Jaya Bachchan made a strong appeal to the Modi government, asking it to release the stamps in order to celebrate the 50th anniversary of these cinematic milestones. 

For the unversed, both Sholay and Deewaar, starring Amitabh Bachchan, were released in 1975 and gave him the superstardom that he enjoys today, after over 50 years in the film industry. While Sholay served as an example of how classic Hindi films should look, Deewaar helped position Amitabh Bachchan as the ‘angry young man’ in Bollywood. 

For the unversed, the first commemorative postage stamp was issued in 1971. It featured none other than the legendary Dadasaheb Phalke, who made the first feature film in India, titled Raja Harishchandra (1913). After this, other commemorative stamps were also issued, mainly for Satyajit Ray, Raj Kapoor, Madhubala, Nargis, Bimal Roy, and Yash Chopra.

This is not the first time that Jaya Bachchan has taken a stand for the film industry, which she has been an active part of, for many years. During the general discussion on the Union Budget 2025-26, Jaya Bachchan voiced her concerns to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and urged her to present plans to support the faltering industry. "You have totally ignored one of the industries, the film industry, and sadly, past governments have done the same. But today, you have the opportunity to take it to the next level," she said. 

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