Mumbai, September 20, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Veteran actress Jaya Bachchan once opened up about the roles offered to older women in Bollywood during her appearance on filmmaker Karan Johar’s popular chat show Koffee With Karan.
During the discussion on whether women continue to receive substantial roles as they grow older, Jaya said she does not mind taking on a small part as long as the character has a purpose and contributes to the story.
Karan Johar observed that women continue to be offered roles in Hollywood. Responding to him, Jaya acknowledged that she and other older actors were at a different stage of their careers.
She said that even if an older character has limited screen time, the role should have substance and depth.
Karan added that there should be “some reason for you to exist within the framework”.
Agreeing with him, Jaya concluded, “I don’t mind a small role, but it has to contribute.”
Jaya Bachchan began her screen career as a teenager in Satyajit Ray’s Bengali film Mahanagar in 1963.
In 1971, she made her Bollywood debut as an adult with Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Guddi, in which she played a schoolgirl infatuated with film star Dharmendra, who appeared as himself.
She subsequently featured in several acclaimed films, including Uphaar (1971), Koshish (1972), Zanjeer (1973), Abhimaan (1973), Kora Kagaz (1974), Chupke Chupke (1975), Mili (1975), Sholay (1975) and Silsila (1981).
Following Silsila, Jaya took a 17-year break from films after her marriage to Amitabh Bachchan in 1973, focusing on her family during the period.
She returned to the big screen in 1998 with Govind Nihalani’s critically acclaimed film Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa.
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