Jaya Bachchan’s Bold Advice to Granddaughter Navya Nanda, Calls Marriage “Outdated”

Veteran actor and Rajya Sabha MP Jaya Bachchan has sparked widespread discussion after describing marriage as “outdated” and openly stating she does not want her granddaughter, Navya Naveli Nanda, to get married.

Speaking at the We The Women event, the 76-year-old shared her belief that the traditional concept of marriage no longer holds the same significance for today’s youth.

“I don’t want Navya to get married,” she said, adding that she firmly feels marriage is an outdated institution.

Jaya also rejected the notion that relationships require legal validation to be meaningful. Drawing on a well-known Delhi expression, she compared marriage to a tricky sweet, saying, “Woh Delhi ka laddoo hai-khao toh mushkil, na khao toh bhi mushkil,” implying it comes with difficulties regardless of one’s choice.

Admitting she feels out of touch with modern parenting challenges, Jaya noted, “Kids today are so smart, they will outsmart you.”

Navya, soon turning 28 and belonging to one of Bollywood’s most influential families, has charted her own path outside the film industry. A 2020 graduate of Fordham University, she co-founded the women’s health startup Aara Health and is currently enrolled in a blended MBA program at IIM Ahmedabad.

Jaya’s comments arrive in the same year she and Amitabh Bachchan celebrated their 52nd wedding anniversary. Married since 1973, the iconic pair have appeared together in numerous classics. Jaya was last seen on screen in the 2023 film Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani.