Amitabh Bachchan Shares a Light-hearted Tale About Jaya Speaking to Him in Bengali
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Mumbai, Dec 10 (NationPress) The legendary Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan, who was seen recently in ‘Vettaiyan’ alongside superstar Rajinikanth, has admitted that he lacks proficiency in the Bengali language.
His wife, actress Jaya Bachchan, hails from West Bengal and frequently communicates with Amitabh in Bengali when she wishes to share something intimate and specific while in the presence of others.
Unfortunately, Amitabh comprehends very little of what she conveys during these exchanges due to his limited grasp of the language.
He disclosed this amusing detail on his quiz show ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati 16’, where he serves as the host. The latest episode features Saurav Choudhary from Kolkata, West Bengal, who works as a Senior Account Assistant at a CA Firm and was on the hot seat.
During the show, Amitabh recounted a funny story from his past, mentioning that his office was located opposite the Bengal Chamber of Commerce in Dalhousie, where Bengali language classes were available. The company was willing to pay Rs 3000 for employees to learn Bengali, with the stipulation that they would take an exam after three months.
With a monthly salary of only Rs 500, Amitabh found himself with just Rs 150 left after expenses. The Rs 3000 allocated for the Bengali course was exhausted in three days, but to compensate for the lack of formal education, he practiced Bengali with two friends after work hours. When the exam time arrived, the veteran actor managed to pass successfully.
Amitabh also reminisced about a recent humorous episode involving his wife, Jaya Bachchan, which necessitated him to converse in Bengali, a skill he no longer possesses fluently, leading to some confusion.
He remarked, “When guests arrive, and there’s a need for a private conversation in front of others, Jaya always resorts to Bengali, and I pretend to understand, yet I truly don’t. Not long ago, she was filming in Goa and called me. Usually, we communicate through texts, but this time I felt nervous. I get anxious during her calls, uncertain of what to expect. I hesitated, answered the call, and she began speaking in Bengali because others were around, leaving me at a loss.”
“I just kept saying 'ha ha', but after some time, I admitted that I couldn’t grasp what she was saying. So, sometimes I find myself in those situations. If you ask me to speak Bengali today, I wouldn’t know how. I only know two phrases: ‘Besi jane na, ektu ektu jaane’ (I don’t know much, I can understand very little),” he added.
‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ season 16 airs from Monday to Friday on Sony Entertainment Television.
