Amitabh Bachchan on KBC: Teji Bachchan's discipline and inter-caste marriage
Synopsis
Amitabh Bachchan rarely speaks about his mother — but on KBC's Birthday Week Special, Madhuri Dixit's question drew out a striking account: Teji Bachchan left everything behind in a single day to marry poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan across caste lines, a decision Big B calls 'a very interesting story' and urges people to find in his father's autobiography.
Key Takeaways
Amitabh Bachchan shared memories of his mother Teji Bachchan on Kaun Banega Crorepati 's Birthday Week Special .
Actress Madhuri Dixit appeared as guest and prompted the candid conversation about Teji Bachchan's parenting.
Big B described his mother as orderly and averse to mess, insisting on cleanliness and discipline in the household.
Teji Bachchan came from a Sikh family ; her marriage to Allahabad-born poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan was an inter-caste union.
Amitabh revealed his mother decided to marry his father within a single day, leaving everything behind.
The episode airs on Friday on Sony Entertainment Television .
Veteran Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan opened up about his mother, Teji Bachchan, on the sets of Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), recalling her strict household discipline and her bold decision to marry his father — celebrated poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan — in an inter-caste union that defied social conventions of the time.
Madhuri Dixit's Question That Unlocked the Memory
The conversation was prompted by actress Madhuri Dixit, who appeared as a guest on the show and turned the spotlight from Big B's father to his mother. She asked, in Hindi, whether Teji Bachchan was strict or a disciplinarian — a question the veteran actor answered with warmth and candour. Madhuri noted that audiences had heard plenty about Harivansh Rai Bachchan from Amitabh over the years, but relatively little about the woman who shaped the home.
What Amitabh Said About Teji Bachchan's Parenting Style
Big B described his mother as attentive and orderly, consistent with how mothers everywhere guide their children. 'Dekhiye, har maa jo hoti hai woh thodi bahut usmein discipline, ek jaagrit rehti hai bacchon ke prati,' he said — loosely: 'Every mother is, to some extent, disciplined and watchful towards her children.'
He went on to recall her particular aversion to mess. 'Gandagi unko pasand nahi thi,' he said, describing how she would call out a carelessly thrown piece of clothing or children trooping indoors after playing in the dirt, and insist they clean up immediately. The anecdote painted a picture of a woman who ran a tidy, ordered household without resorting to severity.
The Inter-Caste Love Story Behind the Family
The more striking revelation came when Amitabh spoke about his parents' marriage. Teji Bachchan came from a Sikh family, while his father, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, hailed from Allahabad — making theirs an inter-caste marriage at a time when such unions were socially uncommon and often fiercely resisted. 'Woh bahut hi rochak kahaani hai,' Amitabh said, calling it a 'very interesting story' and encouraging viewers to read his father's autobiography for the full account.
Most strikingly, he revealed the swiftness of his mother's resolve: 'Ek din ke andar maa ji ne apna sab kuch chhod diya, aur tay kiya ki Babuji ke saath woh byah karenge' — within a single day, Teji left everything behind and decided she would marry Harivansh Rai Bachchan. The detail underscores the decisiveness that, by Amitabh's own account, characterised her throughout her life.
About the Episode
The episode is part of the KBC Birthday Week Special, set to air on Friday on Sony Entertainment Television. The special celebrates Amitabh Bachchan's milestone birthday with a series of candid conversations and memorable guests. Such personal disclosures — rare from a notoriously private family — are expected to draw significant viewership to the broadcast.
Point of View
Yet his family's private story — an inter-caste marriage that defied convention within a single day — rarely surfaces in mainstream coverage. The KBC platform gives him both the safety of a curated format and a mass audience, making these disclosures feel organic rather than promotional. Notably, directing viewers to Harivansh Rai Bachchan's autobiography is also a subtle act of literary stewardship, keeping his father's written legacy alive for a generation that consumes television over books. The Birthday Week framing turns personal nostalgia into appointment viewing — commercially savvy, but genuinely revealing.
NationPress
9 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Amitabh Bachchan say about his mother Teji Bachchan on KBC?
Amitabh Bachchan recalled that Teji Bachchan was disciplined and orderly, attentive to her children's habits and particular about cleanliness in the household. He described her as doing 'as much as mothers generally do' — guiding, correcting, and insisting on tidiness.
What did Amitabh Bachchan reveal about his parents' inter-caste marriage?
Amitabh revealed that his mother Teji Bachchan came from a Sikh family while his father Harivansh Rai Bachchan was from Allahabad, making theirs an inter-caste marriage. He said Teji made the decision to marry within a single day, leaving everything behind — calling it a 'very interesting story' documented in his father's autobiography.
Who was the guest on KBC when Amitabh Bachchan opened up about his mother?
Actress Madhuri Dixit was the guest on the episode, and it was her question about Teji Bachchan's personality and parenting style that prompted Amitabh to share these memories.
When will the KBC Birthday Week Special episode air?
The KBC Birthday Week Special featuring Amitabh Bachchan and guest Madhuri Dixit is set to air on Friday on Sony Entertainment Television.
Where can viewers learn more about Harivansh Rai Bachchan and Teji Bachchan's love story?
Amitabh Bachchan himself pointed viewers to his father Harivansh Rai Bachchan's autobiography, saying the full story of the inter-caste marriage is documented there and is 'a very interesting story.'
