Teji Bachchan Death Anniversary: Remembering Social Activist, Poet Harivansh Rai's Partner & Actor Amitabh's Inspiration

Mumbai: Teji Bachchan, a social activist and - wife of great Hindi poet and mother of Hindi cinema's greatest star Amitabh Bachchan- died on this day in the year 2007. Teji Bachchan was born in Pakistan's Faisalabad in a Sikh family in 1914 and died in Mumbai in 2007.

Teji Bachchan's years in theatre

Teji Bachchan was an actor in her own right and had also performed with various groups. According to a report in the Dainik Bhaskar, she had also acted in a Shakespeare play translated by Harivanshrai Bachchan after her marriage to the poet.

A social activist

Teji Bachchan was also a social activist. She was known for her work in the public life. She was a keen observer of social issues and never shied away from contributing towards the betterment of the society.

Teji Bachchan's closeness with former India PM Indira Gandhi

Teji Bachchan was considered extremely close to former Indian Prime Minister and India's first woman PM, Indira Gandhi. Both Teji Bachchan and Indira Gandhi were seen together in public often.

When Sonia Gandhi, wife of former Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi (son of Indira Gandhi) came to India from Italy to marry Rajiv, she was staying at Teji Bachchan's house. This was because as per rituals, Sonia could not live at her in-laws place before marriage.

Reports also claimed that some of the rituals related to Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi took place at the house of Teji Bachchan. However, over the course of time, relations between the Gandhi and Bachchan family soured post the death of Indira and Rajiv Gandhi.

A teacher

Teji Bachchan was also a teacher and had taught at Lahore's Fatehchand College. It was here that she first met poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan, who she would later marry.

Superstar Amitabh's mother

Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan has time and again spoken how he was deeply influenced and inspired by his mother and in one of the blogs, the superstar emotionally recalled the last moments with his mother Teji Bachchan. Amitabh called his mother "Amma ji" and in the blog post had called her the "most beautiful mother in the entire universe."