From Silver Screen to Postage Stamps: Jaya Bachchan’s Big Idea to Celebrate Bollywood

Veteran actress and Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan made an emotional plea in the Rajya Sabha to mark the 50th anniversaries of Bollywood classics Sholay and Deewaar with special postage stamps. Emphasizing their cultural importance, she termed the films as milestones that defined Indian cinema and her husband Amitabh Bachchan's iconic career. While Sholay is renowned for its suspenseful story of friendship and revenge, Deewaar immortalized Amitabh's "angry young man" image.

 

While discussing the Union Budget 2025-26, Jaya Bachchan also highlighted the setbacks of the cinema industry, with decreasing cinema turnout and the closure of single screens. She also appealed directly to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for government assistance towards the ailing industry. "The audio-visual industry gives India a gateway to the world. Please spare some mercy; you are giving this industry its death knell," she pleaded.

 

Her plea for commemorative stamps is not only a tribute to the legends of cinema but a more inclusive appeal to save India's rich cinema legacy and to secure its future. While India celebrates the golden jubilees of these iconic films, Jaya Bachchan's emotive speech rings as a reminder of cinema's timeless influence on culture and identity.

 

Sources: Moneycontrol, News18, Republic World