After initial success in her native West Bengal, she became a success after Guddi in which she played a schoolgirl obsessed with film star Dharmendra after which she moved to Mumbai and starred in many Hindi hit films, such as Jawani Diwani, Koshish, Anamika, Piya Ka Ghar and Bawarchi. She acted with her husband Amitabh Bachchan in the hit films Zanjeer (1973), Abhimaan (1973), Chupke Chupke (1975) and Sholay (1975).

Her daughter Shweta was born while Jaya and Amitabh were working on the film Sholay. Following this she retired from films and focused on raising her children. Her last film as a lead actress was Silsila (1981), also opposite her husband (incidentally “Silsila” was a surprise flop of the year). After which she stopped acting in movies. During the late 1980s she wrote the story for the film Shahenshah which starred her husband in the lead.

After a gap of film appearances for 18 years, She returned to acting with Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa (1998), a film that sensitively portrays the Naxalite movement, and has since played mother roles which she has been praised for. In 2000 she starred in the film Fiza opposite Karisma Kapoor and Hrithik Roshan. The film was considered one of her best performances and she received the Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award for her work. Doing a few films every year she also starred in Karan Johar’s family drama Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001) with her husband again. She then starred in Karan Johar’s next film, Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003). She played the role of Preity Zinta’s mother, Jennifer, for which she again received a best supporting actress award.

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