Veteran actress Jaya Bachchan's relationship with paparazzi has always been the talk of the town. Now, Jaya Bachchan has finally addressed the topic and opened up about her viral memes. The 75-year-old, who appeared on Navya Naveli Nanda's podcast What The Hell Navya season two, said that she doesn't mind people laughing at her but those memes are bad. Jaya Bachchan appeared in the first episode, titled Who Makes The World Go Round, with her daughter Shweta Bachchan. The conversation began with Jaya Bachchan asking Navya, “What do you want to do actually I want to know?” Responding to this, Navya said, “That's a deep question. We do multiple things. No one is anymore doing one thing. Young people have something called like a side hustle. It's like a job, a 9-5 job. It could be any job. But while you do that job you also have something on the side that you are doing.”
When Shweta Bachchan explained that being an “internet sensation” or “meme-generator” is a side hustle, Jaya Bachchan said, “I do (side hustle)…I provide meals for some of the people who do my memes.” Listening to this, Navya Naveli Nanda mentioned the viral term “Jaya-ing” that was coined, witnessing Jaya Bachchan's cold relationship with the paparazzi. Navya said, “There is a term which has been coined after your meme, which is called 'Jaya-ing'…” Interrupting her, Shweta Bachchan explained, “When you are extra salty it's Jaya-ing?” Listening to this, Jaya Bachchan said, “It's not in a very complimentary way, but it's ok.”
Navya Naveli Nanda continued, "No, it means like you can say what you feel like and not care. So you're Jaya-ing.” After explaining the term to her grandmother, Navya further asked Jaya Bachchan, "How do you feel about being a pop culture phenomenon?” To this, the cinema icon replied, "I don't mind, people making fun of you or laughing at you. I don't mind that. But the people doing the memes are so bad, they should do it properly.” Navya urged her, "You should teach them," and Jaya responded, “Why should I teach them?”
Recently, at the screening of her grandson Agastya Nanda's debut film The Archies, Jaya Bachchan got mad at the paparazzi yet again. On the red carpet, Jaya Bachchan was captured scolding the cameramen, asking them to not shout.
In 2022, Jaya Bachchan, in one of the episodes of What The hell Navya, broke down her antipathy to paparazzi. She said, “I hate it. I despise it. I despise the people who interfere in your personal life and fill their stomachs by selling those products. I hate it, I'm disgusted with such people. I always tell them, I say, 'Aapko sharam nahi aati hai [Don't you feel ashamed?].'”
Jaya Bachchan was last seen in Karan Johar's Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. The film hit the theatres last year in July. It featured Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh in titular roles.