MUMBAI: Teji Bachchan, wife of late Hindi poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan and mother of Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan, was cremated at the Juhu Ruia Park Crematorium here yesterday.
Teji, 93, died on Friday at the Lilavati Hospital in suburban Bandra due to multiple age-related health problems.
The funeral procession started from the Bachchans’ bungalow Pratiksha. The pallbearers included Amitabh, brother Ajitabh, son and actor Abhishek, son-in-law Nikhil Nanda and other family members. Others in the procession included business tycoon Anil Ambani, Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Amar Singh and Sahara Group head Subroto Roy. Amitabh lit the funeral pyre at 10am.
A steady stream of mourners included Yash Chopra, Prasoon Joshi and Mac Mohan who paid homage to Teji at the crematorium. They also offered condolences to the bereaved family members, including Amitabh’s wife Jaya, daughter Shweta and daughter-in-law Aishwarya.
Tight security was maintained at the venue and on the route to the crematorium, mainly to keep away hordes of fans who had lined up since early morning to catch a glimpse of the stars.
The Bachchan family had earlier planned the last rites at Chandanwadi crematorium, about 20km in south Mumbai, but later decided on the nearby Juhu crematorium.
Teji was a close confidante of late prime minister Indira Gandhi.
She had earned fame as an indefatigable social activist and caught the attention of Gandhi. A bond developed between them and they became close friends. The relationship remained strong until Gandhi’s assassination in October 1984.
Born into a Sikh family of army officers as Teji, she met Harivansh Rai Bachchan Srivastava in Allahabad where he taught English at the Allahabad University. Bachchan was a widower at that time, having lost his first wife, Shyama, after 10 years of marriage.-IANS
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