Jaya Bachchan: ‘My father deserved credit’

Actress Jaya Bachchan, daughter of journalist and writer Taroon Coomar Bhaduri, who chronicled the lives of the Chambal valley dacoits in central India, says though all films made on dacoits were based on her father’s works, no one gave him any credit.

“All films made on dacoits were borrowed from my father and this is one regret he always had... nobody ever gave him the credit, Jaya said on Saturday at the Kolkata Literary Meet.

“Everyone of them came and met him, discussed a lot of things, but nobody gave him any credit... all... A to Z, except the film on Abhishapta Chambal itself,” Jaya added.

It is said that the late Amjad Khan read Abhishapta Chambal while preparing for the role of bandit Gabbar Singh in the cult Bollywood classic Sholay, which also featured Bachchan.

Recalling Bhaduri’s dedication to document the Chambal dacoits, Bachchan said: “For days, he would be away. He lived with them, travelled with them and fought for them with the government. He would come back with their pictures... each a legend like Robin Hood.”