Veteran actress Soni Razdan, who essays the role of legendary Kashmiri singer Raj Begum in the recently released streaming film Songs of Paradise, recently opened up about the way women are still perceived in the industry.In an interview with Screen, she was asked about privileged women in cinema still being defined by their husbands’ names, with the example of Jaya Bachchan being cited. Responding to this, Soni said, “Yes, and no. I think it’s also the way you look at it. I think Jaya Bachchan is very much her own woman. She’s in Parliament, she’s doing whatever she has to do in life, and she always has. She was one of the best actors we had of her time, a National Award winner. So I think we can’t generalize that way. It’s always been difficult for women. It always will be, unfortunately. But yes, things are changing. Let’s be positive because huge leaps and bounds have been made.”
Jaya Bachchan’s stand in Parliament
Soni’s remarks echo the larger debate around women’s identity in public life. In August 2024, Jaya Bachchan objected in Rajya Sabha after Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar and Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh addressed her as “Jaya Amitabh Bachchan.”
Calling it a “new drama” that women are identified by their husbands’ names, Jaya said, “Only Jaya Bachchan would have sufficed.”Dhankhar, however, explained that the name on the election certificate governs official references. “Ma’am, aap badal dijiye, main badalwa dunga. There is a procedure to change the name… Please change it officially then,” he said.Jaya, while clarifying she was proud of her husband Amitabh Bachchan’s achievements, added, “It signifies abha, jo mit nahi sakti (the shine that cannot be wiped away). Don’t worry, this drama you have started is new. This was not there earlier.”
