The legendary and deeply intertwined personal and political relationship between the Nehru-Gandhi and Bachchan families began deteriorating due to political entanglements like the Bofors scandal, financial crises in Amitabh’s company [ABCL], and the tragic loss of the primary living bridge between the two families: former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
The families’ history began with the poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan’s close ties to Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi.
When Rajiv Gandhi first brought his then-fiancée Sonia Maino to India in 1968, the Bachchan residence at 13, Willingdon Crescent served as her initial home. Amitabh’s mother, Teji Bachchan, effectively acted as Sonia’s godmother, introducing her to Indian customs and standing by her when Indira Gandhi was initially reluctant.Close Friendships: Amitabh, his brother Ajitabh, Rajiv, and Sanjay Gandhi spent their younger years together the Gandhis famously screened European and Czech films for Amitabh at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, while the Bachchans frequently helped push Rajiv’s notoriously unreliable Lambretta scooter near India Gate.
Following Indira Gandhi’s assassination in 1984, Rajiv Gandhi convinced his close friend Amitabh Bachchan to contest the Lok Sabha elections in Allahabad. Amitabh won with a historic 68.2% vote margin. After the Swedish arms deal scandal broke in 1987, Amitabh’s name was dragged into allegations that were later never proven. Feeling disillusioned with politics, he resigned from Parliament. The Gandhis and the Bachchans grew distant during this politically tumultuous period.T
Following the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in 1991, Amitabh remained a critical support figure for the family in the immediate aftermath, handling funeral logistics alongside Priyanka. However, with Rajiv gone, the glue holding the friendship together was lost.
ABCL Bankruptcy: When Amitabh Bachchan’s production company collapsed in the late 1990s leaving him in a severe financial crisis, the Nehru-Gandhi family did not come to his rescue reportedly leading to a sense of betrayal on both sides.
The final fracture occurred when Amitabh Bachchan developed a close bond with Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh and struck an alliance with Bal Thackeray. These associations were reportedly met with deep disapproval by Sonia Gandhi, ultimately pushing the two families into completely different political and personal orbits.
News Edit KV Raman
