One fine evening in 1941, a young poet from Allahabad was reciting his poetry in a decorated hall in Lahore. The title of the poem was, “What should I do with my condolences to you…”. During this time, tears welled up in the eyes of a very beautiful and intelligent woman sitting in the audience. That poet was Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan and that woman was Teji Suri.
When Teji Suri (Teji Bachchan) breathed her last on 21 December 2007 at the age of 93, Indian society lost a woman who not only imparted ‘sanskaars’ to a family, but also shaped the social consciousness of modern India.
Teji was the second wife of Harivansh Rai Bachchan
Harivansh Rai Bachchan married Teji Suri after the death of his first wife Shyama. This was not just the beginning of a love story, but the beginning of a chapter in Indian cultural history, which later gave the country the biggest ‘superhero’, who was called the ‘Big B’ of Bollywood.
Teji Bachchan is often remembered as Dr. Bachchan’s wife or Amitabh Bachchan’s mother, but this introduction is incomplete. She was a psychologist, a brilliant actress, a skilled strategist and a strong voice in the corridors of power of independent India.
Tej was born in Pakistan
Born on 12 August 1914 in Lyallpur (now Pakistan), Teji Suri belonged to an elite Punjabi Sikh family. His father Khajan Singh Suri was a well-known barrister. At a time when women’s education was limited to the four walls of the house, Teji received higher education in psychology and started teaching in a college in Lahore.
His personality was as intellectual as it was artistic. This was the reason why when she decided to marry Harivansh Rai, a Kayastha poet, it was a revolutionary step for the society of that period.
After marriage, Teji and Harivansh Rai took a decision which is an example even today. He abandoned his ancestors’ caste-related surname ‘Srivastava’ and adopted Dr. Bachchan’s literary surname ‘Bachchan’. Teji Bachchan believed that a person should be identified by his deeds and not by his caste. His two sons Amitabh and Ajitabh grew up in the shadow of this ideological freedom.
Indira Gandhi and Teji Bachchan were friends
When the Bachchan family came to Delhi, their relationship with Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s family became very personal and deep. Especially the relationship between Indira Gandhi and Teji Bachchan was like a friend, in which there was less politics and more intimacy.
Interesting fact is that when Sonia Gandhi came to India for the first time, it was Teji Bachchan who welcomed her at the airport. Teji was like a ‘godmother’ for Sonia Gandhi. Before marriage, Sonia Gandhi stayed for several days at the Bachchan family’s residence ’13 Willingdon Crescent’, where Teji taught her about Indian customs and culture.
Teji was also a wonderful actress
There was a wonderful actress hidden within Teji Bachchan. When Dr. Bachchan translated Shakespeare’s plays, Teji enthralled the audience by playing the character of ‘Lady Macbeth’. Seeing his acting ability, even veteran theater artists were stunned. Later in 1973, he played an important role in improving the quality of Indian cinema as the Director of the Film Finance Corporation (FFC).
Whatever Amitabh Bachchan is today, behind him is the discipline given by his mother. Amitabh often recalls that his mother used to handle the family like a ‘commander’ in times of crisis.
