Amitabh Bachchan recalls mother Teji Bachchan’s strict rules at home on KBC 18, sharing a parenting lesson on discipline, cleanliness and everyday habits

Parenting is often shaped by small, everyday moments: reminding children to put away their clothes, asking them to clean up after playing and teaching them to take responsibility for their actions. For Amitabh Bachchan, these ordinary household rules are among the memories that have stayed with him from childhood.The veteran actor recently revisited his upbringing on Kaun Banega Crorepati 18, where he spoke about his mother, Teji Bachchan, and the discipline she maintained at home. His recollections offered a glimpse into the family environment in which he grew up and a reminder that parenting lessons do not always come through formal advice. Sometimes, they are taught through the habits parents consistently expect their children to follow.

The conversation began when actor Madhuri Dixit, who appeared on the show, asked Bachchan about his mother’s personality. Having heard him speak about his father, the celebrated poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan, she wanted to know whether Teji was strict or particularly disciplined as a parent. “Pitaji ke baare mein toh bahut kuch suna hai aapse. Lekin hum jaanna chahenge ki aapki mata ji kaisi thi? Kya woh strict thi ya disciplinarian thi ya kaise thi wo [We have heard a lot about your father from you. But we would like to know what your mother was like. Was she strict, a disciplinarian, or what was she like]?” she asked. Bachchan explained that his mother’s approach was not very different from that of many parents who guide their children through repeated reminders and instructions.

What Teji Bachchan’s rules teach us about parenting

“Dekhiye, har maa jo hoti hai woh thodi bahut usmein discipline, ek jaagrit rehti hai bacchon ke prati… ‘Yeh karo, aisa mat karo, yeh theek karo, woh theek karo’. Toh jitni maayein karti hain utna unki ore se hota tha. (Look, every mother is, to some extent, disciplined and attentive towards her children. Do this, don’t do that, do this properly, do that properly. She did as much as mothers generally do),” he said. He also recalled that Teji was particular about keeping the house clean. She would reprimand her children if they left clothes lying around or returned home after playing in the dirt without cleaning themselves up.While these may sound like simple household expectations, they point to a practical aspect of parenting: children learn responsibility through repeated actions. When parents consistently ask children to put things back, clean up after themselves and respect shared spaces, they give them opportunities to develop habits that can stay with them as they grow older. Such routines can also help children understand that maintaining a home is a shared responsibility rather than a task that someone else will always handle. The aim need not be to keep children from making a mess or making mistakes. Instead, parents can use these moments to show them how to correct things and take responsibility for what they do.There is a difference, too, between setting boundaries and expecting perfection. Clear, age-appropriate rules can give children structure, while calm explanations and consistent expectations can help them understand why those rules matter. Bachchan’s recollections do not establish a single formula for raising children, but they offer a relatable example of how discipline can be part of everyday family life.

The importance of values children see at home

The conversation also turned to Teji Bachchan’s background and her marriage to Harivansh Rai Bachchan. Amitabh explained that his mother came from a Sikh family, while his father was from Allahabad. Their marriage crossed community and caste boundaries.“Lekin wo ek Sikh parivaar se thi… Babuji Allahabad ke, aur unka inter-caste marriage hua tha. Woh bahut hi rochak kahaani hai, kabhi unki aatmakatha padhiyega toh aapko milega. Ek din ke andar maa ji ne apna sab kuch chhod diya, aur tay kiya ki Babuji ke saath woh byah karenge [But she belonged to a Sikh family, while my father was from Allahabad, and theirs was an inter-caste marriage. It is a very interesting story; you should read his autobiography sometime, and you will find it there. Within a single day, my mother left everything behind and decided that she would marry my father],” he recalled.His account added another dimension to the story of his mother. Alongside the discipline she maintained at home, Teji had also made a significant personal decision in choosing to marry Harivansh Rai Bachchan despite their different backgrounds. For parents, the broader takeaway is that children learn not only from instructions but also from the choices and behaviour they observe at home. How adults treat others, manage disagreements, honour commitments and take responsibility can shape the values children see in practice.Bachchan’s memories bring together these two sides of family influence: the small habits reinforced at home and the bigger decisions that reveal a person’s convictions. His account is a reminder that parenting is rarely defined by one conversation or one rule. It is built over time, through everyday routines, boundaries and the examples children witness as they grow up.