Jaya launches the book with Madhu Neotia and Jayabrato Chatterjee at Jhaal Farezi on Tuesday. Pictures: Rashbehari Das

Her hair might have turned a silvery grey but it’s impossible to miss her spark. Sample this: As Jayabrato Chatterjee waxes eloquent — “I have two modern-day images of Durga sitting with me here, Jayadi and Madhu (Neotia), who have sailed through men like Harsh (Neotia) and Amitabh (Bachchan)….” — she interrupts with a mischievous ‘Mili’ smile and says, “...scaled, scaled!” referring to the height of the two men in question, sending the small gathering at Jhaal Farezi into peals of laughter.

Jaya Bachchan was in town on Tuesday to launch Durga: Woman of Substance, a compilation of essays, folklore and photographs of the deity and Puja celebrations in the city, presented by Harsh Neotia.

Jayabrato, who has written two pieces and edited the coffee table book, said: “The Durga book is extremely special because for me she is the original feminist. The woman who defied her father to marry the man she loved and stuck to over lifetimes…” before getting Jaya — his “Didi and part of my family” as well as his actress in Lovesongs: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow — to “revel in her Bengaliness and ponder over her Puja memories”.

t2 brings you excerpts from Jayaspeak.

Pandal-hopping…

I think it’s strange that the Durga Puja that you celebrate in Calcutta is about going from one pandal to the other and going shopping, but when you go to the smaller towns and you have probashi Bangalis who celebrate Durga Puja, it’s a more personalised affair than Calcutta.

Puja there belongs to us, to every family that lives in that city. When we were young, it was more like that. Even now, places like Bhopal have five or six pujas. When I went there last, which was two years ago, I had gone for the Pujas and I was very excited. It was like experiencing my childhood all over again. My sisters took me to every pandal. They would be getting off at every pandal and going inside while I’d be sitting in the car because there were the cell phone cameras that would come out and annoy me to death! (Laughs) I was very disappointed. Felt like I had lost my childhood. Times have changed. It was so wonderful before...

New clothes, batasha and Bata chappals…

The best part was we were three sisters and when we used to go Puja shopping, that’s the only time our father accompanied us because he didn’t want us fighting! I’m the eldest, the second one (Nita) is out and the third one (Rita) is here with me. My second sister was so naughty she’d say ‘Let Jaya and Rita buy first, I’ll buy last!’ She thought that way she’d get the best.... So many memories!

We used to wait to buy shoes — coloured ones and not the black shoes. Of course there weren’t that many shoe shops around then. Just Bata and Corona! I remember those round rubber chappals had just come in and we really wanted those. You know, one could wear them and go out then? That is not worn outside nowadays, they only make it to the bathroom! (Laughs)

It was very nice, simple and innocent fun. We used to wait for the bhog — khichdi, begun bhaja, tomato chutney, payesh, one slice of apple and banana, one khajur, one sandesh and one batasha. It was such a feast! We’d wait at home and if it took too long, we’d go, ‘Eki bhog ashlo na!’ Our specialised bhog!