Amitabh was born in Allahabad. His father wanted to name him 'Inquilab' (revolution), but then named him Amitabh, which means 'light that never goes off'. Jaya was born in Jabalpur and spent her childhood in MP. Amitabh made his film debut in 1969 at the age of 27, while Jaya was just 15 when she did her first film.