Navya Naveli Nanda spoke to Jaya Bachchan and Shweta Bachchan about their relationship with money, and why women need to take control of their finances in her podcast What The Hell Navya. The latest episode dropped on Saturday. The trio discussed everything from Jaya and Shweta’s first salary to how Navya, and not her brother and budding actor Agastya Nanda, ‘manages money’ at home. Also read: Shweta Bachchan says she’s not financially independent and ambitious, but wants Navya and Agastya to choose different
In the podcast, Shweta recalled working as an assistant teacher at a kindergarten when she moved to Delhi after marriage with businessman Nikhil Nanda. Nikhil is the cousin of actors Kareena Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor. In the podcast, Shweta seemingly blamed mother-actor Jaya Bachchan for not ‘educating’ her about finances from a young age as she spoke about borrowing money from brother-actor Abhishek Bachchan, not only in college but also during her school days. Shweta said, “My relationship with money is really bad…”
“I was borrowing money (from Abhishek Bachchan) not just in college but in school also… for buying food, and food. When you are in boarding school, it (food) is the number one commodity you can’t live without… I was never educated on all this (managing finances). Then when I got married, and I was in Delhi, I had a job as an assistant teacher in a kindergarten, Learning Tree. There I got a salary, I think it was ₹3000 a month. I put it in a bank…” Shweta said as she spoke on Navya’s podcast along with Jaya Bachchan.
Shweta, who is now an author and entrepreneur, further revealed it was daughter Navya Naveli Nanda, who managed the daily expenses and maintained a Microsoft Excel sheet of their finances. “I don’t handle the finances of my business (even now). But I do understand (the financial side). I would never want you (Navya) to be like me. I am very happy both you and Agastya are very aware. Even now, in our house, Navya manages the money (daily expenses). Even I look at it (the family’s finances listed on Excel sheet)… my ignorance in all things finances has not come down to you (Navya)… it’s something about numbers, I just see them and I get nervous.”
Sharing a snippet of the episode based on financial independence, Navya wrote in the caption of her Instagram Reels, “Dealing with money is hard, and if you feel that way you’re not the only one. To know more, check out the latest episode – Girls just wanna have funds…” Jaya, Shweta and Navya also discussed the notion that women cannot manage money, even when they were running homes from a young age.