Actor Abhishek Bachchan and his mother Rajya Sabha MP Jaya Bachchan attended the funeral of former UP Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav in Saifai on Tuesday. The Bachchan family has been close to the Yadavs for years. Amitabh, who celebrates his 80th birthday today, was not present in Saifai.

A video shared by ANI showed Abhishek and Jaya arriving at the SP supremo’s ancestral house in Saifai. The two were escorted by police personnel after they got out of their car amid a sea of supporters.

Jaya has been a Rajya Sabha MP on the SP ticket since 2004. Amitabh and Jaya had been close to the late SP leader Amar Singh, who introduced them to Mulayam.

Speaking to Aaj Tak after the former chief minister’s death, Jaya said, “I am very sad today. I could speak my mind with him. Such was our bond. He was like an elder in the family to me. He was very nice to my husband and kids as well.”

Mulayam died on Monday, aged 82. The veteran politician served as UP’s chief minister for three terms between 1989 and 2007. Popularly called ‘netaji’, he was also the Union Defence Minister between 1996 and 98. His son Akhilesh Yadav also served as the UP chief minister from 2012-17.