Javed Akhtar

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Javed Akhtar was born on January 17, 1945, into a distinguished literary family of seven generations of writers and poets in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. His father was the renowned poet Jan Nisar Akhtar who was an Urdu poet and a Bollywood songwriter and his mother Safia Akhtar who was also a poet and a writer. The highly respected Urdu poet, Majaz was his mother’s brother and is grandfather Muzter Khairabadi is still looked upon as a milestone in Urdu Poetry. His paternal grandfather Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi was a religious scholar in Islam who declared the Indian Rebellion of 1857, against the western colonies. His grandfather named him initially as Jadoo, which was taken from a line of his poetry,' Lamha Lamha Kisi Jadu Ka Fasana Hoga', which perhaps, acted as a prophecy for him, creating magic in his writings. At the same time, he carved a name for himself becoming the talk of the film Industry with his formal name Javed.

Struggle in Mumbai

Javed Akhtar landed in the city of dreams on October 4, 1964 at the Bombay Central station. Within six days of his arrival, he was asked to leave his father's home with 27 paise in his pockets. He thought to himself if, ‘ I would be able to add another paisa to his riches then would be the winner and life, else a looser’. Time passed as he shared accommodations with his friends with no certainty of food and shelter. He managed to write dialogues for a minor film for Rs100 and sometimes would get some work as an assistant. He would go to a film producer's office and collect money for some comic scenes and do ghostwriting that would be credited to a famous screenwriter in the film.

He would pass the gate of Kohinoor Mills and think that things may change, but this gate will remain and one day I will drive by in my car. For a year he slept in living in Kamaal Studio, in corridors and sometimes inside a room which had the studio wardrobes where costumes of the film Pakeezah were stored. The shooting of this film was been suspended as Meena Kumari and Kamaal Amrohi have separated.

One night, Javed opened one of the wardrobes and saw amidst assorted shoes and sandals, 3 FILMFARE trophies which Meena Kumari had won. He dusted them and first time touched a film award trophy. Every night he would bolt the door from inside and hold the trophies in his hand looking in the mirror imagining the day he would be receiving these awards, amidst all the applause how he would wave to the audience. Those were his five difficult years in Mumbai which he passed retaining his dignity, was not disillusioned, and had faith to overcome everything since he believed in himself that he was not born to just survive. At last, in November 1969 he got some work which in film parlance was his first “Break”!

Success came to Javed Akhtar’s life like an Alladin's magic lamp. Suddenly his world became a beautiful place and the people were good. In a matter of just more than a year he got a lot and more was on its way. It seemed the dust he touched turned to gold as he became financially independent and bought his first house and his first car. This was the time when his Dreams started coming true, but life was still lonely. He met Honey Irani on the sets of Seeta Aur Geeta, who was a frank open-hearted woman with a cheerful demeanour. They married within 4 months in the presence of his friends, but not his father as there were still some wounds to heal. In two years, they became proud parents of a daughter Zoya and a son Farhan. His daughter Zoya Akhtar today is a celebrated film director and writer, and Farhan Akhtar, is a successful actor, director, and producer.  

Before his father passed away in 1976, he gave him his last book nine days before his death with his autograph saying you will remember me when I am gone. Javed was this rebellious angry son who was not at peace with his father nor his inheritance. During this period he met Shabana Azmi daughter of the renowned poet Kaifi Azmi, who too was retracing her roots troubled by many questions and doubts. It was an instant attraction between them and not surprisingly they came close, the relationship almost metamorphosed Javed, as much as his friends could see the transformation in him. This eventually led to his separation from Honey Irani in 1983.

Journey as a Solo Lyricist, Poet & Scriptwriter

In the 1980s Javed Akhtar went solo as a lyricist and began his journey to rule the world with his poetic expression and lyrical prowess. His songs were deeply romantic, philosophical, and socially conscious often blending traditional Indian poetry with contemporary ideas, making him a standout figure in the world of Indian music and cinema. Some of his memorable songs include - Ek Ladki Ko Dekha ( 1942 a love story), Tera Bina (from Guru), Dil Chahta Hai (from Dil Chahta Hai), Lakshya (from Lakshya), and Kitni Baatein (from Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein), Ore chore (Lagaan)  title songs of Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.

Javed Saheb brought a new level of depth and emotion to film scripts, often using sharp, witty exchanges to convey complex emotions and social commentary. His writing transcended mere storytelling it became a powerful form of social expression. He worked on several films with his son Farhan Akhtar such as Dil Chahta Hai, Lakshya, Rock On and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara directed by his daughter Zoya Akhtar which became superhits.

 An Author

Javed Akhtar has written several books, including Tarkash, Lava, and Jagvadi Zakhm (The Wounded Civilization), which showcase his prowess in both Urdu and Hindi poetry. Being a secular man with no religious or spiritual beliefs, he calls himself an atheist, which makes him a strong advocate for Social Justice, secularism, and free expression. He has been involved in various social causes, including campaigns for environmental protection and human rights.

Awards & Recognition:

Javed Saheb has been honoured with several laurels and awards for his body of work as a lyricist, poet and screenplay writer. He has won the National Film Award for Best Lyrics five times and the Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist eight times. He has been awarded two of India's highest civilian honours Padma Shri (1999) and Padma Bhushan (2007). He received the Sahitya Akademi Award (2013) in Urdu which is India's second highest literary honour, for his poetry collection Lava. In 2019, he was conferred with an honorary Doctorate (Doctor of letters) by the Jamia Hamdard University. In 2020 he was awarded the Richard Dawkins Award for being a "Powerful force for secularism, reason, and human rights, challenging superstition and intolerance through his work in poetry, screenwriting, and political activism.”

 Throughout his career, Javed Akhtar has left an indelible mark in Indian cinema and the world of poetry and literature through his writings, poetry, and commitment to social causes.

Career in Films

Javed Akhtar began his career in the film industry as a screenwriter in the 1970s in collaboration with Salim Khan an established actor-turned-screenwriter. It was the time when Salim Khan was looking for a writing partner, and thus Javed and him immediately formed a bond due to their shared interests and complementary skills. Javed was an excellent poet and storyteller, while Salim had experience in the film industry. Their collaboration proved to be a perfect match, and they began writing scripts together.

The duo got their first big success with Andaaz ( 1971). It was superstar Rajesh Khanna who gave them a chance to write the screenplay for the film Haathi Mere Sathi ( 1971). Javed went to Salim and told him that he received the signing amount from writer and producer Sandow M.M. A Chinnappa Thevar, who wanted them to rewrite the film as the original script was far from being satisfactory and if they could set right the script, he would make sure we got both money and credit.

The film Haathi Mere Sathi had the magic of the marquee with the charisma of a circus, a children's film which became a hit. Next, they wrote Seeta aur Geeta ( 1972), Yaadon ki Baaraat (1973),  Zanjeer (1973), Haath Ki Safai (1974), Deewar(1975), Sholay (1975), Chacha Bhatija  (1977), Don (1978), Trishul  (1978), Dostana  (1980), Kranti  (1981), Zamana (1985). The duo wrote 24 films out of which 20 were hits. Unfortunately, due to Ego issues, the duo went through a split in 1982, while some of the scripts they wrote later became hit films like Zamana and Mr. India. Salim-Javed is still described as the most successful scriptwriter duo of all time.

These dialogues reflect the unique writing style of Salim-Javed, blending action, drama, and moral depth in a way that captured the audience’s imagination and became deeply ingrained in popular culture.