Javed Akhtar is not merely a name; he is an institution. A man whose words oscillate between the romance of a Bollywood ballad and the rebellion of a revolutionary manifesto.
He is a polymath who has walked the twin paths of mainstream cinema and intellectual discourse with the finesse of a tightrope walker—never losing balance, never losing relevance.
Born on 17 January 1945 in Gwalior to a family steeped in poetry—his father, Jan Nisar Akhtar, was an esteemed progressive poet, and his mother, Safia Akhtar, was an acclaimed writer—Javed inherited both the lyrical dexterity and the indomitable spirit of the literary greats before him.
His lineage includes the likes of Muztar Khairabadi, a poet whose ink once graced the ghazal form with elegance.
With such a genetic inheritance, it was inevitable that Javed would wield words not as mere tools, but as instruments of orchestral brilliance.
Javed Akhtar’s arrival in Bombay, the city of dreams and disillusionment, was not cushioned by privilege.
The pavements of this cinematic capital bore witness to his early struggles—days of penury where even the luxury of a square meal was a fantasy.
But if life deprived him of material comforts, it compensated by honing his resilience.
Fate, however, is often an accomplice to talent, and it orchestrated an epochal meeting between two struggling writers: Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar.
Together, they formed the legendary duo Salim-Javed, a scriptwriting powerhouse that redefined the contours of commercial Hindi cinema in the 1970s and early ’80s.
The duo scripted iconic films like Zanjeer, Deewaar, Sholay, Trishul, and Don—movies that shaped the very ethos of the "Angry Young Man" era. They didn’t just write dialogues; they sculpted a socio-political phenomenon.
If Amitabh Bachchan became the voice of the downtrodden, it was Salim-Javed who handed him the script, the vocabulary of rebellion, the cadence of simmering rage.
Javed Akhtar’s transition from scriptwriting to lyricism was not a retreat but an evolution. It was as though his true calling had finally unfurled its wings.
If cinema was his prose, poetry was his soul.
His lyrics, spanning decades, have been anthems of love, heartbreak, ambition, and existential musings.
Whether it was the haunting melancholy of Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga, the bittersweet nostalgia of Yaadon Ki Baaraat, or the soul-searching depth of Zindagi Maut Na Ban Jaye, Javed’s words have become an indelible part of Bollywood’s collective consciousness.
He did not just write songs; he whispered emotions into melodies, lending them an immortal quality.
His lyrics are often deceptively simple but layered with meaning—like a ghazal that reveals its depth only upon introspection.
He mastered the rare art of imbuing commercial songs with literary finesse, proving that mass appeal and poetic integrity need not be mutually exclusive.
But Javed Akhtar is not just a poet of celluloid; he is also a firebrand intellectual, an unflinching voice in India’s socio-political discourse.
Whether through his sharp-witted oratory, his speeches on secularism, or his open denouncement of regressive ideologies, Akhtar has never shied away from taking a stand.
As a staunch rationalist and an advocate of free thought, he has waged verbal duels with religious fundamentalists, dismantled bigotry with sheer eloquence, and championed the cause of reason in an era rife with irrationality.
He is one of the rare Bollywood stalwarts whose influence transcends the entertainment industry, positioning him as a cultural commentator of formidable intellect.
Javed sahab has also dabbled in politics—not as a politician but as a conscience-keeper, lending his voice to issues of social justice, communal harmony, and individual liberty.
His speeches in the Rajya Sabha, where he was nominated as a Member of Parliament, were not just political statements; they were lyrical manifestos of democracy and progress.
Javed Akhtar’s personal life has often mirrored the themes of his poetry—love, separation, self-discovery.
His marriage to Honey Irani, his subsequent divorce, and his eventual union with Shabana Azmi form a narrative that is as compelling as his scripts.
His children, Farhan Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar, have carried forward the cinematic legacy, each in their own right, proving that the Akhtar name is synonymous with artistic brilliance.
Even as he ages gracefully, Javed Akhtar remains timeless.
His poetry continues to be recited, his lyrics continue to be sung, and his words continue to shape thought.
Whether on a podium, at a literary festival, or through a song playing on an old transistor, his voice resonates—strong, stirring, and undiminished.
In an industry often accused of favouring ephemeral fame, Javed Akhtar’s legacy is etched in permanence.
He is not just a lyricist; he is a raconteur of human emotions. Not just a poet; but a philosopher of the commonplace.