Javed Akhtar – Indian Film Industry's crème de la crème!

Popular musicals, theater, dramatics and heroism portrayed in the Indian Film Industry are the proud possession of the country and will always be.

Javed Akhtar has been one such proud jewel in the crown of Bollywood, and has been one ever since he first came into the industry as a young film writer.

Dexterous and legendary, Javed can be summed up as a script writer, lyricist and a poet. His contribution to the film industry is incomparable to any other and his name remains inseparable from Hindi films since the 1970s

Javed is the son of a well-known Urdu poet and film lyricist Jan Nisar Akhtar and Safia Akhtar, teacher and writer. Javed Akhtar belongs to a family lineage that can be traced back to seven generations of writers.

Taking the legacy forward Javed has given Bollywood some evergreen scripts like, 'Zanjeer', 'Deewar',' Sholay', 'Haathi Mere Saathi', 'Seeta Aur Geeta', 'Don', 'Trishul', etc which have attained cult status. One half of the most popular writer-duo Salim-Javed gave to Indian Cinema the memorable persona of the ‘Angry Young Man’ in Amitabh Bachchan – which remains a character every new and old actor is compared to.

Javed Akhtar started writing Urdu poetry in 1980s. His first collection of Nazms and Ghazals entitled, ‘Tarkash' had a very successful release in 1995, and remains one of his most loved collections till date.

Apart from excelling in his artistry he has also been a respected social commentator and activist. Being a master of his genre, Javed's works are brim with swiftness and are easy to connect with.

The writer who is known as the epitome of expression infuses the classical decoration of the ghazal with a sensibility that is modern and unconventional, like:

'Bahut aasan hai pehchan iss ki

Agar dukhta nahi to dil nahi hai'

- Ghazal from 'Lava'

(It is easy to tell its identity

If it doesnt ache, it isnt the heart)

Javed's poetry materializes from some deep crevice within his soul and manages to fill in the readers and viewers.

He has been a National Award for Best Lyricist five times in his career. He also won the Film Fare Award for Best Script / Best Lyricist sixteen times.

His other awards include:

Screen Award for Best Lyricist (four times), Zee Award for Best Lyricist (five times), IIFA Award for Best Lyricist (three times), Sansui Viewers Choice Award (four times) and countless others.

Akhtar was first married to Honey Irani, who is also a popular script-writer for Hindi films. Honey Irani and Javed have two children Farhan Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar, who have both taken the legacy forward by being film directors and actors. The father and son duo have worked together in films such as 'Dil Chahta Hai', 'Lakshya', 'Rock On!!' and 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' along with Zoya.

Farhan emerged as a multi- faceted artist with a successful stint in direction, singing and now acting. His role in 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag' was much appreciated.
After Javed's divorce with Irani, he married actress Shabana Azmi, the daughter of another Urdu poet, Kaifi Azmi. The two work on many social platforms raising awareness about social causes.

With his immense contribution to the world of cinema and art, there will be many generations ahead, who will sip on the elixir in the form of his words and get inspired.

Here's for you to remember his work all over again:

Ye tasalli hai ki hain nashad sab
Main akela hi nahi barabad sab
Sab ke khatir hai yahan sab ajanabi
Aur kahane ko hain ghar aabad sab
Bhool ke sab ranjishen sab ek hain
Main bataun sab ko hoga yaad sab
Sab ko dava-e-vafa sab ko yaqin
Is adakari mein hain ustad sab
Shahar ke hakim ka ye faraman hai
Qaid mein kahalayenge aazad sab
Char lafzon mein kaho jo bhi kaho
Us ko kab furasat sune fariyad sab
Talkhiyan kaise na ho ashar mein
Hum pe jo guzri hai hum ko yaad sab

(Ghazal)

Wishing the ocean of talent a long life and health and many congratulations to him for his body of work and contribution.