Javed Akhtar
Javed Akhtar | |
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![]() Akhtar in 2012 | |
Nominated Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha | |
In office 22 March 2010 – 21 March 2016 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Gwalior, Gwalior State, British India (present-day Madhya Pradesh, India) | 17 January 1945
Spouses |
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Children |
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Education | Colvin Taluqdars' College, Lucknow |
Occupation | |
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Javed Akhtar (born 17 January 1945) is an Indian screenwriter, lyricist and poet. Known for his work in Hindi cinema, he has won five National Film Awards, and received the Padma Shri in 1999 and the Padma Bhushan in 2007,[1] two of India's highest civilian honours.
Akhtar came to recognition in the duo Salim–Javed, and earned his breakthrough as a screenwriter with 1973's Zanjeer. He went on to write the films Deewaar and Sholay, both released in 1975; they earned a cult following, and had a significant impact in popular culture. He later earned praise for his work as a lyricist, winning the National Film Award for Best Lyrics five times and the Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist eight times.
Akhtar notably campaigned for the Communist Party of India (CPI) and their candidate in the 2019 Indian general election, and was a member of parliament in Rajya Sabha.[2] For his work, he received the Richard Dawkins Award in 2020.[3][4][5][6]
Early life
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b2/Javed_Akhtar.jpg/220px-Javed_Akhtar.jpg)
Javed Akhtar was born in 1945 in Gwalior.[7] His father Jan Nisar Akhtar was a Bollywood film songwriter and Urdu poet.[8] His paternal grandfather Muztar Khairabadi was a poet as was his grandfather's elder brother, Bismil Khairabadi, while his great great grandfather, Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi, was a religious scholar of Islam who declared the Indian Rebellion of 1857 against the colonies.[9] Javed Akhtar's original name was Jadoo, taken from a line in a poem written by his father: "Lamha, lamha kisi jadoo ka fasana hoga". He was given the official name of Javed since it was the closest to the word jadoo.[10] He spent most of his childhood and was schooled in Lucknow. He graduated from Saifiya College in Bhopal.[11]
Career as scriptwriter
[edit]Initially, in the 1970s, there was generally no concept of having the same writer for the screenplay, story and dialogue, nor were the writers given any credits in the titles. Rajesh Khanna is credited with giving Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar their first chance to become screenplay writers by offering them work in Haathi Mere Saathi.[12] Javed Akhtar stated in an interview that one day, he went to Salimsaab and said that Mr. Devar had given him a huge signing amount with which he could complete the payment for his bungalow, Aashirwad. But the film was a remake and the script of the original was far from being satisfactory. "He told us that if we could set right the script, he would make sure we got both money and credit."[13]
Their first big success was the script for Andaz (1971), followed by Haathi Mere Saathi (1971) and Seeta Aur Geeta (1972). They also had hits with Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973), Zanjeer (1973), Haath Ki Safai (1974), Deewaar (1975), Sholay (1975), Chacha Bhatija (1977), Don (1978), Trishul (1978), Dostana (1980), Kranti (1981), Zamana (1985) and Mr. India (1987). They have worked together in 24 films including two Kannada films – Premada Kanike and Raja Nanna Raja.
Of the 24 films they wrote, 20 were hits. The scripts they wrote, but which were not successful at box office include Adhikar (1971), Aakhri Dao (1975), Immaan Dharam (1977) and Shaan (1980). Though they split in 1982, due to ego issues, some of the scripts they wrote were made into hit films later, such as Zamana and Mr. India. Salim-Javed, many a time described as "the most successful scriptwriters of all-time",[14] are also noted to be the first scriptwriters in Indian cinema to achieve star status.[15]
Personal life
[edit]“There are certain things that I’d like to make clear at the very outset. Don’t get carried away by my name — Javed Akhtar. I am not revealing a secret, I am saying something that I have said many times, in writing or on TV, in public… I’m an atheist, I have no religious beliefs. And I don’t believe in spirituality of some kind".[16]
Akhtar was nominated to the Parliament upper house Rajya Sabha on 16 November 2009.[17] Akhtar was married to Honey Irani, with whom he had two children, Farhan Akhtar, a film actor, producer, director[18] and Zoya Akhtar, a film writer, director and producer.[19] The father-and-son duo have worked together in films such as Dil Chahta Hai, Lakshya, Rock On!! and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara with Zoya. Farhan was married to Adhuna Akhtar, a hair stylist.[20] Despite having an Islamic upbringing, Akhtar declared himself to be an "equal opportunity atheist" who is against all faiths,[21][22] and also brought up his children Farhan and Zoya Akhtar as atheists.[23]
Akhtar married Shabana Azmi, the daughter of Urdu poet, Kaifi Azmi and later divorced Irani.[24] Akhtar's uncle, Asrar-ul-Haq "Majaz" was also an Urdu poet. His uncle, Ansar Harvani, was a member of the Indian independence movement and an elected Member of Parliament. Akhtar's aunt, Hamida Salim, was an Indian author, economist and educator as well.[25]
Awards and nominations
[edit]Javed was awarded the civilian honour of Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1999, followed by the Padma Bhushan in 2007.[1] In 2013, he received the Sahitya Akademi Award in Urdu, India's second highest literary honour, for his poetry collection Lava.[26] In 2019, he was conferred with an honorary doctorate (Doctor of Letters) by the Jamia Hamdard University.[27] 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".[3][5]
Year | Award | Category | Outcome | Work | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1996 | National Film Awards | Best Lyrics | Won | Saaz | |
1997 | Won | Border | |||
1998 | Won | Godmother | |||
2000 | Won | Refugee | |||
2001 | Won | Lagaan | |||
1995 | Filmfare Awards | Best Lyricist | Won | "Ek Ladki Ko Dekha" from 1942: A Love Story | |
1997 | Won | "Ghar Se Nikalte" from Papa Kehte Hai | |||
1989 | Nominated | "Ek Do Teen" from Tezaab | |||
1990 | Best Dialogue | Won | Main Azaad Hoon | ||
1998 | Best Lyricist | Won | "Sandese Aate Hai" from Border | ||
1998 | Nominated | "Chand Taare" from Yes Boss | |||
1999 | Nominated | "Mere Mehboob Mere Sanam" from Duplicate | |||
1984 | Best Story | Nominated | Betaab | ||
1985 | Nominated | Mashaal | |||
1986 | Nominated | Arjun | |||
2001 | Best Lyricist | Won | "Panchchi Nadiyaan" from Refugee | ||
2002 | Won | "Radha Kaise Naa Jale" from Lagaan | |||
2002 | Nominated | "Mitwa" from Lagaan | [28] | ||
2011 | Mirchi Music Awards | Album of The Year | Nominated | Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara | [29][30] |
Lyricist of The Year | Won | "Khwabon Ke Parindey" from Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara | |||
Nominated | "Senorita" from Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara | ||||
2012 | Won | "Jee Le Zara" from Talaash | [31] | ||
2014 | Lifetime Achievement Award | Won | - | [32] | |
2015 | Album of The Year | Nominated | Dil Dhadakne Do | [33] | |
Lyricist of The Year | Nominated | "Phir Bhi Yeh Zindagi" from Dil Dhadakne Do |
Filmography
[edit]As screenwriter
[edit]As Salim-Javed
[edit]As Javed Akhtar
[edit]Year | Film | Language | Director | Cast | Notes |
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1983 | Betaab | Hindi | Rahul Rawail | Sunny Deol, Amrita Singh | Written as "Javed Akhtar" |
1984 | Duniya | Ramesh Talwar | Dilip Kumar, Rishi Kapoor, Amrita Singh | ||
Mashaal | Hindi | Yash Chopra | Dilip Kumar, Anil Kapoor, Waheeda Rehman | ||
1985 | Saagar | Ramesh Sippy | Rishi Kapoor, Kamal Haasan, Dimple Kapadia | ||
Arjun | Rahul Rawail | Sunny Deol, Dimple Kapadia | |||
Meri Jung | Subhash Ghai | Anil Kapoor, Meenakshi Sheshadri | |||
1987 | Dacait | Rahul Rawail | Sunny Deol, Raakhee | ||
1989 | Main Azaad Hoon | Tinnu Anand | Amitabh Bachchan, Shabana Azmi | ||
1992 | Khel | Rakesh Roshan | Anil Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit | ||
1993 | Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja | Satish Kaushik | Anil Kapoor, Sridevi | ||
1995 | Prem | Hindi | Sanjay Kapoor, Tabu | ||
1998 | Kabhi Na Kabhi | Priyadarshan | Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff | ||
2004 | Lakshya | Farhan Akhtar | Hrithik Roshan, Preity Zinta, Amitabh Bachchan | ||
2006 | Don: The Chase Begins Again | Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra |
Work as lyricist
[edit]Bibliography
[edit]See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
- ^ "Javed Akhtar, Aiyar among 5 nominated to RS". Rediff. Archived from the original on 5 October 2019. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
- ^ a b Javed Akhtar Wins Richard Dawkins Award, archived from the original on 7 June 2020, retrieved 9 August 2021.
- ^ "Javed Akhtar Becomes Only Indian to Win Richard Dawkins Award". 7 June 2020. Archived from the original on 2 June 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
- ^ a b "Writer, Poet, Lyricist, and Atheist Activist Javed Akhtar Wins Richard Dawkins Award | Center for Inquiry". 9 June 2020. Archived from the original on 2 June 2024. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
- ^ Fidalgo, Paul (2020). "Richard Dawkins award goes to writer-lyricist Javed Akhtar". Skeptical Inquirer. 45 (5): 6.
- ^ Ashish Rajadhyaksha and Paul Willemen, ed. (10 July 2014). Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema. Routledge. p. 204. ISBN 978-1-135-94318-9.
- ^ "On Father's Day, Javed Akhtar recalls the man who taught him poetry". The Hindu. 16 June 2014. Archived from the original on 20 June 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
- ^ "Happy Birthday Javed Akhtar: 10 best quotes from the legendary lyricist and writer". Hindustan Times. 16 January 2020. Archived from the original on 23 July 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
- ^ Chopra, Anupama (2000). Sholay: The Making of a Classic. Penguin Books India. p. 16. ISBN 0-14-02997-0X.
- ^ David John Matthews, ed. (2001). Quiver: Poems and Ghazals. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-81-7223-437-9.
- ^ "More facts about Rajesh Khanna". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 2 December 2013.
- ^ Hungama, Bollywood. "The Magic of Haathi Mere Saathi - Latest Movie Features - Bollywood Hungama". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 20 July 2012.
- ^ Sholay, through the eyes of Salim Khan, [1] Archived 6 April 2019 at the Wayback Machine, Rediff.com
- ^ Ramesh Dawar (2003), Encyclopaedia of Hindi cinema Archived 11 January 2023 at the Wayback Machine, Encyclopædia Britannica (India) Pvt. Ltd.
- ^ "Atheism is the religion for these filmi folk". Times of India. 2021. Archived from the original on 30 June 2022.
- ^ "Javed Akhtar, Dua nominated to Rajya Sabha – India – DNA". Dnaindia.com. 17 November 2009. Archived from the original on 2 June 2024. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
- ^ "Farhan Akhtar". IMDb. Archived from the original on 12 October 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
- ^ "Zoya Akhtar". IMDb. Archived from the original on 21 September 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
- ^ "Transcript of the Javed Akhtar Chat". rediff.com. Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
- ^ "Eye on England". Telegraphindia.com. 15 July 2012. Archived from the original on 19 July 2012.
- ^ "Javed Akhtar calls himself 'equal opportunity atheist who is against all faiths' after offending both sides". Hindustan Times. 13 June 2020. Archived from the original on 4 October 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
- ^ "10 Self-Proclaimed Celebrity Atheists | Entertainment | iDiva.com | Page 4". iDiva.com. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
- ^ "Honey Irani on Divorce, Survival & Shabana Azmi". iDiva.com. 14 June 2012. Archived from the original on 25 February 2013. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
- ^ "Urdu author Hamida Salim passes away". The Hindu. 17 August 2015. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 19 July 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
- ^ "Poets dominate Sahitya Akademi Awards 2013" Archived 19 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Sahitya Akademi. 18 December 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2013.
- ^ "Javed Akhtar Conferred With Honorary Doctorate by Jamia Hamdard University". News18 India. 4 March 2019. Archived from the original on 30 April 2019. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
- ^ "KANK, Omkara lead GIFA list with 12 nominations each". Oneindia. 27 October 2006. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
- ^ "Nominations - Mirchi Music Award Hindi 2011". 30 January 2013. Archived from the original on 30 January 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "Mirchi Plus USA - Live Indian Radio | Listen Hindi Songs, Videos, Podcasts, Mirchi Murga". mirchi.in. Archived from the original on 24 February 2024. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
- ^ "Winners - Mirchi Music Award Hindi 2012". www.radiomirchi.com. Archived from the original on 16 November 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
- ^ "Winners - Mirchi Music Awards 2014". MMAMirchiMusicAwards. Archived from the original on 26 May 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
- ^ "MMA Mirchi Music Awards". MMAMirchiMusicAwards. Archived from the original on 30 March 2016. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
- ^ Aḵẖtar, Jāvīd; Kabir, Nasreen Munni (2002). Talking Films: Conversations on Hindi Cinema with Javed Akhtar. Oxford University Press. p. 49. ISBN 9780195664621. Archived from the original on 22 February 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
JA: I write dialogue in Urdu, but the action and descriptions are in English. Then an assistant transcribes the Urdu dialogue into Devnagari because most people read Hindi. But I write in Urdu.
- ^ Akhtar, Javed (8 January 2015). "Nine poems by the 'other' Javed Akhtar". Scroll.in. Archived from the original on 4 January 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
- ^ IANS (19 December 2013). "Javed Akhtar among Sahitya Akademi Award winners for 2013". Business Standard India. Archived from the original on 27 December 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
Further reading
[edit]- Chopra, Anupama (2000). Sholay – The Making of a Classic. Penguin Books India. ISBN 0-14-029970-X.
- Kabir, Nasreen Munni (2002). Talking Films: Conversations on Hindi Cinema with Javed Akhtar. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-566462-1.
- Kabir, Nasreen Munni (2007). Talking Songs: Javed Akhtar in Conversation with Nasreen Munni Kabir. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-568712-5.
External links
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Indian male poets
- Indian former Muslims
- Critics of religions
- Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts
- Urdu-language poets from India
- Aligarh Muslim University alumni
- Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in literature & education
- Filmfare Awards winners
- Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award winners
- Indian atheists
- Indian lyricists
- People from Aligarh
- Writers from Bhopal
- People from Gwalior
- Writers from Lucknow
- 1945 births
- Living people
- Nominated members of the Rajya Sabha
- Poets from Uttar Pradesh
- 20th-century Indian poets
- 21st-century Indian poets
- Urdu-language writers
- Films with screenplays by Salim–Javed
- 20th-century Indian male writers
- 21st-century Indian male writers
- Screenwriters from Uttar Pradesh
- 20th-century Indian dramatists and playwrights
- 21st-century Indian dramatists and playwrights
- Best Lyrics National Film Award winners
- 20th-century atheists
- 21st-century atheists
- People from Mumbai
- Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award in Urdu
- Male actors in Urdu cinema