Javed Akhtar
About
Once a rebellious writer in the 1970s, then a rock-star poet & lyricist who penned some of Bollywood’s most celebrated tunes, to being an activist, Javed Akhtar is a veteran who has completed 50 years in Hindi cinema.
Starting his journey as a screenwriter along with Salim Khan in 1969, together they wrote scripts for some of the biggest films that Hindi cinema has ever seen – ‘Sholay’, ‘Deewar’, ‘Zanjeer’, ‘Haathi Mere Saathi’, ‘Don’, ‘Seeta Aur Geeta’, ‘Shaan’, ‘Kaala Patthar’, ‘Mr India’ & many more.
Few of his noted songs are ‘Sandese Aate Hai’ from Border, ‘Ghanan Ghanan’ from Lagaan, ‘Ek Ladki Ko Dekha’ from 1942: A Love Story, ‘Ek Do Teen’ from Tezaab, ‘Ghar Se Nikalte’ from ‘Papa Kehte Hai’ & ‘Senorita’ from ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’.
Possessing the gift of the gab, Javed has also written a large number of poems against communalism, social injustice, national integration, & for women’s rights. He has written several books like ‘Quiver’, ‘In Another Words’, ‘Talking Songs’ and many more.
He is also the writer of award-winning films like ‘Betaab’, ‘Arjun’, ‘Saagar’, ‘Meri Jung’ and ‘Lakshya’.
Awards and Accomplishments
Awards and Accomplishments
A recipient of ‘Padma Shri’ and ‘Padma Bhushan’ in 1999 & 2007 respectively, Javed has earned many awards including five National Awards & thirteen Filmfare Awards in all four writing categories – story, dialogue, screenplay & lyrics.
He is also the winner of ‘Sahitya Akademi Award’ in Urdu, 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 and was also 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’ in 2020.
Why Javed Akhtar ?
With hundreds of films under his pen, Javed inspires people to communicate with one another, to better understand the power of words. Of all the caps he has donned, that of the relentless workaholic stands out the most. For him, it is also the most valuable lesson that he can ask others to follow. With a career spanning over 50 years and still far from its twilight, Akhtar is holding strong to both his words and his charm.
