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The lyricist and poet Javed Akhtar, alongside Salim Khan, crafted some of the biggest blockbusters in Indian cinema’s history. Many of their films featured tough, gruff male protagonists, and together, they are credited with creating the ‘Angry Young Man’ archetype in Bollywood cinema.
During the interaction with We Are Yuvaa, the senior writer was asked why the idea of ‘angry young man’ is still prevalent in the south, but not as much in the North.
Javed noted that in the South, the hero is becoming a caricature, describing him as the type of man who wants a woman to lick his shoe. Javed expressed concern that this character is evolving into a caricature of an angry young man or a strong man.
When asked if he had seen the film ‘Animal‘, Javed responded that he had not watched it but had heard about it from others and read in the news that there was a scene where the hero asks a woman to lick his shoe. He noted that she bends down, but thankfully, the scene is cut before it goes further.
When Javed Akhtar was asked why men in movies are angry today, he responded with a counter question, asking, “Who are they angry with? Women?” When the interviewer confirmed this, Javed remarked that these men lack the courage to oppose the establishment and instead see women as easy targets.
Javed Akhtar shared that he doesn’t believe all men are generally anti-women. He acknowledged that men are changing, although not as quickly as women are. However, he emphasized that there is no choice but for men to change, as the longstanding deception could no longer continue.
Javed Akhtar acknowledged that he has never written a ‘female-oriented film,’ describing this as a ‘handicap’ as a writer. However, he noted that despite this, the women in Salim-Javed films were never subservient characters.
The veteran star pointed out that even if women in their films had only five scenes, they were portrayed as strong individuals with their own rights. He emphasized that these women were not depicted as dumb blondes but as working women with their own opinions, whether in ‘Zanjeer’ or ‘Trishul’. They did not treat their husbands like gods.
During the interaction with We Are Yuvaa, the senior writer was asked why the idea of ‘angry young man’ is still prevalent in the south, but not as much in the North.
Javed noted that in the South, the hero is becoming a caricature, describing him as the type of man who wants a woman to lick his shoe. Javed expressed concern that this character is evolving into a caricature of an angry young man or a strong man.
When asked if he had seen the film ‘Animal‘, Javed responded that he had not watched it but had heard about it from others and read in the news that there was a scene where the hero asks a woman to lick his shoe. He noted that she bends down, but thankfully, the scene is cut before it goes further.
When Javed Akhtar was asked why men in movies are angry today, he responded with a counter question, asking, “Who are they angry with? Women?” When the interviewer confirmed this, Javed remarked that these men lack the courage to oppose the establishment and instead see women as easy targets.
Javed Akhtar shared that he doesn’t believe all men are generally anti-women. He acknowledged that men are changing, although not as quickly as women are. However, he emphasized that there is no choice but for men to change, as the longstanding deception could no longer continue.
Javed Akhtar acknowledged that he has never written a ‘female-oriented film,’ describing this as a ‘handicap’ as a writer. However, he noted that despite this, the women in Salim-Javed films were never subservient characters.
The veteran star pointed out that even if women in their films had only five scenes, they were portrayed as strong individuals with their own rights. He emphasized that these women were not depicted as dumb blondes but as working women with their own opinions, whether in ‘Zanjeer’ or ‘Trishul’. They did not treat their husbands like gods.
