Javed Akhtar in a file photo
New Delhi:
Veteran lyricist and screenplay writer Javed Akhtar, who always speaks his mind and shares his views on X, reacted to a troll who called him “son of Gaddar.” Javed Akhtar wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter), “I am a proud Indian citizen and till my last breath I will remain so but I have one common fact with Joe Biden. Both of us have exactly equal chance of becoming the next president of USA.” A troll, who seemingly tried to shame him, wrote on his post, “Your father was instumental in making Pakistan in order to have a nation just for Muslims, then in the guise of progressive writer he chose to remain in India. You are a son of Gaddar who divided our nation on the lines of relegion. Now u say any thing but this is the truth.”
Rebutting the troll, Javed Akhtar reminded him of his family’s rich legacy and how they were involved in the freedom movement of the nation. Javed Akhtar wrote in his reply, “It is difficult to decide whether you are totally ignorant or a complete idiot . From 1857 my family has been involved with freedom movement n has gone to jails and Kala paani when most probably your baap dadas were licking the boots of Angrez sarkar.” Take a look at the post here:
I am a proud Indian citizen and till my last breath I will remain so but I have one common fact with Joe Biden . Both of us have exactly equal chance of becoming the next president of USA .
— Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) July 6, 2024
For the unversed, Javed Akhtar’s father, Jan Nisar Akhtar, was not only a renowned lyricist and poet but also an influential member of the Progressive Writers’ Movement in pre-Partition British India. His mother, Safiya Siraj-ul Haq, was a writer as well.
In a recent conversation with Arbaaz Khan, Shabana Azmi credited her husband’s “incredible” willpower when he decided to quit heavy drinking. Shabana Azmi said on the show, “He knew that if I go on like this, I won’t live for long and I won’t be able to do my work creatively… We were in a flat in London. He was stinking of alcohol and I said ‘Oh my god, this is going to be one of those trips. Very quietly he told me ‘Make me some breakfast’. He had breakfast and after that he told me, ‘I am not going to drink anymore.”
Shabana Azmi continued, “I didn’t say anything. I just said ‘Means?’ He said ‘I am not going to drink anymore’. He had never said this before and from that day, he has not touched (alcohol).”
Javed Akhtar and Honey Irani are parents to Farhan Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar. Javed Akhtar is known for writing scripts for films like Deewaar, Sholay, Trishul, Don in collaboration with Salim Khan.