Veteran screenwriter Javed Akhtar’s younger brother, author-psychoanalyst Salman Akhtar, addressed the rift between him and his elder brother, while promoting his book Ghar Ka Bhedi, which delves into family matters and includes a chapter dedicated to Javed. He revealed that despite not being in touch for decades, the two brothers remain connected intuitively.
Despite the book featuring five of Javed’s poems, Salman hasn’t had any personal communication with him for years.In an interview with The Lallantop, when he was asked about this apparent contradiction, Salman shrugged off the irony, explaining, “I write about Freud, I have never met him, I write about Donald Winnicott, the great psychoanalyst, I never met him, I have also written about Faiz, but never met him. So, to write about him (Javed), but not having met him is no contradiction in my opinion. Both things are possible, no?”
On the topic of reconciliation, Salman joked, “If he wants to talk to me, that’s a good choice because I am a pretty decent person.” However, he did not delve into the exact reasons for their estrangement, remarking, “There are a lot of things that happen, and these things have nuance, they’re very complex. They are not matters which can be discussed in a broad public way. He is a very erudite, intelligent, sharp-witted man and in many realms, a very good poet. He is a smart, talented man, no doubt about it.”
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Although the brothers are not in contact, Salman stressed their deep, intuitive connection. “We may meet or not meet, but we are very close intuitively. We know each other very well. He knows what I will do and think, I know which joke will make him laugh. We have this intuitive connection. There are deeper connections than language and physical exchange,” he said.
This marks the first time Salman Akhtar has spoken openly about his estrangement from Javed, who has been more vocal about his complex relationships, particularly with their father.
