Javed Akhtar

Biography:

Born on January 17, 1945, Javed Akhtar is an Indian poet, lyricist, and screenwriter. Well-known for his contributions to Hindi cinema, he has been honored with two of India’s highest civilian honors, the Padma Shri in 1999 and the Padma Bhushan in 2007, in addition to five National Film Awards.

After becoming well-known as part of the pair Salim–Javed, Akhtar made his screenwriting debut with 1973’s Zanjeer. He went on to create the screenplays for the 1975 motion pictures Sholay and Deewaar, which both attracted cult followings and had a big influence on popular culture. Later on, he was praised for his lyrical work and was honored with five National Film Awards for Best Lyrics and eight Filmfare Awards for Best Lyricist.

Notably, Akhtar was a Rajya Sabha member of parliament and ran an effective campaign for the Communist Party of India (CPI) and its candidate in the 2019 Indian general election. 2020 saw him win the Richard Dawkins Award for his efforts.

1945 saw the birth of Javed Akhtar in Gwalior. Jan Nisar Akhtar, his father, was an Urdu poet and songwriter for Bollywood films. His great-great grandfather, Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi, was an Islamic scholar who led the Jihad against the English in 1857 for religious grounds. His paternal grandpa, Muztar Khairabadi, and his elder brother, Bismil Khairabadi, were both poets. “Lamha, lamha kisi jadoo ka fasana hoga” is the line from a poem penned by Javed Akhtar’s father that inspired the original moniker Jadoo.