Javed Akhtar is an Indian poet, screenwriter, and lyricist. He was born on 17 January 1945 in Gwalior, British India. His zodiac sign is Capricorn. He earned his degree from Sophia College, Bhopal. 

His father’s name was Jaan Nisar Akhtar; he was also a poet and a lyricist. His mother, Safia Akhtar was a music composer. He has two brothers, Salman Akhtar and Shahid Akhtar, and two sisters, Uneja Akhtar and Albina. 

He is married to Shabana Azmi. He is a father to two children, Farhan Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar. 

Javed Akhtar’s favourites

His hobbies include writing and watching cricket games.

His favourite poet is Kaifi Azmi. 

His favourite actor is Dilip Kumar. 

His favourite lyricist is Sahir Ludhianvi. 

Interesting facts about Javed Akhtar

Javed Akhtar’s father Jaan Nisar Khan was a famous lyricist in Bollywood. 

He struggled to find work in the early days of his career in the entertainment industry.

In the year 1966, he met with Salim Khan on the sets of Hindi film ‘Sarhadi Lootera.’ Javed Akhtar was hired to write a few dialogues in the film. 

Javed Akhtar’s works with Salim Khan

Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar worked together to develop new story ideas. In his early days, Javed Akhtar wrote his dialogues in Urdu which were later translated into Hindi by his assistants. The duo worked together for 24 consecutive films. The blockbuster 1975 hit film ‘Sholay’ was one of them. 

Javed Akhtar also worked as an assistant to famous poet Kaifi Azmi. He had an extramarital affair with Kaifi Azmi’s daughter Shabana Azmi due to which he got divorced from his first wife Honey Irani. 

Javed Akhtar’s awards

In the year 1999, the Government of India honoured Javed Akhtar with the Padma Shri Award. 

In 2007, he won the Padma Bhushan award.

Javed Akhtar has received the National Film Award a total of five times for films including Saaz (1996), Border (1997), Godmother (1998), Refugee (2000), and Lagaan (2001).

He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award for his Urdu poetry collection titled ‘Lava.’

Javed Akhtar’s famous works

Some of the books based on Javed Akhtar’s life are ‘Jadunama’ (2022), ‘Talking Films and Songs: Javed Akhtar (2017), Talking Life (2023), and Talking Films: Conversations on Hindi Cinema with Javed Akhtar (1999).

Javed Akhtar’s popular Bollywood films are Sathyaa (1988), Meri Jung (1985), Dostana (1980), Kranti (1981), Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973), Haathi Mere Saathi (1971), The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2012), Bareilly Ki Barfi (2017), Seeta Aur Geeta (1972), Mr India (1987), Zanjeer (1973), Don (2006), and many more.