Today is the birthday of a person who has given a new dimension to Indian cinema. He took the standard of cinema to a different level. But knowing about his early days will send chills down your spine.
Renowned writer, lyricist and poet Javed Akhtar has shaped Indian cinema with his extraordinary storytelling and dialogues. A recipient of five National Film Awards, Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan, Javed Akhtar's illustrious career needs no introduction. On his 80th birthday, let's explore an aspect of his life as narrated by him. Let's get to know the Javed Akhtar who rose from the ground to the heights of the sky.
Javed Akhtar broke down in tears in a segment of the docu-series 'Angry Young Men' as he recalled his initial struggles in the film industry and how he once went hungry due to lack of money. He also spoke about the conditions he faced when he first came to Mumbai as a young man and said that he often feels he doesn't deserve the luxuries he has now.
Javed Akhtar's Struggle Days
In the docu-series, Javed Akhtar recalled the struggles of his early days in Mumbai. The writer and lyricist said, 'I decided that after graduation, I would go to Bombay and work as an assistant director, that too with Guru Dutt or Raj Kapoor. I was sure that after doing this for a few years, I would definitely become a director.'
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He further said, 'I was at my father's house for exactly five days and then I went on my own. I stayed with some friends, slept at railway stations, parks, studios, corridors, on benches. I used to walk from Dadar to Bandra because I did not have money for bus fare. Sometimes, I felt like I had not eaten for two days. I always used to think in my mind that if one day a biography is written about me, then this should be the golden moment.'
Wife also told the story
His wife Shabana Azmi recalled a story of him going through a bad phase and said, 'One day he realised that he had not eaten for three days. He saw a light in someone's house and thought to himself, 'I will not die like this. Times will change.'
Trouble with sleep and food
Javed Akhtar also cried and said, 'There are two types of deprivation - of sleep and of food - which leave such a mark on you that you never forget. I stay in five-star hotels, in suites with big double beds and I look back at how I came to Bombay in a third class compartment, in which there was no place to even sit. I remember how my sleep had disappeared and how tired I was.
No room to live, no food to eat
He further said, 'All I wanted was a small part of the room that I have now. Those people bring a lot of food and I always wonder where this food was on the days when I had nothing to eat. Till today, I feel that I am not entitled to this food.' Javed Akhtar further said that one day he realized that he had nothing to wear. He had only one pant left.