Javed Akhtar (Indian Lyricist) Biography

Quick Info

Profession	Lyricist, Screenwriter, Poet
Nationality	Indian
Date of Birth	17/01/1945
Age	81 years
Birthplace	Gwalior, Gwalior State, Central India Agency, British India
Religion	Atheist
Hometown	Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

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Nickname

Jadoo

Debut

As a Screenwriter (with Salim Khan)	Andaaz (1971)
As a Screenwriter (Solo)	Betaab (1983)
As a lyricist	Silsila (1981)

Awards/Achievements

Padma Shri (1999)
Padma Bhushan (2007)
5-time National Award winner for Best Lyrics for the movies- Saaz (1996), Border (1997), Godmother (1998), Refugee (2000) and Lagaan (2001)
Sahitya Akademi Award (Urdu) for his poetry collection- ‘Lava’ (2013)
Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Award for Best Lyricist for the song ‘Nikle The Kabhi Hum Ghar Se’ from the film ‘Dunki’ (20 February 2024)

Controversies

In 2016, when former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag and wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt took a jibe at Gurmehar Kaur, Javed Akhtar took to Twitter to share his piece of mind.
British filmmaker Leslee Udwin's 'India's Daughter (Nirbhaya)' documentary became a matter of heated debate at the time of its release. Javed Akhtar and a number of other politicians had a different view.
On 1 February 2021, he filed a criminal complaint against Kangana Ranaut in which he alleged that the actress linked his name to Sushant Singh Rajput's alleged suicide case during an interview.

Zodiac Sign	Capricorn
Signature	N/A
Address	702/Sagar Samrat, Green Field Road, Near Juhu, Mumbai- 400049
Hobbies	Watching Cricket

Marital Status	Married
Affairs/Girlfriends	Honey Irani, Shabana Azmi
Wife/Spouse	Honey Irani (Ex-wife), Shabana Azmi (m. 1984-present)
Marriage Date	9 December 1984 (with Shabana Azmi)

Father	Jan Nisar Akhtar (Songwriter & poet)
Mother	Safia Akhtar (Singer)
Brothers	Salman Akhtar, Shahid Akhtar
Sisters	Uneza Akhtar, Albina
Spouse	Honey Irani (Ex-wife), Shabana Azmi
Children	Farhan Akhtar (son from first wife) Zoya Akhtar (daughter from first wife)

Favourite Poem	Mera Safar by Ali Sardar Jafri
Favourite Poet	Kaifi Azmi, Sahir Ludhianvi
Favourite Actor	Dilip Kumar
Favourite Food	Kebabs, Vanilla Ice-Cream, Aloo Gosht Ka Shorba, Biryani
Favourite Sport	Cricket

1. Javed Akhtar used to be an alcohol addict but does not drink alcohol now.
2. Javed Akhtar was originally named "Jadoo" by his parents, inspired by a poem written by his father.
3. Generations of poets and songwriters have been a part of Akhtar's family, including his grandfather, elder brother, and father who was a famous songwriter in Bollywood.
4. His great-grandfather, Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi, was a scholar of Islamic studies and played a significant role in India's first independence movement in 1857.
5. In 1964, Javed Akhtar came to Mumbai with Bollywood aspirations, facing homelessness and hunger before finding shelter at Kamal Amrohi Studio in Jogeshwari.
6. The iconic writing duo Salim-Javed met on the set of the film 'Sarhadi Lootera' in 1966, started collaborating, and achieved immense success with 20 hit films, including 'Sholay'.
7. Scripts by Salim-Javed were later adapted into successful films like Zamana (1985) and Mr. India (1987).
8. Javed Akhtar and his first wife, Honey Irani, coincidentally share the same birthday on 17 January.
9. Akhtar used to assist Urdu poet Kaifi Azmi and developed a close bond with Azmi's daughter, Shabana Azmi, through frequent visits to their home.