Javed Akhtar is a poet, screenwriter, and lyricist - with countless awards and accolades to his name.
"I wish I could go quietly in the night and ease all the pain in the world. And in the morning, people would wake up to a beautiful world.” - Javed Akhtar.
The world is slowly turning into the dystopia that we once thought was just fiction. The whole life has been narrowed down to a relentless rat race, where everyone is focused on outpacing others, without even knowing what they are chasing. The virtual world is literally taking over the real one, with human connections becoming only a thing of the past. And of course, AI is dictating our lives, making us completely forget what truly matters. But wait, amidst all the chaos, don't we all sometimes need a moment to simply pause and breathe in some fresh air? We do, and without an iota of doubt, Javed Akhtar is that "breath of fresh air" that we now need more than ever.
Born on January 17, 1945, Akhtar's sole purpose has been to make the world a better place. And he does it all with what's known as the world's mightiest weapon - words. As I believe, he is a superhero, whose superpower is his words. First as a screenwriter during the 70s and 80s, and then as a lyricist and poet, he has been providing us with solace in times of despair.
(Credit: jaduakhtar)
Today, on Akhtar's 80th birthday, let's have a look at some of his major achievements.
As a lyricist, Javed Akhtar has totally redefined Bollywood's music scene. What truly sets him apart is he is adept at writing all types of songs - from soothing melodies to peppy dance numbers. And for the same, he has won the National Film Awards for Best Lyrics five times.
He first won the prestigious award in 1996 for his work in 'Saaz', directed by Sai Paranjpye. The film has ten songs, with the music score provided by Zakir Hussain, Bhupen Hazarika, Raj Kamal, and Yashwant Dev.
For his lyrics in the 1997 epic war film 'Border', he won the National Award for the second time. Songs like "To Chalun", "Sandese Aate Hai", "Mere Dushman" and "Hamen Jab Se Mohabbat" are still popular among cinephiles.
"Art, literature, poetry are the vocal chords of society." - @Javedakhtarjadu pic.twitter.com/yXo3OkVQM0
— Sapan Verma (@sapanv) October 9, 2024
(Credit: Sapan Verma)
The remaining three were for 'Godmother' (1998), 'Refugee' (2000), and 'Lagaan' (2001).
Well, Akhtar has always been a favorite of the Filmfare Awards. Throughout his career, he has won the prestigious award 14 times - seven for Best Script, and seven for Best Lyrics.
Notably, he shared the "Best Script" awards with Salim Khan, with whom he formed the iconic Salim-Javed duo of Hindi cinema.
In 2007, he won the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award.
(Credit: filmfare)
For his remarkable contribution to arts and culture, Akhtar was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1999, and the Padma Bhushan in 2007. Later, for his poetry collection 'Lava', he received the Sahitya Akademi Award in Urdu (India's second-highest literary honor) in 2013. Six years later, in 2019, he was conferred with an honorary doctorate (Doctor of Letters) by Jamia Hamdard University. In 2020, he was awarded the Richard Dawkins Award (by the Center for Inquiry) for being a "powerful force for secularism, reason, and human rights, challenging superstition and intolerance through his work in poetry, screenwriting, and political activism".
Must Watch: Javed Akhtar recite Urdu poetry on diversity. Diversity is the unique treasure of India & those who seek to destroy it will themselves be destroyed pic.twitter.com/79qtPOC1iI
— Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) January 9, 2018
(Credit: Prashant Bhushan)
Besides, the list also includes Mirchi Music Awards, IIFA, and Zee Awards among others.
Happy Birthday, Javed Saab. Thanks For Everything!
