Javed Akhtar Biography Family Poetry Shayari Songs Net Worth

Biography

Javed Akthar is a lyrical master and wordsmith who is renowned for his unmatched body of work. This poet lyricist and screenwriter received the Sahitya Akademi Award the Padma Shri Award in 1999 and the Padma Bhushan Award in 2007. 

Javed Akthar co-wrote the scripts for some of the most well-known Hindi films including Seeta Aur Geeta (1972) Zanjeer (1973) Deewar (1975) Sholay (1975) and Mr India (1987) with writer Salim Khan. 

The multi-National Award winner also contributed songs to the soundtracks of movies like Silsila 1942: A Love Story Border Godmother Refugee Lagaan and Wake Up Sid.

Javed Akthar is a Bollywood lyrical gem with rare talent and charisma. Javed Akhtar gave the people of India unmatched musical lyrics or should we say lyrical music. Javed Akthar was born in Khairabad Uttar Pradesh on January 17 1945.

Education

Javed Akthar was born on January 17, 1945. Javed Akhtar’s age as of 2024 is 79 years. Javed Akthar’s zodiac sign is Capricorn. Javed Akhtar was born and raised in Gwalior Madhya Pradesh India. Javed Akthar attended school and spent the majority of his early years in Lucknow. Javed Akhtar did his schooling at Aligarh Muslim University. He received his degree from Bhopal’s Saifiya College. Javed Akhtar is an atheist who raised his children Farhan and Zoya Akhtar to be atheists as well.

Family

Javed Akhtar’s father is Jan Nisar Akhtar. Jan Nisar Akhtar was an Urdu poet and composer for Bollywood movies. Jaan Nisar Akhtar established himself as a romantic and revolutionary poet. Javed Akhtar’s mother is Safia Akhtar. Safia Akhtar was a gifted writer literary critic and popular teacher. 

Javed Akhtar has four siblings. Javed Akhtar has two brothers and two sisters. Javed Akhtar’s brother is Salman Akhtar and Shahid Akhtar. Salman Akhtar is a psychiatry and human behaviour professor at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia and also a famous writer. Javed Akhtar’s sisters are Uneza Akhtar and Albina Sharma.

Jadoo was Javed Akhtar’s original name; it was derived from the line ‘Lamha lamha kisi jadoo ka fasana hoga’ in a poem that his father had written. Since Javed was the name that came closest to the word ‘jadoo ‘ it was given to him as his given name. Javed Akhtar married Honey Irani and they had two children: Farhan Akhtar a film actor producer and director and Zoya Akhtar a film writer director and producer.

Javed Akhtar’s paternal grandfather Muztar Khairabadi and his grandfather’s older brother Bismil Khairabadi were both poets while Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi his great-great-grandfather was an Islamic scholar who in 1857 supported India’s First Independence Movement out of a sense of religious duty.

Marriage

Honey Irani

Javed Akhtar was married to Honey Irani with whom he had two kids: Zoya Akhtar a film writer director and producer and Farhan Akhtar an actor producer and director of motion pictures. In movies like Dil Chahta Hai Lakshya Rock On!! and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara with Zoya the father-and-son team has collaborated.

Shabana Azmi

Javed Akhtar and Shabana’s love story was nothing short of epic. Their love story was full of ups and downs. The love story of Javed and Shabana Azmi began in 1970 when Javed was learning the art of writing from Shabana Azmi’s father Kaifi Azmi.

Javed used to pay him visits in this regard. During this time he met Shabana Azmi Kaifi Azmi’s daughter. Both became good friends and their love story began from there. Because Javed was already married there was a storm in their lives as soon as the news of this thing hit the media.

Honey Irani was the name of Javed Akhtar’s first wife. When she found out quarrels broke out every day in the house.

Meanwhile Javed and Honey had two children ‘Zoya Akhtar and Farhan Akhtar ‘ but when the fights between Javed and Honey became more intense Honey approved Javed marrying Shabana and asked him not to worry about the children. Javed and Honey divorced after this and he married Shabana Azmi.

Career

Javed Akhtar moved to Mumbai in the early 1960s and began his career as an assistant writer in low-budget films. Javed Akhtar made his writing debut in the film ‘Yakeen ‘ which failed to find success. However the author later collaborated with fellow author Salim Khan. With films like ‘Seeta Aur Geeta ‘ ‘Don ‘ and ‘Andaz ‘ the team of these marvellous writers stamped their duet prosperity (1971). However the famous couple Salim-Javed tasted stardom when they penned the movie ‘Sholay’ which received widespread acclaim. As everything comes to an end the duo parted ways in 1980.

Javed’s career flourished as the years passed and he received several awards for his contributions to the Bollywood fraternity. The government of India awarded Akhtar the prestigious ‘Padma Shri’ in 1999 followed by a ‘Padma Bhushan’ in 2007. The writer-poet-lyricist also won several industry awards for his exceptional work. Akhtar’s songs include ‘Papa Kehte Hain ‘ ‘Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh ‘ and ‘Kal Ho Na Ho.’

The writer-lyricist was also honoured with five National Awards for his work in films such as ‘Saaz’ (1997) ‘Border ‘ ‘Godmother’ (1999) ‘Lagaan ‘ and ‘Refugee.’ Javed demonstrated his talent in his son Farhan’s directorial debut ‘Dil Chahta Hai ‘ which was followed by ‘Lakshya’ and ‘Rock On.’ He also wrote for his daughter Zoya Akhtar in her film ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.’ As a member of the ‘Rajya Sabha ‘ the renowned author also contributes to the government sector. Akhtar also serves as an adviser on the board of the Asian ‘Academy of Film and Television.’

Struggles

Javed Akhtar once spoke about his difficult days in Mumbai when he didn’t even have a fixed place to sleep. He claimed to have slept under trees on occasion. Javed Akhtar the lyricist and screenwriter was not well-off when he first arrived in Mumbai in the 1960s. He once described himself as ‘homeless’ at the time sleeping ‘wherever (he) fancied ‘ including under trees.

In a 2006 interview with the Hindustan Times Javed discussed living in various cities but said that Mumbai was where he ‘really came alive.’ ‘I slept wherever I pleased – sometimes on a verandah sometimes in a corridor sometimes under a tree where several other homeless jobless people lived ‘ he explained.

‘Finally in November 1969 I got some work which in film parlance is referred to as a ‘break ” he added. ‘But my life was never that of a regular poor boy ‘ he said in another interview. ‘I was a poor boy who was constantly barging into a rich society ‘  Javed Akhtar recalls.

Poetry

First

जीना मुश्किल है कि आसान ज़रा देख तो लो लोग लगते हैं परेशान ज़रा देख तो लो 

फिर मुक़र्रिर कोई सरगर्म सर-ए-मिंबर है किस के है क़त्ल का सामान ज़रा देख तो लो 

ये नया शहर तो है ख़ूब बसाया तुम ने क्यूँ पुराना हुआ वीरान ज़रा देख तो लो 

इन चराग़ों के तले ऐसे अँधेरे क्यूँ है तुम भी रह जाओगे हैरान ज़रा देख तो लो 

तुम ये कहते हो कि मैं ग़ैर हूँ फिर भी शायद निकल आए कोई पहचान ज़रा देख तो लो

-Javed Akhtar

Second

कभी कभी मैं ये सोचता हूँ कि मुझ को तेरी तलाश क्यूँ है कि जब हैं सारे ही तार टूटे तो साज़ में इर्तिआश क्यूँ है 

कोई अगर पूछता ये हम से बताते हम गर तो क्या बताते भला हो सब का कि ये न पूछा कि दिल पे ऐसी ख़राश क्यूँ है 

उठा के हाथों से तुम ने छोड़ा चलो न दानिस्ता तुम ने तोड़ा अब उल्टा हम से तो ये न पूछो कि शीशा ये पाश पाश क्यूँ है 

अजब दो-राहे पे ज़िंदगी है कभी हवस दिल को खींचती है कभी ये शर्मिंदगी है दिल में कि इतनी फ़िक्र-ए-मआ’श क्यूँ है 

न फ़िक्र कोई न जुस्तुजू है न ख़्वाब कोई न आरज़ू है ये शख़्स तो कब का मर चुका है तो बे-कफ़न फिर ये लाश क्यूँ है 

-Javed Akhtar

Third

जो बात कहते डरते हैं सब तू वह बात लिखइतनी अंधेरी थी न कभी पहले रात लिख

जिनसे क़सीदे लिखे थे वह फेंक दे क़लमफिर खून-ए-दिल से सच्चे क़लम की सिफ़ात लिख

जो रोज़नामों में कहीं पाती नहीं जगहजो रोज़ हर जगह की है वह वारदात लिख

जितने भी तंग दायरे हैं सारे तोड़ देअब आ खुली फ़िज़ाओं में अब कायनात लिख

जो वाक़ियात हो गए उनका तो ज़िक्र हैलेकिन जो होने चाहिए वह वाक़ियात लिख

इस बाग़ में जो देखनी है तुझ को फिर बहारतू डाल-डाल से सदा तू पात-पात लिख 

-Javed Akhtar

Shayari

First

कभी जो ख़्वाब था वो पा लिया है

मगर जो खो गई वो चीज़ क्या थी 

-Javed Akhtar

Second

डर हम को भी लगता है रस्ते के सन्नाटे से 

लेकिन एक सफ़र पर ऐ दिल अब जाना तो होगा 

-Javed Akhtar

Third

ऊँची इमारतों से मकाँ मेरा घिर गया 

कुछ लोग मेरे हिस्से का सूरज भी खा गए 

-Javed Akhtar

Fourth

आप भी आइए हम को भी बुलाते रहिए

दोस्‍ती ज़ुर्म नहीं दोस्‍त बनाते रहिए

-Javed Akhtar

Fifth

तमन्‍ना फिर मचल जाए अगर तुम मिलने आ जाओ

यह मौसम ही बदल जाए अगर तुम मिलने आ जाओ

-Javed Akhtar

Best Movies

Sholay

Thakur Baldev Singh a retired police officer hires two convicts Jaidev and Veeru to apprehend Gabbar Singh a bandit chief who has terrorised the small village of Ramgarh. Gabbar slaughtered Thakur’s entire family and had his arms severed. Thakur Baldev Singh unable to exact revenge on his own recruits Veeru and Jaidev both small-time crooks. Both agree to apprehend Gabbar Singh and turn him over to Baldev Singh. Veeru falls for the local horse-carriage driver Basanti and Jai develops romantic feelings for Baldev Singh’s widowed daughter-in-law Radha. To make matters worse Gabbar has vowed to assassinate both Jai and Veeru and he is holding Basanti hostage in order to lure them to him.

Don

Don (Amitabh Bachchan) a powerful gangster flees the cops and is killed during a shootout with Officer D’Silva (Iftekhar). D’Silva convinces a man named Vijay (also Bachchan) who is the spitting image of Don to assume Don’s identity and go undercover to catch the rest of Don’s gang. But then D’Silva is killed and everyone from gangsters to cops believes Vijay is Don. If he can’t persuade them otherwise it could be fatal.

Mr India

Mr India is a 1987 Indian Hindi-language superhero film directed by Shekhar Kapur and co-produced by Boney Kapoor and Surinder Kapoor through Narsimha Enterprises. Salim-Javed wrote the screenplay and story for the film which starred Anil Kapoor Sridevi and Amrish Puri and it was their final collaboration before splitting up. It follows Arun Verma (Anil Kapoor) a poor street violinist and philanthropist who receives a cloaking device that allows him to be invisible. While renting out his house to pay his debts he meets and falls in love with journalist Seema Sohni (Sridevi).

Kaala Patthar

Branded a coward for abandoning his ship full of 300 passengers Captain Vijay Pal Singh takes up work in a distant coal mine poorly equipped with no sufficient medical supplies or proper facilities. When the miners and their families face a catastrophe as water has forced its way into one of the mining tunnels endangering 400 lives will Vijay be able to rise to the occasion or will he `abandon ship’ again?

Seeta Aur Geeta

Seeta (Hema Malini) is an unhappy heiress who is mistreated by her aunt Kaushalya (Manorama) who controls the household finances despite inheriting them from Seeta’s late parents. Despondent Seeta attempts suicide but is rescued and misidentified as her lost twin sister Geeta (also Malini) who grew up poor and became a tough-minded street performer. The two swap places surprising everyone around them with their drastically different temperaments.

Deewar

Vijay haunted by his past turns to crime while his younger brother Ravi becomes an honest police officer. When Ravi is assigned to nab Vijay fate pits them against each other.

Yaadon ki Baarat

Ratan (Tariq) Vijay (Vijay Arora) and Shankar (Dharmendra) are orphaned when their father is killed along with his wife after witnessing a robbery led by the criminal Shakhaal (Ajit). Ratan grows up to be a successful musician while Vijay works as a groundskeeper. Meanwhile Shankar is a criminal whose boss is Shakhaal and when he learns that Shakhaal murdered his parents he seeks out his brothers and begins plotting vengeance.

Andaz

Raj relocates to Cape Town after his sweetheart Kajal marries another man. He eventually agrees to marry Jiya but is taken aback when he discovers she is Kajal’s widowed sister-in-law.

Best Songs

• Iktara (Wake Up Sid)
• Shaam (Aisha)
• Kal Ho Naa Ho (Kal Ho Naa Ho)
• Jashn-e-Bahara (Jodhaa Akbar)
• Dil Dhadakne Do (Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara)
• Do Pal (Veer Zara)
• Main Agar Kahoon (Om Shaanti Om)
• Dil Dhadakne Do (Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara)
• Chaand Taare Tod Laun (Yes Boss)
• Ek Ladki Ko Dekha (1942 A Love Story)

Career Timeline

Year	Film	Language	Director	Notes
1987	Mr. India	Hindi	Shekhar Kapur	Written as ‘Salim-Javed’
1985	Zamana	Hindi	Ramesh Talwar	Written as ‘Salim-Javed’
1982	Shakti	Hindi	Ramesh Sippy	Written as ‘Salim-Javed’
1981	Kranti	Hindi	Manoj Kumar	Written as ‘Salim-Javed’
1980	Dostana	Hindi	Raj Khosla	Written as ‘Salim-Javed’
1980	Shaan	Hindi	Ramesh Sippy	Written as ‘Salim-Javed’
1979	Kaala Patthar	Hindi	Yash Chopra	Written as ‘Salim-Javed’
1978	Trishul	Hindi	Yash Chopra	Written as ‘Salim-Javed’
1978	Don	Hindi	Chandra Barot	Written as ‘Salim-Javed’
1977	Immaan Dharam	Hindi	Desh Mukherjee	Written as ‘Salim-Javed’
1977	Chacha Bhatija	Hindi	Manmohan Desai	Written as ‘Salim-Javed’
1976	Premada Kanike	Kannada	V. Somashekhar	Written as ‘Salim-Javed’
1976	Raja Nanna Raja	Kannada	A. V. Seshagiri Rao	Written as ‘Salim-Javed’
1975	Deewaar	Hindi	Yash Chopra	Written as ‘Salim-Javed’
1975	Sholay	Hindi	Ramesh Sippy	Written as ‘Salim-Javed’
1975	Aakhri Dao	Hindi	A. Salaam	Written as ‘Salim-Javed’
1974	Majboor	Hindi	Ravi Tandon	Written as ‘Salim-Javed’
1974	Haath Ki Safai	Hindi	Prakash Mehra	Written as ‘Salim-Javed’
1973	Yaadon Ki Baaraat	Hindi	Nasir Hussain	Written as ‘Salim-Javed’
1973	Zanjeer	Hindi	Prakash Mehra	Written as ‘Salim-Javed’
1972	Seeta Aur Geeta	Hindi	Ramesh Sippy	Written as ‘Salim-Javed’
1971	Andaz	Hindi[35]	Ramesh Sippy	Written as ‘Salim-Javed’
1971	Adhikar	Hindi	S.M. Sagar	Written as ‘Salim-Javed’
1971	Haathi Mere Saathi	Hindi	M. A. Thirumugham	Written as ‘Salim-Javed’

Net Worth

Javed Akhtar is an Indian poet and writer who has a net worth of $20 million. The abilities of Javed Akhtar as a lyricist are well known. He is a true master of his craft having won numerous Filmfare and National Awards for the songs he has written over the years. His lyrics are utterly beautiful and inspirational. Javed Akhtar charges anywhere between Rs 10-15 Lakhs depending on the complexity of the music track.

Awards and Achievements

Annual Central European Bollywood Awards India

• 2008 Winner Popular Award Best Song Om Shanti Om (2007)

Awards of the International Indian Film Academy

• 2008 Winner Popular Award Best Lyricist Om Shanti Om (2007) For the song ‘Main Agar Kahoon’
• 2005 Winner Popular Award Best Lyricist Swades: We the People (2004) For the song ‘Pal Pal Hai Bhari’
• 2004 Winner Popular Award Best Lyricist Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003) For the song ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’
• 2002 Winner Popular Award Best Lyrics Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001) For ‘Radha Kaise Na Jale’.
• 2001 Winner Popular Award Best Lyricist Refugee (2000) For the song ‘Panchhi Nadiyan Pawan Ke’.

Bombay International Film Festival

• 2007 Winner Lifetime Achievement Award
• 2005 Winner Filmfare Award Best Lyricist Veer-Zaara (2004) For ‘Tere Liye’.
• 2004 Winner Filmfare Award Best Lyrics Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003) For the song ‘Kal ho na ho’.
• 2002 Winner Filmfare Award Best Lyricist Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001) For the song ‘Radha Kaise Na Jale’.
• 2001 Winner Filmfare Award Best Lyricist Refugee (2000) For ‘Panchhi Nadiya’.
• 1998 Winner Filmfare Award Best Lyricist Border (1997) For the song ‘Sandese aate hain’.
• 1997 Winner Filmfare Award Best Lyricist Papa Kahte Hain (1996) For the song ‘Ghar se nikalte hi’.
• 1995 Winner Filmfare Award Best Lyricist
• 1942: A Love Story (1994) For the song ‘Ek ladki ko dekha’.
• 1990 Winner Filmfare Award Best Dialogue Writer Main Azaad Hoon (1989)
• 1974 Winner Filmfare Award Best Screenplay Zanjeer (1973)

FOI Online Awards

• 2019 Winner FOI Online Award Best Original Song Gully Boy (2019)

Mirchi Music Awards IN

• 2015 Winner Special Award Lifetime Achievement Award
• 2013 Winner Critics’ Award Lyricist of the Year Talaash (2012) Song: ‘Jee Le Zara’
• 2010 Winner Listeners’ Choice Award Best Song of the Year Wake Up Sid (2009)
• 2009 Winner Critics’ Award Best Song of the Year Jodhaa Akbar (2008)

National Film Awards India

• 2002 Winner Silver Lotus Award Best Lyricist Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001) For the song ‘Radha Kaisa Na Jale’ and ‘Ghanan Ghanan’.
• 2001 Winner Silver Lotus Award Best Lyrics Refugee (2000)
• 1999 Winner Silver Lotus Award Best Lyricist Godmother (1999)
• 1998 Winner Silver Lotus Award Best Lyrics Border (1997) For the song ‘Sandese aate hain’

Screen Awards IN

• 2004 Winner Screen Award Best Lyrics LOC: Kargil (2003)
• 2002 Winner Technical Award Best Lyrics Dil Chahta Hai (2001) For the song ‘Jaane Kyon Log Pyar’
• 1998 Winner Screen Award Best Lyricist Border (1997) For ‘Sandese Aate Hain’
• 1995 Winner Screen Award Best Lyricist 1942: A Love Story (1994)

Zee Cine Awards

• 2005 Winner Popular Award Best Lyricst Swades: We the People (2004) For the song ‘Yeh Jo Des Hai Tera’.
• 2002 Winner Popular Award Best Lyricist Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001) For the song ‘Radha Kaise Na Jale’.

Interesting Facts

• Jadu is Javed Akhtar’s real name derived from a line in a poem written by his father ‘Lamha lamha kisi jadu ka fasana hoga.’ Javed is his given name because it is the closest to the word Jadu.
• Javed Akhtar arrived in Mumbai as a homeless man with no food or shelter in 1964. He had difficulty finding work in the Hindi film industry. He used to sleep under trees or in corridors until he found refuge in Jogeshwari’s Kamal Amrohi Studio.
• Early in his career he collaborated on some of his most popular projects with Salim Khan who was one-half of the scriptwriting team known as Salim-Javed. When Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar were working on the movie ‘Sarhadi Lootera ‘ Javed was a clapper boy and Salim was an actor. Javed was later appointed the movie’s dialogue writer after director SM Sagar failed to find one.
• Salim and Javed collaborated on the script’s ideas and dialogue. Salim came up with the stories. Javed wrote his scripts in Urdu and his assistant translated them into Hindi. An English one-line summary would be typed out by another assistant.
• Javed Akhtar has received fourteen Filmfare Awards seven for Best Script and seven for Best Lyrics. He has won the National Awards five times. For his poetry collection ‘Lava ‘ he received the Sahitya Akademi Award in Urdu in 2013 India’s second-highest literary honour.

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