A golden journey
Nonika Singh

Poet, lyricist and scriptwriter Javed Akhtar’s journey in filmdom may have spanned five decades, but his poetry and approach to life still remain fresh and fragrant with new meanings

He is the quintessential pied-piper who has left generations mesmerised, first with the power of his story telling and today with the magic of poetry. Whichever way you look at lyricist, poet and scriptwriter Javed Akhtar, you can’t escape the hypnotic spell he creates. So five decades ago when he stepped into Mumbai as a 19-year-old lad, did he expect to find such fame and adulation? He smiles and says in characteristic Akhtar style, "Whosoever comes to this sapnon ki nagri has dreams in his eyes and hopes to find his place under the sun."

Sure much has changed since then. But unlike others of his generation, he wouldn’t wallow in the nostalgia of the past. So, despite a sterling innings in filmdom that has included awards, honours and tremendous fan following he refuses to glorify the past. Rather he can see many heartening things in the cinema of today, most importantly, the presence of so many women. He says, "Back in time, women were confined to only being actors. Today you see them in all kinds of fields. From scriptwriters to cinematographers and as directors, their presence is palpable and perceptible."

So why is it that we still don’t have more womencentric films? He reasons, "For television has taken over the task of generating content for female audience and our cinema largely caters to men."

Indeed, he agrees that even when women hold the directorial baton, films tend to be gender neutral. Would he say the same for his talented daughter Zoya Akthar?

He nods, "Yes though I can sense a woman’s sensibility in her cinema, I guess by and large her movies are not encumbered by the gender baggage."

Undeniably, he stands as the proud father of two gifted children Zoya and Farhan Akhtar. However, what makes his heart truly swell with pride is not just the success of his children but the fact that it has not come at any cost as they have stuck to their principles without compromising.

Not that he finds Bollywood a world peopled with unprincipled or uncreative people. So if you believe that he and Gulzar, stalwart poets and lyricists, stand out as anachronisms in the formula-driven filmdom, he begs to differ.

"Who and how do you define creativity? Would say you Raju Hirani or Anurag Kashyap are not creative?" he questions.

Actually, today more than ever he feels Hindi cinema is headed in the right direction. And the writer, who along with Salim, gave us some memorable grey characters as in Deewar observes that directors and writers are truly delving into more nuanced and complex characters. Though Bollywood has taken a huge leap forward in technology and professionalism too, he sees no reason why we need to compete with Hollywood. As cinema is getting more mature and is all set to become even better, he continues to find his space in it. Amazingly and refreshingly the poet in him has consistently kept pace with changing time and metaphors.

We wonder aloud whether it his wife Shabana Azmi, who is the inspiration behind his poetry, especially romantic songs? He laughs and quips, "Now you have caught me in a no-win situation. Either way I am doomed."

On a serious note, he says, "Life is full of inspiration. All you need to do is keep your eyes and ears open." Right now he is busy opening out doors and windows for the uninitiated and making them delve into many layers of Indian poetry. In a special on-demand interactive programme, he brings out the intrinsic essence of dohas and shayari. Dohas, he believes, encapsulate the wisdom of life. Urdu poetry, he dispels, is not just roomani rather reveals many shades of life and emotions. And his poetry immortalised in many a film and books is more than words, more than feelings as it comes laden with fragrance of life, meanings and beauty. While his admirers pick their favorites and find a world of meaning in lines such as "Dil aakhir tu kyun rota hai? Duniya mein yun hi hota hai, Yeh jo gehre sannate hain, Waqt ne sabko hi baante hain," he won’t single out the ones close to his heart. Or pinpoint any that sum up his philosophy the best. He shoots off, "If any one poem of mine could say it all, where would be the need for me to go on?" Does that explain why arrows in his poetic quiver will neither lose its relevance nor force and impact? So be ready for more tarkashes.

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