Mumbai, Oct 4: Javed Akhtar turns 81 on Sunday, but his journey to becoming one of Hindi cinema’s most respected writers began with little more than 27 naye paise and a dream.
On his birthday, his wife and veteran actor Shabana Azmi looked back at the difficult early years of his life, when he had no home, little food and no certainty about what lay ahead.
The ‘Ankur’ actor shared a picture of a young Javed Akhtar on Instagram and recalled how he arrived in Bombay on October 4, 1964. Javed was 19 years old when he came to the city with just 27 naye paise but was determined to build a life around his dreams.
“4th Oct 1964. A young lad arrived at Bombay Central Station with 27 naye paise in his pocket but with big dreams in his eyes. Life gave him several hard knocks . He slept on the footpaths, at the railway stations , and in the compound of many a studio.”
The actress also recalled one of the toughest periods of his early life, when Javed had gone without food for three days and had almost nothing left to wear. Even at the “edge of despair”, Shabana said, he refused to give up.
“A day came when he had nothing to eat for 3 days and the only clothes he had were the shreds on his body. On the edge of despair when he could have given up , he said to himself “ Main yunhi marne ke liye nahin paida nahin hua tha . Yeh din badlenge “.. as they did . 4th October 1964: a 19 yr old , almost penniless,” she added.
“4th October 2026 , decades later: a life that has given India some of its most memorable words.This is the story of Javed Akhtar. Some journeys begin with almost nothing. Except a dream. If he can do it so can you . Never give up,” she further wrote.
Shabana and Javed tied the knot in 1984. Reportedly, the legendary writer had met Shabana for the first time at her father and famous poet Kaifi Azmi's home. Javed was previously married to Honey Irani. He has two children, Farhan Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar, from his first marriage. (ANI)
