Javed Akhtar Arrived In Mumbai With 27 Paise. The Rest Is History.

MUMBAI- Shabana Azmi has recalled the difficult early years of her husband, celebrated lyricist-screenwriter Javed Akhtar, revealing how he battled extreme hardship before making a name for himself in the film industry.

Remembering the period when Javed was struggling to find a foothold in Mumbai, Shabana said he slept on footpaths and at railway stations and once went without food for three days, with only “shreds” of clothing on his body.

Sharing a rare throwback photograph of Javed, Shabana wrote, “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. 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. 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.”

Javed Akhtar went on to become one of the most celebrated writers and lyricists in Indian cinema. Along with Salim Khan, he formed the iconic screenwriting duo Salim-Javed, whose work helped shape Hindi cinema in the 1970s and 1980s.

The duo is known for films including ‘Zanjeer’, ‘Deewaar’, ‘Sholay’ and ‘Don’. Javed later established himself as a prolific lyricist and poet.

Shabana and Javed married on December 9, 1984. (IANS)