Stories
Shabana Azmi Celebrates Javed Akhtar's 62-Year Bollywood Journey, Recalls His Struggle
M
Moneycontrol•04-10-2026, 18:23
Shabana Azmi Celebrates Javed Akhtar's 62-Year Bollywood Journey, Recalls His Struggle
- •Shabana Azmi celebrated 62 years since Javed Akhtar first arrived in Mumbai on October 4, 1964, with only 27 naye paise.
- •She shared an old picture and recounted his early struggles, including sleeping on footpaths and railway stations.
- •Akhtar faced extreme hardship, once going three days without food and having only tattered clothes.
- •Despite despair, he maintained a strong will, believing his days would change, leading to his success as a writer.
- •Javed Akhtar became an influential writer, forming the iconic Salim-Javed duo, and later a celebrated lyricist, marrying Shabana Azmi in 1984.
Key Questions Answered
Javed Akhtar arrived in Mumbai, then Bombay, on October 4, 1964, coming from Gwalior with only 27 naye paise in his pocket.
The 1973 film Zanjeer marked a major career breakthrough for the legendary screenwriting partnership of Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar.
Javed Akhtar made his official debut as a lyricist with Yash Chopra’s film Silsila in 1981.
