Javed Akhtar (born 17 January 1945) is an Indian poet, lyricist and screenwriter. As one half of the writing team Salim–Javed, he co-wrote some of the most famous Hindi films of the 1970s, including Zanjeer, Deewaar and Sholay, and helped create the “angry young man” played by Amitabh Bachchan. From the 1980s he became one of Hindi cinema’s leading lyricists, winning five National Film Awards. He is also a respected Urdu poet and an outspoken public voice for secularism.
Quick Facts
| Birth name | Jadu Akhtar |
| Born | 17 January 1945, Gwalior, Gwalior State (now Madhya Pradesh), India |
| Age | 81 |
| Occupation | Poet, lyricist, screenwriter |
| Parents | Jan Nisar Akhtar, Safia Akhtar |
| Education | Saifiya College, Bhopal |
| Spouse | Honey Irani (m. 1972; div. 1985); Shabana Azmi (m. 1984) |
| Children | Zoya Akhtar, Farhan Akhtar |
| Honours | Padma Shri (1999), Padma Bhushan (2007), Sahitya Akademi Award (2013) |
Early Life
Akhtar comes from a family of Urdu writers. His father, Jan Nisar Akhtar, was a poet and film lyricist; his mother, Safia, was a teacher and writer and the sister of the poet Majaz. His great-great-grandfather Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi was a scholar who took part in the revolt of 1857. His mother died when he was eight, and he was brought up by relatives in Lucknow, Aligarh and Bhopal, where he studied at Saifiya College and was known as a debater.
Career
Akhtar arrived in Bombay in October 1964 with almost no money and spent years sleeping in studio compounds and working as a clapper boy and dialogue writer. He teamed up with Salim Khan, father of Salman Khan, and together they wrote Andaz, Seeta Aur Geeta, Zanjeer (1973), Deewaar (1975), Sholay (1975), directed by Ramesh Sippy, Trishul and Don. They were the first screenwriters in Hindi cinema to become stars, insisting that their names appear on film posters. The partnership ended in 1982.
His first songs as a lyricist were for Yash Chopra‘s Silsila (1981). He went on to write for 1942: A Love Story, Border, Dil Chahta Hai, Lagaan, Kal Ho Naa Ho, Swades, Jodhaa Akbar and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, working often with A. R. Rahman and Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy. He won the National Film Award for Best Lyrics five times, for Saaz, Border, Godmother, Refugee and Lagaan.
Akhtar’s first collection of Urdu poems, Tarkash (1995), was a best-seller, and his second, Lava (2012), won the Sahitya Akademi Award for Urdu in 2013.
Public Life
He was a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha from 2010 to 2016, where he campaigned successfully to amend the Copyright Act in 2012 so that lyricists and composers receive royalties. A self-declared atheist, he speaks often against religious extremism of every kind and received the Richard Dawkins Award in 2020.
Personal Life
Akhtar married the screenwriter Honey Irani in 1972; their children, Zoya and Farhan, are both leading filmmakers. He married the actress Shabana Azmi in 1984.
Awards and Honours
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Javed Akhtar born?
Javed Akhtar was born on 17 January 1945 in Gwalior, Gwalior State (now Madhya Pradesh), India and is 81 years old.
What is Javed Akhtar’s occupation?
Occupation: Poet, lyricist, screenwriter.
What honours has Javed Akhtar received?
Padma Shri (1999), Padma Bhushan (2007), Sahitya Akademi Award (2013).
Featured image: Javed Akhtar at the Jaipur Literature Festival, 2025. Photo by Sriya Sarkar, licensed under CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
