Interview : Javed Akhtar

	JAVED AKHTAR

Javed Akhtar has just come back from IIFA winning the best lyricist award for JODHAA AKBAR. That has somehow become a routine feature in the life of lyricist-poet-screenplay writer Javed Akhtar. He is today a proud man more so for his son Farhan Akhtar and daughter Zoya Akhtar. Akhtar speaks to our correspondent on life, films, poetry and his children.

Congratulations on winning yet another award for the best lyricist.
Thanks. IIFA too has become one of the major awards in the Hindi film industry and that’s one reason why you feel good winning at this ceremony.

Your family now looks complete with everyone now into films.

“Farhan has always given me surprises.”

(Laughs) Yes…it’s a filmy family now but we all do things our way. No one interferes in other’s work but at the same time everyone is very supportive to the other. Zoya had been waiting long for her first film as a director and now that it has released we all are happy. She has done it on her own and that’s why it took such a long time. But I think that’s what even Zoya wanted.

Even Farhan’s success as an actor and singer must have made you happy?
I am a proud father now (Laughs). But that is how Farhan is. He has always given me surprises but every time it has been a pleasant surprise. When he decided to direct, he came to me and said that and I was surprised. Then he gave me a surprise by saying that he is acting and then he thought of singing. So he has been full of surprises.

	view CELEBS ARRIVE BACK FROM IIFA AWARDS picture gallery

Apparently, you aren’t writing the script for Farhan’s sequel to DON, which is DON 2.
(Thinks) I wrote the first one, the original DON, and then Farhan asked me to write for the one he directed. Now it’s up to him to decide. He himself is writing the script and I think he will do a good job.

Don’t you plan to write more scripts? You have really cut down on that.
In fact I have finished writing two scripts. (Smiles) Now as an unemployed I will go to the producers and directors and ask them if they would like to work on it. If they like the script I am sure they will give me some work.

So poetry and lyrics is what keeps you busy?
No, not at all, I am not a busy man. I write poetry not only for film but also for myself, my children and at times for everyone. I have done the lyrics for Ashutosh Gowariker’s WHAT’S YOUR RASHEE. There are two more films, SHORTKUT: THE CON IS ON and FAST FORWARD, which will release soon. Besides this I have recently tried to translate two songs of Rabindranath Tagore in Hindi.