Javed Akhtar is one of the most celebrated screenwriters and lyricists in the Hindi film industry and is also admired for his unfiltered personality. Recently, he shared an interesting anecdote from his personal life and revealed that he and his son Farhan Akhtar usually take 3 to 5 days to schedule a meeting with each other due to their busy lives.
In a candid conversation in the US, shared on Zaidi Channel on YouTube, Javed Akhtar shared his take on the concept of joint family and cited his example. He said he has a small family, as he lives with his wife-actress Shabana Azmi, while his son, Farhan Akhtar, and daughter, Zoya Akhtar, have their individual homes.
But, since he and his children have busy schedules, it often requires planning for them to take out time for each other. But, the lyricist highlighted, people often view it as a sign of a tense relationship between the father-son duo.
“When I came here, some people asked me, ‘You didn’t get Farhan along with you?’ Is he jobless or what? I have to call him before seeing him, or he calls me to ask when we can meet. Usually, we fix an appointment that’s after 3-5 days. This is bound to happen. Such is life,” he explained.
The screenwriter also shared his take on the changed family dynamics over time. Sharing an interesting anecdote, Akhtar recalled that when he was a child, it was surprising for people in India to hear that relatives in the US or England called each other before paying visits. But, the times have changed, and even in India, people call and plan before meeting, which he believes is perfectly fine.
At the same time, he noted that such distance is natural and okay for relationships. To explain his point, he cited example of human parenting with that of animals. Javed mentioned that even if animals raise their kids with extreme care and unconditional love, they give them space to live independently once they grow up. Consequently, he feels it’s unnatural for humans to direct their 40-year-old children about what to do and avoid.
