Angry Young Men: Javed Akhtar Recalls Painful Challenges He Faced In The Past, ‘My Only Trouser Was Torn, Didn’t Eat For Days’
Javed Akhtar opened up about the struggles and challenges he faced after moving to Mumbai in his docu-series Angry Young Man
Veteran Bollywood lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar never leaves a stone unturned when it comes to discussing his views on his experiences, his struggles, and the challenges he has faced, over the years. In his docu-series Angry Young Men, he got emotional while sharing anecdotes from his professional journey in the Hindi entertainment industry. From moving to Mumbai, after graduating from Safia College in Bhopal, to becoming an assistant director and working with legends like Raj Kapoor and Guru Dutt, he and his family opened up about it all.
Speaking about his initial days in Mumbai, Akhtar broke down crying while reminiscing about how he struggled to survive, as he literally didn’t have clothes to wear or food to eat. He went on to add how he still feels like breakfast isn’t meant for him. Being one of the most sought-after personalities in Bollywood, his journey wasn’t a cakewalk. The veteran recalled how since he was on his own in Mumbai, he has slept at railway stations, parks, benches, and even studio compounds.
As he struggled to compose himself, the emotional 79-year-old screenwriter recalled how his last and only trouser was torn to an “extent that it couldn’t be worn anymore.” “And I had no other trousers,” he tearfully added. Akhtar went on to add that sometimes he had to walk miles, from Dadar to Bandra, as he didn’t have enough money to pay for a bus fare. He added, “Sometimes I realised I hadn’t eaten for two days.”
Akhtar’s wife, actress Shabana Azmi also revealed how there was a time when he had gone without food for three days straight.
Reliving the past, the veteran expressed how being deprived of food and sleep left a deep and unforgettable impact on his life. Quoted by the Free Press Journal, he said, “Even today, when I stay at hotels, I look back at that time. Sometimes I am served breakfast on a trolley, with butter, jam, half-fried eggs, coffee, and I think to myself: ‘Teri aukaat thi? Do I deserve this?’. Even now, it feels like this breakfast isn’t meant for me.”
Talking about the docu-series, Angry Young Men revisits the challenges faced by maverick screenwriter duo Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar, also known as Salim-Javed. Currently streaming on Prime Video, the series sees their families as well as industry veterans like Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan sharing their testimonies about them.
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