Farhan Akhtar On Honey Irani Not Receiving Writing Credit For DDLJ: ‘Mom Was Deeply Hurt, But...’

Honey Irani, Farhan Akhtar’s mother, began her journey in Indian cinema as a child artist before transitioning to screenwriting, where she built a respected name for herself. Reports suggest she made significant contributions to the script of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ) but did not receive due credit. This reportedly caused a rift between her and Yash Chopra, leading to the two never collaborating again. In a recent interview, Farhan Akhtar addressed the issue, saying that his mother has long since moved on from the incident.

Reflecting on the incident in an interview with MidDay, Farhan Akhtar said, “It was heartbreaking for all concerned. The relationship that my mom shared, we shared with Yash Chopra; his wife, Pamela Chopra, was like

one family. For me, Uday and Adi are still my brothers, and I am glad that all of them are behind us. Things happen between people who love each other, and at some point, you have to move on by forgiving and forgetting. So I am glad that happened because they are important people in all our lives. What happened was unfortunate; now the silver lining is it’s all behind us, and everyone has moved on graciously.”

Why Was Honey Irani’s Credit Missing?

Earlier, in Anupama Chopra’s book Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge: A Modern Classic, Honey Irani described her role in the scripting stages. She remembered multiple early-morning meetings with Aditya, as well as going to Switzerland with the team for the shoot. While she conceded that Aditya had done “quite a lot of work” on the writing, she insisted that she played an important role in crafting the story.

She argued that her contribution deserved credit. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge still holds the record for the longest-running Hindi film. The film is widely regarded not only as a milestone in Hindi cinema but also as possibly the best work of its director, Aditya Chopra, who made his directorial debut with it.

Farhan Akhtar’s Latest Work

Meanwhile, Farhan Akhtar is currently making headlines for his latest film 120 Bahahur. Razneesh Ghai directed 120 Bahadur, a 2025 Hindi historical battle drama produced by Excel Entertainment and Trigger Happy Studios.

Farhan Akhtar stars as Major Shaitan Singh, while Raashii Khanna plays his wife, Shagun Kanwar. The film recounts the Battle of Rezang La, one of the most pivotal and heroic moments of the 1962 Sino-Indian War.