Veteran poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar recently reacted to ace music composer A.R. Rahman’s remark about the Hindi film industry becoming more communal over the past eight years. Akhtar, in his remark,
claimed that in all these years in the industry, he never felt that way. Javed Akhtar has been quite vocal about his beliefs and thinking. Earlier, he has also spoken about being called a liar for claiming to be an atheist and then writing devotional songs like “O Paalanhaare” from Lagaan (2001) and “Pal Pal Hai Bhaari” from Swades (2004).
Javed Akhtar has given some of the most beautiful devotional songs on Hindu deities while he is a Muslim. In a conversation with O2 India last year, Javed Akhtar said, “I must have witnessed the tail end of what we call the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb in Awadh, where I grew up. That’s something rare. I don’t know if you’ll be able to capture that world or that value system again.”
While Javed argued that he has grown up in a communist family, they were perceived to be Muslims, at least traditionally. But he shared that he is still able to write aartis and bhajans and stated, “How did we know all of this? Ramleela, Krishna Leela? I can write Rama and Krishna aartis. How am I able to? Where did I get this from? They were a part of my growth. It wasn’t a big deal either. That’s how people were. I don’t know where that’s disappeared now.”
Further continuing and speaking about how there was harmony between people during his childhood, Akhtar shared, “We were dressed in yellow on Basant Panchmi. The culture of celebration existed back then. I don’t see it anymore. That’s how people were in Lucknow. It’s a unique place. It still is.”
What did A.R. Rahman say?
Rahman, in an interview with BBC Asian Network, had said that the reasons often reach him indirectly and tagged it as “Chinese whispers.” He went on to say in the interview, “People who are not creative have the power now to decide things, and this might have been a communal thing also, but not in my face.”
What did Javed Akhtar say in response to Rahman’s comment?
Sharing his perspective, Akhtar said he has never experienced this sentiment in Mumbai and stressed that Rahman continues to command immense respect across the industry. “I have never felt this way. I meet people here in Mumbai. They have great respect for him,” Akhtar told IANS.
