Early life

Javed Akhtar was born in 1945 in Gwalior. His father Jan Nisar Akhtar was a Bollywood film songwriter and Urdu poet, and his mother Safia Akhtar was a singer, teacher and writer. His grandfather Muztar Khairabadi was a poet as was his grandfather's elder brother, Bismil Khairabadi, while his great great grandfather, Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi, was a scholar of Islamic studies and theology and played an important role in the First Independence Movement of India in 1857. Javed Akhtar's original name was Jadoo, taken from a line in a poem written by his father: "Lamha, lamha kisi jadoo ka fasana hoga". He was given the official name of Javed since it was the closest to the word jadoo. He graduated from Saifiya College in Bhopal.

Career (1971-1982)

Main article: Salim-Javed

Salim met Javed Akhthar for the first time during the making of the film Sarhadi Lootera. Salim was a small-time actor, and Sarhadi Lootera was one of the last films he acted in before he turned his attention to writing. Javed was a clapper boy for the film and was later made the dialogue writer as director S.M. Sagar was unable to find a dialogue writer. While working in this film their friendship began. Salim Khan used to assist writer/director Abrar Alvi at first and Javed Akhtar used to assist Kaifi Azmi. Abrar Alvi and Kaifi Azmi were neighbours, from there on Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar became friends. The duo hit it off well and formed a script-writing team that came to be known as Salim-Javed. Salim used to form stories and plots whereas Javed used to help Salim with the dialogues for those films. They used to brainstorm and come to conclusions regarding the final draft of the film.Akhtar used to write his scripts in Urdu, which were then written out in Hindi by his assistant. Another assistant would type out a one-line summary in English. His association with Salim Khan lasted until 1982.

Initially in the 1970s there was no concept of having the same writer for the screenplay, story and dialogue nor were the writers given any credits in the title. Rajesh Khanna is credited with giving Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar their first chance to become screenplay writers by offering them work in Haathi Mere Saathi. Javed Akhtar accepted in an interview that "One day, he went to Salimsaab and said that Mr. Devar had given him a huge signing amount with which he could complete the payment for his bungalow Aashirwad. But the film was a remake and the script of the original was far from being satisfactory. He told us that if we could set right the script, he would make sure we got both money and credit." Salim-Javed were hired by G. P. Sippy's Sippy Films as resident screenwriters and produced the screenplays for successful films like Andaz, Seeta Aur Geeta, Sholay and Don.

Their first big success was the script for Andaz, followed by Adhikar (1971), Haathi Mere Saathi andSeeta Aur Geeta (1972). They also had hits in Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973), Zanjeer (1973), Haath Ki Safai (1974), Deewaar (1975), Sholay (1975), Premada Kaanike, Chacha Bhatija (1977), Don (1978), Trishul (1978), Manushulu Chesina Dongalu, Yugandhar, Dostana (1980), Kranti (1981), Zamana (1985) and Mr. India (1987). They have worked together in 25 films including 2 Telugu films - Manushulu Chesina Dongalu, Yugandhar and two Kannada films - Premada Kanike and Raja Nanna Raja. Of the 25 films they wrote 21 were hits. The scripts they wrote but which were not successful at box office include Aakhri Dao (1975), Immaan Dharam (1977), Kaala Patthar (1979),Shaan (1980). Though they split in 1982, due to ego issues, some of the scripts they wrote were made into hit films later like Zamana and Mr. India. Salim-Javed, many a time described as "the most successful scriptwriters of all-time", are also noted to be the first scriptwriters in Indian cinema to achieve star status.

Career (1982-present)

Akhtar was nominated to the Parliament upper house Rajya Sabha on 16 November 2009.

Personal life

"There are certain things that I would like to make very clear at the very outset. Don't get carried away by my name - Javed Akhtar. I am not revealing a secret, I am saying something that I have said many times, in writing or on TV, in public…I am an atheist, I have no religious beliefs. And obviously I don't believe in spirituality of some kind."

—Akhtar talking about his religious beliefs.

Akhtar was a Muslim but later became atheist. He has brought up his children Farhan and Zoya Akhtar also as atheists.

Akhtar was married to Honey Irani, with whom he had two children, Farhan Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar, both film directors and actors. The father-and-son duo have worked together in films such as Dil Chahta Hai, Lakshya, Rock On!! and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara with Zoya. Farhan was married to Adhuna Akhtar, a hair stylist.

Javed divorced Irani and later married Shabana Azmi, the daughter of another Urdu poet, Kaifi Azmi

Awards

Akhthar was awarded the civilian honour of Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1999, followed by the Padma Bhushan in 2007. In 2013, he received the Sahitya Akademi Award in Urdu, India's second highest literary honour, for his poetry collection Lava.

Filmography

As scriptwriter

Teamed as Salim-Javed

Year	Film	Language	Director	Cast	Notes
1971	Andaz	Hindi	Ramesh Sippy	Rajesh Khanna, Hema Malini, Shammi Kapoor, Simi Garewal	Written as "Salim-Javed"
1971	Adhikar	Hindi	S.M. Sagar	Ashok Kumar, Nanda, Deb Mukherjee	Written as "Salim-Javed"
1971	Haathi Mere Saathi	Hindi	M. A. Thirumugham	Rajesh Khanna, Tanuja	Written as "Salim-Javed"
1972	Seeta Aur Geeta	Hindi	Ramesh Sippy	Hema Malini, Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar	Written as "Salim-Javed"
1973	Yaadon Ki Baaraat	Hindi	Nasir Hussain	Dharmendra, Vijay Arora, Tariq Khan	Written as "Salim-Javed"
1973	Zanjeer	Hindi	Prakash Mehra	Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bhaduri, Pran	Written as "Salim-Javed"
1974	Majboor	Hindi	Ravi Tandon	Amitabh Bachchan, Parveen Babi, Pran	Written as "Salim-Javed"
1974	Haath Ki Safai	Hindi	Prakash Mehra	Randhir Kapoor, Vinod Khanna, Hema Malini, Simi Garewal, Ranjeet	Written as "Salim-Javed"
1975	Deewaar	Hindi	Yash Chopra	Amitabh Bachchan, Shashi Kapoor, Parveen Babi, Neetu Singh	Written as "Salim-Javed"
1975	Sholay	Hindi	Ramesh Sippy	Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjeev Kumar, Hema Malini, Jaya Bhaduri	Written as "Salim-Javed"
1975	Aakhri Dao	Hindi	A. Salaam	Jeetendra, Saira Banu, Danny Denzongpa	Written as "Salim-Javed"
1976	Premada Kanike	Kannada	V. Somashekhar	Rajkumar, Aarathi	Written as "Salim-Javed"
1976	Raja Nanna Raja	Kannada	A. V. Seshagiri Rao	Rajkumar, Aarathi	Written as "Salim-Javed"
1977	Immaan Dharam	Hindi	Desh Mukherjee	Amitabh Bachchan, Shashi Kapoor, Sanjeev Kumar, Rekha	Written as "Salim-Javed"
1977	Chacha Bhatija	Hindi	Manmohan Desai	Dharmendra, Randhir Kapoor, Hema Malini	Written as "Salim-Javed"
1978	Trishul	Hindi	Yash Chopra	Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjeev Kumar, Shashi Kapoor, Hema Malini	Written as "Salim-Javed"
1978	Don	Hindi			Written as "Salim-Javed"
1979	Kaala Patthar	Hindi	Yash Chopra	Amitabh Bachchan	Written as "Salim-Javed"
1980	Dostana	Hindi			Written as "Salim-Javed"
1980	Shaan	Hindi			Written as "Salim-Javed"
1981	Kranti	Hindi			Written as "Salim-Javed"
1982	Shakti	Hindi	Ramesh Sippy	Dilip Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Raakhee, Anil Kapoor	Written as "Salim-Javed"
1985	Zamana	Hindi	Ramesh Talwar	Rajesh Khanna, Rishi Kapoor, Poonam Dhillon, Ranjeeta Kaur	Written as "Salim-Javed"
1987	Mr. India	Hindi	Shekhar Kapur	Anil Kapoor, Sridevi, Amrish Puri	Written as "Salim-Javed"

As Javed Akhtar

Year	Film	Language	Director	Cast	Notes
1983	Betaab	Hindi	Rahul Rawail	Sunny Deol, Amrita Singh	Written as "Javed Akhtar"
1984	Duniya	Hindi	Ramesh Talwar	Dilip Kumar, Rishi Kapoor, Amrita Singh	Written as "Javed Akhtar"
1984	Mashaal	Hindi	Yash Chopra	Dilip Kumar, Anil Kapoor	Written as "Javed Akhtar"
1985	Saagar	Hindi	Ramesh Sippy	Rishi Kapoor, Kamal Haasan	Written as "Javed Akhtar"
1985	Arjun	Hindi	Rahul Rawail	Sunny Deol, Dimple Kapadia	Written as "Javed Akhtar"
1985	Meri Jung	Hindi	Subhash Ghai	Anil Kapoor, Meenakshi Sheshadri	Written as "Javed Akhtar"
1987	Dacait	Hindi	Rahul Rawail	Sunny Deol, Raakhee	Written as "Javed Akhtar"
1989	Main Azaad Hoon	Hindi	Tinnu Anand	Amitabh Bachchan, Shabana Azmi	Written as "Javed Akhtar"
1992	Khel	Hindi	Rakesh Roshan	Anil Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit	Written as "Javed Akhtar"
1993	Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja	Hindi	Satish Kaushik	Anil Kapoor, Sridevi	Written as "Javed Akhtar"
1995	Prem	Hindi	Satish Kaushik	Sanjay Kapoor, Tabu
2004	Lakshya	Hindi	Farhan Akhtar	Hrithik Roshan, Preity Zinta	Written as "Javed Akhtar"
2006	Don: The Chase Begins Again	Hindi	Farhan Akhtar	Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra	Written as "Javed Akhtar"

As lyricist

Duniya (1984) Saagar 1942: A Love Story Dil Chahta Hai Saath-Saath Narsimha (1991) Mashaal Sailaab Mr. India Tezaab Hafta bandh Joshilay Arjun Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja Yugandhar Jamai Raja Khel Gardish Silsila Papa Kehte Hain Border Sapnay Virasat Mrityu Dand Dastak Sardari Begum Saaz Mil Gayee Manzil Mujhe Diljale Yes Boss Darmiyaan: In Between Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya Wajood Kabhi Na Kabhi

Drohi Jeans Bada Din Duplicate Laawaris Godmother Baadshah Arjun Pandit 1947 Earth Dillagi Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani Refugee Karobaar Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai Raja Ko Rani Se Pyaar Ho Gaya Champion Gang Pyaar Ki Dhun Zubeidaa Lagaan (2001) Abhay Moksha Agni Varsha Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai Badhaai Ho Badhaai Ye Kya Ho Raha Hai Satta Love at Times Square Hero Armaan Chalte Chalte Kuch Naa Kaho Kal Ho Naa Ho L.O.C. Kargil

Tehzeeb Main Hoon Na (2004) Veer-Zaara (2004) Lakshya Charas Kyun! Ho Gaya Na... Dobara Swades Kisna: The Warrior Poet Bose: The Forgotten Hero Mangal Pandey: The Rising Dil Jo Bhi Kahey... Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna Don: The Chase Begins Again Namastey London Ta Ra Rum Pum Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal Welcome Om Shanti Om Jodhaa Akbar Rock On!! Luck by Chance (2009) What's Your Raashee? (2009) Wake Up Sid (2009) Karthik Calling Karthik (2010) Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey (2010) Aisha (2010) Red Alert - The War Within (2010) Prem Kaa Game (2010) Don 2: The King is Back (2011) Traffic Signal (2009) Ekk Deewana Tha (2012) Talaash (2012) Vishwaroop (2013)

[ Source: Wikipedia ]