Legendary screen writer Javed Akhtar recently reacted to Oscar-winning music maestro AR Rahman’s comments on him not getting work in the Hindi film industry due to “communal” reasons.
The lyricist went on to explain that he never felt like that in the past years. Notedly the legendary screenwriter and poet has always been open over his beliefs and thinking. Amidst the buzz, Javed Akhtar’s old comments have resurfaced on the internet.
Javed Akhtar had always voiced that he was an atheist and later called a liar as he wrote devotional songs like
‘O Paalanhaare’ from ‘Lagaan’ and ‘Pal Pal Hai Bhaari’ from ‘Swades’. In an old Javed Akhtar, opened up, that he must have been a witness to what they call the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb in Awadh, where he grew up. That sounds something rare. He isn’t aware if you’ll be able to capture that world or that value system again.
The veteran screenwriter shared he grew up in a Muslim family. He said, “How did they know all of this? Ramleela, Krishna Leela? He can write Rama and Krishna aartis. How is he able to? Where did he get this from? They were a part of his growth. It wasn’t a big deal either. That’s how people were. He is unaware where that’s disappeared now.”
Talking about the good old days, he had said, they were dressed in yellow on Basant Panchmi. The culture of celebration existed back then. He doesn’t see it anymore. That’s how people were in Lucknow. It’s a unique place and still is.
AR Rahman music maestro recounted to told BBC Asian Network in a recent interview that the volume of his work in the Hindi film industry had declined over the past eight years and hinted that it could be linked to a “communal thing.” He also said there have been transformations in industry power structures where creative control has shifted away from creative people.
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News Edit KV Raman