"I used to have a bottle of alcohol every night"
Renowned screenwriter and lyricist Javed Akhtar opened up on why his marriage to Honey Irani fell apart.
The former couple married in 1972 and divorced in 1985. They share two children together – Zoya and Farhan Akhtar.
Akhtar admitted that his battle with alcoholism caused his relationship with Irani to end.
He reflected: “I’m sure if I would’ve been a sober person and if I was more responsible, perhaps the story would’ve been different.
“This [battle with alcoholism] is a part of that failed relationship.
“She’s a wonderful person. She’s a very nice person, and I have great respect for her.
“And that is why today, we’re best of friends.”
Javed Akhtar and Honey Irani have been seen together at the graduation ceremony of their granddaughter Shakya Akhtar at Lancaster University, UK.
Also present was Akhtar’s second and current wife Shabana Azmi, whom he married in 1984.
Akhtar also spoke about how Shabana combatted his alcoholism, saying:
“That’s her sensibility. Somehow she managed to do it for almost the first 10 years.
“But then she married the person who was drinking like that, didn’t she?”
In 2012, Akhtar appeared on Aamir Khan’s television show Satyamev Jayate, where he discussed his past issues with alcohol.
He said: “There was a time when I used to have a bottle of alcohol every night for 11 or 12 years.
“I think there is a glamour surrounding alcohol.
“Young people think that if they drink, they have grown up.
“In our films, the hero would sing a song after drinking, and the song was very nice.
“But drinking is not the same in real life. I have been sober for the past 21 years.”
Akhtar recently responded to Sandeep Reddy Vanga, who had slammed the writer for criticising the alleged misogyny in his film Animal (2023).
Javed Akhtar said: “I was not criticising the filmmaker at all.
“I think in a democratic society, he has the right to make one Animal, and many Animals.
“I was concerned about the audience, not about the filmmaker. He has the right to make any film.”
Akhtar’s writing career began with the legendary screenwriting duo Salim-Javed, in which he formed an evergreen partnership with Salim Khan.
They wrote unforgettable scripts for classics including Zanjeer (1973), Sholay (1975) and Kranti (1981).
Akhtar has penned lyrics for films including Silsila (1981), Lagaan (2001) and Dunki (2023).
In February 2024, it was announced that Javed Akhtar would write lyrics for the upcoming Lahore 1947.
The film stars Sunny Deol, Preity Zinta and Akhtar’s wife Shabana Azmi.
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