Javed Akhtar has partnered with a leading pay-TV company to rekindle the interest of youth in poetry. He tells Neeti Nigam how he became a poet
In these times, when Bollywood music is less poetic and more lame, poets like Javed Akhtar are holding the fort and ensuring that the magic of words is not lost. While the veteran lyricist was here to promote a new service by Tata Sky, he said that language is not only a means of communication but it also reflects our culture and tradition, so we need to preserve it.
Akhtar recited some poems and dohas by famous poets and spoke on their relevance. He reasoned why youngsters do not connect with literature. “Our universities have not given much importance to literature. Moreover, some poets have created such an aura around shayari that common man is far away from it,” he said.
He reminisced his father, famous poet Jan Nisar Akhtar’s, advice. “He always encouraged use of contemporary language. He believed that it is easy to write in difficult language but difficult to describe your emotions in simple language. When you know what you are writing and you are clear about your thoughts, you are able to communicate with common man.”
Akhtar has recently completed five decades in Bollywood and is quite optimist about the new poetic literature based service — Actve Javed Akhtar. “It is a good initiative to introduce old poetry to the Gen-X in an interactive style,” he said.
In the last few years, trend of online tutorials is on a rise. Akhtar said, “A lot of things happen in the world that don’t reach us. With online services, we are exposed to new things. As long as content is genuine and honest, medium shouldn’t matter.” He added that over time some change is important.
Akhtar confessed that he was a rebel and though he loved poetry, it took him time to focus on writing it. “I was interested in poetry but never wanted to write it. I used to suggest lines to my friends but I was apprehensive to do the same thing as my father was doing. There were two reasons. First, I had a flair and understanding of writing poetry but I was not sure if I would be able to express my thoughts through it. A less knowledgeable person might attempt it bravely. The other reason was my rebellious nature. Zaroori hai shayar ka beta shayar hi bane (Is it necessary that a poet’s son should be a poet, tooIJ). I used to read a lot. To understand music and rhythm it is important to understand verses first,” he shared.
Akhtar is now waiting for daughter Zoya’s forthcoming film Dil Dhadakne Do. About the music of her film, he said, “The music is fantastic but the USP of the film is its story. Zoya’s work will be better than her previous film Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.”