Javed Akhtar, the renowned writer and lyricist, recently shared his thoughts on marriage, saying he doesn't have a high regard for the tradition. He described marriage as an old practice that has gathered "moss and muck" over the centuries. Instead, he believes that mutual respect and friendship are more important in a relationship.
Javed Akhtar on marriage
For the unversed, Javed Akhtar’s got married to actor Shabana Azmi in 1984. While their union followed a traditional path, he shared that their connection is more akin to a deep friendship than a formal marriage.
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Talking to Barkha Dutt, he said, "Actually, we are hardly married. We are friends. My only qualification for a good marriage is this: are you friends or are you not? Shaadi-waadi toh bekaar kaam hai (The concept of marriage is nonsense). It’s a centuries old tradition, it’s a stone that has been rolled down mountains for centuries. And as it was coming down the hill, it has collected a lot of moss, a lot of garbage and muck."
"The words ‘wife’ and ‘husband’ have taken on so many different meanings. Just forget about it. Two people, irrespective of their gender, how can they live happily together. It needs mutual respect, it needs mutual consideration, it needs giving space to each other," he added.
Another key aspect of Javed Akhtar's philosophy is the importance of allowing each partner to pursue their own dreams and ambitions. In his view, both individuals in a relationship should have equal rights to chase their goals, with no one feeling restricted by the other.
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One of his most powerful statements centers around the idea that love without respect is hollow and insincere. Akhtar firmly believes, 'One thing is for certain, love without respect is a fraud. Let me tell you, an independent woman, with her own ambitions, her own business, her own opinion, is not a very convenient person. Obviously, a person who is living with you and is not your slave is bound to be inconvenient. But you have to understand that they aren’t a slave!"
Besides this, he also talked about Ranbir Kapoor's Animal, which was a major box office hit in 2023.