Javed Akhtar

Javed Akhtar is an Indian screenwriter, lyricist, poet, and political activist. Renowned for his extensive work in Hindi cinema, he has won five National Film Awards and sixteen Filmfare Awards. He was honoured with the Padma Shri in 1999 and the Padma Bhushan in 2007, two of India's highest civilian honours. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest screenwriters and lyricists in the history of Indian cinema. Akhtar first gained prominence as one half of the screenwriting duo Salim–Javed, alongside Salim Khan. The pair achieved their breakthrough with Zanjeer and went on to pen several landmark films, including Deewaar and Sholay. These works achieved cult status and had a lasting influence on Indian popular culture, particularly through their portrayal of the "angry young man" archetype. Following the duo’s split in the early 1980s, Akhtar transitioned into lyric writing, earning acclaim for his poetic and socially conscious lyrics. In addition to his film career, Akhtar has been an outspoken public intellectual and activist, known for his advocacy of secularism, freedom of expression, and gender equality. From Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Javed_A...) under Creative Commons Attribution CC-BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...)