On Day 3 of Zee Jaipur Literature Festival, Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi spoke about two upcoming anthologies compiling the works of legendary litterateur fathers – Jan Nisar Akhtar and Kaifi Azhmi. Both Jan Nisar Akhtar and Kaifi Azhmi were integral parts of the Progressive Writers Movement.
On Day 3 of Zee Jaipur Literature Festival, Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi spoke about two upcoming anthologies compiling the works of legendary litterateur fathers – Jan Nisar Akhtar and Kaifi Azhmi. Both Jan Nisar Akhtar and Kaifi Azhmi were integral parts of the Progressive Writers Movement.
Speaking about the upcoming anthology the talented duo discussed various issues including their personal relationship with poetry, the #MeToo movement, section 377 and why they chose not to translate ghazals.
When asked about the role poetry played in relationships, Shabana Azmi said: “We love poetry as it is, and I have been married and grown up around poets. Poetry has a way of reaching hearts when long stories do not.”
Javed Aktar, on the other hand, felt that a relationship implies two people and if one of them isn’t interested then it plays no role at all.
Speaking about the anthologies, Shabana Azmi said that they were staying away from translating ghazals because it would be lost in translation. She said: “Consciously, we took a call to only translate nazams. Meanwhile, while asking if she was inspired by the men in her life to write, she said tongue-slightly-in-cheek: “No I provide them inspiration, I am not the one who’s inspired.”
Meanwhile, speaking about the #MeToo movement, and on the cases not reaching fruition in court, Javed Akhtar said: “There is no doubt it’s a serious problem. It’s a problem for decades and centuries. High time someone broke the silence. Whatever happened in recent times is extremely good. Every moment has certain collateral damage, but that doesn’t mean change shouldn’t happen. There will be many cases that won’t stand in court but doesn’t mean that they are wrong. Everything is possible. The fact remains that an average woman suffers some kind of harassment to a way. I think the recent incidents will put fear into some people.”
Asked about film stars joining politics, Akhtar reiterated that they were citizens first and they had as much a right to join politics as everyone else.
He said: “Film actors have as much right to join politics as any other citizens of the country. They are also citizens first. They have as much right to politics as you.”
Meanwhile, when questioned about Section 377 being struck down, Shabana Azmi said many members of the LGBT community came to her for the film. She also praised Deepa Mehta’s sensitive portrayal of an issue which people hardly broached in the late 90s.
She added: “The time has come to understand that a democracy is as strong as the confidence it gives its minority, and the gays are a minority. What they do in their personal sphere is their business, it shouldn’t affect their jobs or any other cases.”
On the other hand, when asked if his children would carry on the family’s legacy in poetry, Akhtar lamented that while Farhan Akhtar had used a couple of his works in songs, Zoya was a closet poet who refused to share. On the bright side, he added that even his granddaughter – who’s 17 had started writing poetry, though he added that it was in English.
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 "Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi")
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