Javed Akhtar's old statements resurface online amid the AR Rahman controversy; 'I can write Rama and Krishna aartis'

Javed Akhtar's old statements resurface online amid the AR Rahman controversy; 'I can write Rama and Krishna aartis'

• Javed Akhtar says he never felt communal bias in his Hindi film career
• Akhtar recalls growing up with diverse cultural influences in Lucknow
• AR Rahman hinted at communal reasons for his reduced work in Hindi films

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Veteran screenwriter Javed Akhtar recently reacted to AR Rahman's comments about him not getting work in the Hindi film industry due to "communal" reasons. The lyricist explained that he never felt like that in the past years. The veteran poet has always been open about his beliefs and thinking. Amidst the buzz, Javed Akhtar's old comments have resurfaced on the internet.

Here's what Javed Akhtar said

Javed Akhtar had always stated that he was an atheist and later was called a liar as he wrote devotional songs like 'O Paalanhaare' from 'Lagaan' and 'Pal Pal Hai Bhaari' from 'Swades'. Javed Akhtar, in an old interview with O2 last year, said, "I must have witnessed the tail end of what we call the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb in Awadh, where I grew up. That’s something rare. I don’t know if you’ll be able to capture that world or that value system again."

The veteran screenwriter shared that he grew up in a Muslim family. He said, "How did we know all of this? Ramleela, Krishna Leela? I can write Rama and Krishna aartis. How am I able to? Where did I get this from? They were a part of my growth. It wasn’t a big deal either. That’s how people were. I don’t know where that’s disappeared now."

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Talking about the good old days, he had said, "We were dressed in yellow on Basant Panchmi. The culture of celebration existed back then. I don’t see it anymore. That’s how people were in Lucknow. It’s a unique place. It still is."

The Oscar-winning composer told BBC Asian Network in a recent interview that the volume of his work in the Hindi film industry had declined over the past eight years and hinted that it could be linked to a "communal thing.” He also said there have been changes in industry power structures where creative control has shifted away from creative people.

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