Javed Akhtar said he was saying this because it was the young brigade who braved the cold in New Delhi to protest the gang rape of a girl there in December last year. (Image: IANS)
Highlights
- Noted lyricist and scriptwriter Javed Akhtar has criticised both media and cinema in the country for being "insensitive" towards the problems of the common man.
- "It is sad to note that this insensitivity (towards common man) on the part of the media and cinema also extends to politics and other spheres," Javed Akhtar said while delivering a lecture.
- The Mumbai film industry has undergone a sea change from the time he entered it in the late 60s, Javed Akhtar said, adding that when he first came to the metropolis, producers used to tell him that films should be written for those living in the small towns of the country.
- "Those producers knew that if a film succeeded in small towns, it was bound to be a hit," he said.
- These days producers are not even worried if their films are not screened in small towns, he regretted. "We are now living in an age of multiplexes where a ticket costs around Rs 500 and producers feel that if their film is a hit even for a week in big cities, it will be a success," the 68-year-old artist noted.
- Because of this thinking, now filmmakers are not concerned about majority of the country's population, he said. In earlier films, the hero used to be a normal working man - a teacher, an advocate or even a rickshaw puller - but these days he is someone who lives in a palatial house and who has never seen life in small cities or towns, Javed Akhtar said.
- He also added that there was a time when Hindi films were known for their songs which were part of the script. During those days, special attention was paid to the picturisation of songs and this was evident in the work of filmmakers like Bimal Roy, Raj Kapoor, Guru Dutt and Vijay Anand.
- "The quality of films declined in the 80s when we had movies with cheap songs like Sarkai lo khatiya jada lage," Javed Akhtar said.
- During this period, even noted filmmakers like Yash Chopra and Ramesh Sippy were marginalised, he added.
- Nevertheless, the lyricist says he still has a lot of hope in the country's future because of the young population. Javed Akhtar said he was saying this because it was the young brigade who braved the cold in New Delhi to protest the gang rape of a girl there in December last year.
- The veteran scriptwriter, while delivering the Hasnat Siddiqui memorial lecture here last evening, recollected his life in Bhopal and said he would never forget those four years that he spent in the city in the 60s as a college student.
- Javed Akhtar said he would always remember the love and affection which he got from the people of Bhopal.
- He said once during the winters he decided not to participate in an event in New Delhi as he did not have proper warm clothes. But Hasnat Siddiqui, who was a well-known figure in various fields, and another person gave him blankets. However, he misplaced his luggage carrying those blankets in Delhi.
- Javed Akhtar, in a lighter vein, said he had now come to Bhopal to repay the debt of those two blankets. "As Hasnat is no more, I will give a blanket to his son and another to Khalilullah," he added.
Noted lyricist and scriptwriterJaved Akhtar has criticised both media and cinema in thecountry for being "insensitive" towards the problems of thecommon man.
"It is sad to note that this insensitivity (towardscommon man) on the part of the media and cinema also extendsto politics and other spheres," Javed Akhtar said while delivering alecture.
The Mumbai film industry has undergone a sea change fromthe time he entered it in the late 60s, Javed Akhtar said, addingthat when he first came to the metropolis, producers used totell him that films should be written for those living in thesmall towns of the country.
"Those producers knew that if a film succeeded in smalltowns, it was bound to be a hit," he said.
These days producers are not even worried if their filmsare not screened in small towns, he regretted."We are now living in an age of multiplexes where aticket costs around Rs 500 and producers feel that if theirfilm is a hit even for a week in big cities, it will be asuccess," the 68-year-old artist noted.
Because of this thinking, now filmmakers are notconcerned about majority of the country's population, he said.In earlier films, the hero used to be a normal workingman - a teacher, an advocate or even a rickshaw puller - butthese days he is someone who lives in a palatial house and whohas never seen life in small cities or towns, Javed Akhtar said.
He also added that there was a time when Hindi films wereknown for their songs which were part of the script. Duringthose days, special attention was paid to the picturisation ofsongs and this was evident in the work of filmmakers likeBimal Roy, Raj Kapoor, Guru Dutt and Vijay Anand.
"The quality of films declined in the 80s when we hadmovies with cheap songs like
Sarkai lo khatiya jada lage,"Javed Akhtar said.
During this period, even noted filmmakers like YashChopra and Ramesh Sippy were marginalised, he added.
Nevertheless, the lyricist says he still has a lot ofhope in the country's future because of the young population.Javed Akhtar said he was saying this because it was the youngbrigade who braved the cold in New Delhi to protest the gangrape of a girl there in December last year.
The veteran scriptwriter, while delivering the HasnatSiddiqui memorial lecture here last evening, recollected hislife in Bhopal and said he would never forget those four yearsthat he spent in the city in the 60s as a college student.
Javed Akhtar said he would always remember the love andaffection which he got from the people of Bhopal.
He said once during the winters he decided not toparticipate in an event in New Delhi as he did not have properwarm clothes. But Hasnat Siddiqui, who was a well-known figurein various fields, and another person gave him blankets.However, he misplaced his luggage carrying those blanketsin Delhi.
Javed Akhtar, in a lighter vein, said he had now come to Bhopalto repay the debt of those two blankets. "As Hasnat is nomore, I will give a blanket to his son and another toKhalilullah," he added.