Black money no longer exists in Bollywood: Javed Akhtar
What is wrong if an actor uses his popularity to do some good to society? An irate Javed Akhtar hits back when a journalist asked him if celebrities use social work to hide their black money.
“They don’t pocket any black money. If they associate with some NGO to get taps fixed in some village, does that mean they are using black money? If one of them feeds street dogs, does that mean he is trying to hide the black money behind street dogs? I don’t agree,” Akhtar told reporters in New Delhi on Thursday at an event to launch “Classic Legends”, a (TV channel) Zee Classic’s show.
“Film industry had black money when I came into it, in the 1960s and 1970s, but now it is over. Nobody deals in it now,” said the acclaimed writer, poet and lyricist. “The corporate and bank systems have come, the black money doesn’t exist now.”
Akhtar gave the example of his wife, actor and philanthropist Shabana Azmi, who is associated with several causes.
“She has been working in a village for the past 20 to 22 years. She has been instrumental in helping 40,000 families. She works for the village Nivara, and people who used to sleep on the footpath there, now have a house, a flat. The flats maybe 450 sq ft only, but it is a flat. She didn’t even create a noise about it.”
“When I went for the first time, I asked her, ‘What will you do with this village?’ The village was far away from highway. There was no electricity in the village. Today, there is a pucca road that goes up to that village, there’s a school, a computer centre, woman vocation centre, maternity centre, people are learning English through computer,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 10th, 2012.
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@Rakib
'If I could I would make poetry reading mandatory for all. It is difficult to hate a person if one loves a poem.'
Couldn't agree more. But I will consider you a moderate. If I had it my way I would have banned reading everything except literature, in as many languages as humanly possible. Just kidding. On a serious note, I find study of literature is like delving into the abyss of human soul and ways of man. One gets acquainted with so many different strands of human emotions, in all colours and shades, that makes one feel as if, he has met half a humanity. Having read so many experiences of joys and sorrows, of despairs and elations, it becomes easier to identify with the person in front and makes 'hating' all the more difficult, as you have indicated.
@Cynical:
Even if not a creative person,one is blessed that one can appreciate creativity in others. My fondest childhood memories are of my parents reciting well known poets on a lazy winter evening & then arguing endlessly, to great hilarity of children, over a missed line or a mispronounced word. Pity that reading aloud of poetry in a family is now very rare. If I could I would make poetry reading mandatory for all. It is difficult to hate a person if one loves a poem.
@Rakib
Thanks for the link. Your range is quite fascinating. You seem to be one who is artistically inclined, member of a fast shrinking breed.
@Cynical:
Link at the end (page 23) provides an article by Gopichand Narang which gives more details. @gp65: I did not mean Javed is a plagiarist. I only mentioned the "genetic inheritance" at his disposal. Narang, Urdu critic of repute, Padma Bhushan & Sahitya Akademy Awardee says it well about Javed. Quote:The bounties of ancestors and elders continued to benefit him, but drawing of lifeblood did not allow anything else to be dominant. Javed Akhtar’s poetry is everywhere his own poetry, in which he has his own voice, his own tone and tenor, his own poignant style. However, sometimes more than fathers and grandfathers, it is the unconscious relationship of the great-grandfathers that leaves its imprint in the blood. Courage and boldness,facing challenges and selfrespect are archetypes which come from unconscious:Unquote http://hindivishwa.org/pdf/publication/Hindi_July-Sept.%202012.pdf
@Rakib
I know about Javed's father, but nothing about his grand-dad, or uncle. Thanks for the info.
@gp65:
But to say he could have dipped into his own lineage may /may not be possible since he was estranged from his father.
The operative word in my sentence was "IF". "If at all he needed to steal"....& so on. Secondly,"dipping in to the genetic inheritance" here did not mean plagiarising literally though influence is possible. As I have mentioned in a later post the atmosphere of creativity has remained in the clan for very long. It's being carried forward by his talented children. Javed himself is justifiably proud of poetic ancestry of almost seven generations. No estrangement can cause such inheritance to vanish.
@Rakib: Ofcourse I do not buy the theory that Javed Akhtar's poems are not his own. But to say he could have dipped into his own lineage may /may not be possible since he was estranged from his father.
anyway, his poetry continued to be relevant in the 21st century and that alone is proof - if any was needed that it is his own work na not borrowed work. Rahul Dev Burman also initially used to be accused of lifting his Dad's tunes.
@Raj Kafir: "He is a Muslim.."
He is a wonderful poet and he is Indian and he has given us a lot of joy. His religion is not relevant. But for sake of accuracy he is a self proclaimed atheist
@Cynical:
Even Javed's grand-father (Muztir Khairabadi) & grand uncle were well known poets of Gwalior at the cusp of 19th-20th centuries & so was maternal uncle ( Asrar-ul-Haq Majaz) of Lucknow. Thinking of "character assassins" & dignified silence of the victim, what better than to quote a couplet of Jan Nissar Akhtar himself!
Chup hai har zakhm-e-gulu,chup hai shaheedon ka lahu, Dast-e-qatil hai ke mehnat ka sila maange hai..
Muted is the wounded throat,silent too the martyr's blood, It's the assassin's hand alone that clamours for a reward.
And pigs will fly
@Nitish
@ethicalman: "Fully agree with you…. My relative who is distributer of pirated CDs .....”
I am not surprised; if your earlier posts on various pages are anything to go by!
P.S. I also doubt if you will get it (I mean, the message).
@Rakib
Another laudable attempt, to educate the uninitiated. Throwing muck at people of repute make these low life feel important. I am sure that in time cure to Cancer and AIDs will be found. But when, if ever, we are going to find a cure to feelings of 'insecurity' and 'inferiority complex'?
@ethicalman: Fully agree with you....My relative who is distributer of pirated CDs and has a shop in palika market,recently got a threat call from saudi arabia.It clearly shows that film distributors and film stars have contact with Underworld sitting at saudi arabia .
@afzaalkhan:
The smile at the end of your post takes the sting off but just to set the record straight...If at all he needed to steal he could dip in to his own patrimony, his genetic inheritance. He is son of a poet of the earlier generation who belonged to progressive writer's movement Jan Nissar Akhtar & the notable essayist & author Safia Akhtar.
@ Vishnu Dutta you got to learn a lot..and hope fully your eyes will open one day..
There is black money in bollywood..infact even in TV production..Javed Akhtar is angry with life because he's not getting work ..His attitude problem is big he fought with big banners about sharing songs profits ..
Last time I heard he was isolated and was not getting work from the industry apart from Zoya or Farhan or Ritesh Sidwani (Excel Ent.)
the bottom line is Dawood gets money from bollywood films in Karachi..so indirectly pakistan is having fun..
Javed Akhtar.. I gonna tell this to Dawood Ibrahim :)
Give him a break guys. Bollywood doesnt have black money is his opinion. it can be true or false. But his family is a great bunch of artists is more important. He more emphasized on the social work done by Shabana and that is more laudable even if 10% of that is true. what do we do? nothing but make nasty comments on ET.
@Raj Kafir- Yes he is a muslim and so what? he is better than you and me as a person. he has accomplished something in his life something that ppl like us can only dream about.
For me he is an Indian and a great example.
He is a Muslim..
And I do not steal my father in law poems and label them as mine - Javed Akhtar :)
Javed sahab. if for one believe you more than our media. You and your entire family are an asset to the nation. What you, shabana and farhan are doing is no less than what mother teresa did.
@Pakistan Politics... May be 'cause you can compare it with Lollywood... MONEY no longer exists in Lollywood... & BLACK MONEY no longer exists in Bollywood
And Elvis Presley was abducted by Aliens : Me
:->
Black money no longer exists in Bollywood is as much a truth as Shah Rukh Khan is an actor or Javed Akthar is a writer.
All the filth from 1.2 billion indians have gathered in Bollywood. No wonder they make great original films after great original films.
@Pakistan Politics: thats because people in pakistan are simpy crazy about bollywood films....much more than us....trust me!!!!!!!!!!
ET why r u telling us abt Bollywood, why do u think Pakistani's need to know that?
blackmoney is mostly invested in BHATT camp films and it is STILL the same MR JAVED