‘Gave a hit with a super-duper flop actor Amitabh Bachchan': Javed Akhtar says he, Salim Khan had no work for 9 months after delivering 4 hits

Indian Express

a day ago

Veteran screenwriter and lyricist Javed Akhtar, long known for championing the rights of writers in the Indian film industry, recently spoke about the decades-long struggle for recognition and fair compensation. In a candid conversation with filmmaker and screenwriter Anu Singh Choudhary for JLF International, Javed reflected on the systemic challenges writers have faced and the ongoing need to fight for their due.
'You see, situations have never been ideal for people. They have fought for it,' he said. 'You know, when we came into the film industry, writers were never mentioned on posters or banners. They were very poorly paid. There was no credit, no money. We fought. One after another, we gave films which were very good, and then we fought.' He recounted the early years of his career with his writing partner Salim Khan, when the duo, known as Salim-Javed, changed the landscape of Hindi cinema.
'We said, 'No, these are our terms and conditions. If you cannot pay us that much, if you cannot accept our terms and conditions, we will not work.' We fought. Maybe it is not very easy for everybody to fight the way we did, but at least, as a group, as a whole community of writers, you can stand up and say, 'That much, and no more.' Nobody will give you anything on a platter. Nobody gave us anything on a platter. We fought for it.' Reflecting on his breakthrough years, Akhtar recalled, 'You know, our first film was Andaz. Second was Haathi Mere Saathi. Third was Seeta Aur Geeta. Fourth was Zanjeer, a super-duper hit film with a super-duper flop actor. Yes. We decided that now, enough is enough. We had given four hits in a row.'
He elaborated on how they took a risk by casting Amitabh Bachchan, then considered an unlucky actor, as the lead in Zanjeer, a film that went on to become a blockbuster and redefine Bachchan's career. 'Zanjeer was a major hit. He gave a great performance. But he always gave great performances, even in those films which didn't run. He was good. That's why we took him. We were not even liking him. We could see that he was a volcano of talent, just not getting good scripts.'
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Despite their success, getting paid what they deserved was still an uphill battle. 'So we decided that we will take X amount. I remember the amount. But I also remember, in the subject department… After four hit films, for nine months we could not sign a single film, because nobody was willing to pay. They would laugh in my face. 'Kitna bola?'' He recalled the financial strain during that period: 'I had bought a second-hand Ambassador for ₹13,000. That was sold again, because there was no work. But after nine months, we took that price. Again, we decided on a price. And we fought to get it. So, nothing comes easily. Don't complain. Situations have never been ideal for anybody.'
Javed emphasized the need for collective action among writers, urging those in a position of influence to stand up for industry-wide change. 'If a few people think that something is wrong, ten of you, fifteen of you, stand up. You're a successful writer. You're not just anybody. You're successful. People like you. You will find some more people like you. Stand up. Say, 'We will not take this nonsense.' Some people will throw you out. That is for sure. Go through it. But if you think that someday all the filmmakers will stand up with a chained heart and give you what you deserve, it will never happen.'
During the 1970s, Salim-Javed wrote as many as 24 films, 22 of which were blockbusters. Their influence extended far beyond iconic dialogues and unforgettable characters. They were pioneers who demanded better terms, challenged the status quo, and helped lay the groundwork for future generations of writers in Bollywood.