Rhyme’s Reason

He is one of Bollywood’s best-known dialogue writers and lyricists. Javed Akhtar,the writer of Sholay’s (1975) unforgettable lines Kitne Aadmi Thay,which cast an unrelenting hold over the sly humour of filmy villains,to the heartbreaking song Sandese aate hain,from the 1997 film Border that won a National Award,and the recent poems for his daughter’s last production Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara,was in Delhi to launch his second book. Fourteen years after Tarkash,the 67-year-old writer-poet-lyricist,Akhtar launched Lava,his second collection of poetry (Rajkamal Prakashan,Rs 250) at the India Habitat Centre in Delhi on Sunday. The book was released by Hamid Ansari,the Vice President of India.

“I have been writing this book for a long time but didn’t publish it thinking that it lacked something. It has given me the liberty to express myself,which doesn’t happen when I am writing for Bollywood films and songs. There,I have to work according to the situation and the demands of the script,” said Akhtar. The collection of poems dwells around subjects like love for the neighbour (Humsaya),and includes dedications to his son (Mela),daughter (Doraha) and wife (Shabana). Several nazms and ghazals also dot the pages.

Akhtar read Mela,Doraha and a poem Ped se lipti bel,while a rivetted audience listened. Also present were his wife and actor Azmi and his children Farhan Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar. His reading met a passionate applause,even the occasional irshaad by Ansari.