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Lyricist-writer Javed Akhtar joined his daughter and filmmaker Zoya Akhtar for the third session of Expresso held in Mumbai on Thursday. During their interaction, Javed talked about the origins of art and debated whether it emerges from the top of the pyramid, comprising wealthy individuals, or from the bottom, involving those who are less affluent.
He stated, “I think it is a two-way street. Ultimately, people who are at the top, who have money, don’t have the time to create art. This (art) is for the people who don’t have money. You could say that people at the top of the pyramid patronize art; particularly in feudal times, there was so much injustice, but at the same time, the positive aspect of the feudal era was that kings and rajas patronized art. However, art was also always created by those who didn’t have much money. We have internalized it so much that if we see a poet having two meals a day, we suspect that he is not a good poet.”
Javed Akhtar also noted that while those at the top might develop refined aesthetics and have the ability to influence art due to their education, they often do not create it. “There is a possibility that people at the top have developed aesthetics and have been refined because of their education. They can influence art, but they cannot create it. I don’t remember any king who was a notable painter or musician. They can patronize it, but that doesn’t mean they create it,” he said.
The writer later clarified his statement, explaining that, in his view, art does not solely originate from the top or the bottom; it emerges from the middle class. He said, “Art doesn’t come from the top or exactly the bottom; it comes from the middle class. They have some privilege to sit down and write, and more. Most of the good ideologies used to come from the middle class. The middle class was the conscience of society and creators of art.”
Javed Akhtar recently made headlines with the release of Angry Young Men, a documentary that delves into his iconic partnership with Salim Khan. Together, as Salim-Javed, they co-wrote 24 films in just 11 years during the 1970s, with 20 of those becoming blockbusters. The duo famously crafted the Angry Young Man, a brooding anti-hero who resonated deeply with audiences across India. The documentary also featured Javed’s children – Zoya and Farhan Akhtar – sharing there experience of their father’s partnership with Salim Khan. Salim’s kids – Salman Khan and Sohail Khan – were also a part of documentary.
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