Javed Akhtar says Farhan Akhtar wrote ‘not applicable’ in religion section of his daughters’ birth certificate

Javed Akhtar shares that both his children - Farhan Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar - have been raised in a secular environment at home.

By: Entertainment Desk

October 27, 2023 03:47 PM IST

2 min read

Javed Akhtar talks about son Farhan raising his daughters in a secular manner. (Photo: Express Photo By Rohit Jain Paras/ Instagram/faroutAkhtar)

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Lyricist and poet Javed Akhtar brought up his children – Farhan Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar – in a secular environment. He said that instead of ‘teaching’ values to his children, he decided to lead by example. So much so that Farhan wrote “not applicable” in the religion box on the birth certificate of his daughters Shakya and Akira.

In an interview with Cyrus Says, the lyricist was asked about the key life lesson he taught his children. Javed said, “I don’t think you can give wisdom in a crash course. That’s not possible. Children don’t do what you tell them to do, they do what you do. They see what are your moral values, what are your ideas, what do you appreciate in life. What is important to you? That somehow, through some process of osmosis goes into them. ”

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Javed who has Farhan and Zoya with ex-wife Honey Irani said shared that their children embraced the moral values which they saw their parents practice. “Both my children are religious atheist people. In fact Farhan, jo uski betiyaan hai unke birth certificate pe religion ke aage likha hai ‘not applicable’ (Farhan’s daughters’ birth certificate has ‘not applicable’ written in front of religion.).”

The 78-year-old artist believes that the core moral values depend on the environment that children grow up in.

Elaborating on the thought, he said, “...jo morality, attitude aapke chaaro taraf hai, uske do reactions ho sakte hai, either you resent it so much that you become exactly opposite of that or you imbibe it. (The morality and attitude you see around you can have two reactions…)”

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