‘Salim-Javed’s writing was never vulgar, even hero had ambiguity,’ says Zoya Akhtar as she enters their territory, to do a crime-mafia film next

Ahead of the release, Zoya Akhtar sat down with Indianexpress.com to talk about Salim-Javed and how traces of their writing are found in her work, starting from her smashing 2009 debut Luck By Chance, starring actor brother Farhan Khan. “Their characters weren’t black and white. All their characters have ambiguity, including their hero,” Zoya said when asked if she could now look back and pinpoint some of the specific learnings from Salim-Javed.

“There is a certain shade of grey, everything doesn’t quite fit in. I think that translates in my work, my characters aren’t completely white or black. The fact that they (Salim-Javed) didn’t resort to cheap tricks, they weren’t vulgar ever. That has influenced our work. There was also respect for the ensemble. Even if it is a one-scene character, it should have a certain charm and resonance. Those things have come from them.”

There were reports that after The Archies, Zoya Akhtar was keen to start work on a gangster film, which many felt would reflect the writing of Salim-Javed. “I am working on the crime-mafia film! I am working on the script right now. So fingers crossed, that it comes to something, some heft!”

‘Salim-Javed and their women with agency’

The filmmaker said Salim-Javed’s world was of men, but even within that, they always showed women with agency. “They just responded to stronger women. Even if they were male-led stories, none of the women were props. They all had jobs, even if it wasn’t explored, there was an identity in them.”

Zoya said how Farhan had once noted how Parveen Babi’s character in Deewaar is of a night worker but there is “dignity in that relationship, and how they are treated.” Zoya said the ‘humanity’ of it is very telling of Salim-Javed. “They didn’t decide to do this, it came organically.”

Angry Young Men director Namrata Rao, known for editing Made in Heaven, Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye and Band Baaja Baaraat among others, said the series explores the gender dynamics in Salim Javed’s writing and added that both of them today are honest that they have fumbled in the depiction of women as well.

“We have gone into the nitty-gritty of it in the series, but there were things they were unaware of. They have this self-reflection, where they are open to admitting that maybe I would have written the character of Geeta differently now. Javed saab told us that Geeta, when she goes to Seeta’s house, and aspires to stitch like Seeta, and cook like Seeta, I would never write that today. Why would Geeta want to do that? She is great the way she is. He said, ‘tab hume pata he nahi tha, but I would never do that now,” she added.