Word play

Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar

If you are a writer and a lyricist, chances are that you will get away with most trespasses with some glib wordplay. And master raconteur and writer Javed Akhtar is no different. When Shabana Azmi, chided Javed Akhtar for spilling soup on his white kurta, he turned in a rather poetic reply. Says Azmi, “I admonished Jadu over dinner because he was spilling soup on his white kurta…within minutes he replied, singing to the tune of Abhi na jao chhod kar..Jo is tarha se khaoge,Toh kitna tum giraoge,Safed yeh Qameez hai,
Kahan tumhe tameez hai,Jo soup ispe gir gaya,Toh jaante ho hoga kya,Yeh daag dhul na payega,Jo dhoyega batayega,Ki saabun ispe ghis diya,Yeh Daag par mita nahi,Jo tum kharab na karo,Woh kapda hi bana nahi.”