It is said that “The pen is mightier than the sword.” If there is one man in Bollywood who has justified this phrase but in his very own way then it is surely Javed Akhtar.
He is the finest Urdu poet, lyricist, and screenwriter we have in the country today. He introduced screenplay and screenwriting into the world of Bollywood.
Javed Akhtar made a debut with his lyrics in Haathi Mere Saathi in 1971 has been conquering every milestone in writing with much ease.
On Javed Akhtar’s 75th birthday, here are soul-stirring ‘shayaris’ by the legendary poet:
kabhī jo ḳhvāb thā vo pā liyā hai
magar jo kho ga.ī vo chiiz kyā thī
in charāġhoñ meñ tel hī kam thā
kyuuñ gila phir hameñ havā se rahe
mujhe dushman se bhī ḳhuddārī kī ummīd rahtī hai
kisī kā bhī ho sar qadmoñ meñ sar achchhā nahīñ lagtā
is shahr meñ jiine ke andāz nirāle haiñ
hoñToñ pe latīfe haiñ āvāz meñ chhāle haiñ
yaad use bhī ek adhūrā afsāna to hogā
kal raste meñ us ne ham ko pahchānā to hogā
maiñ pā sakā na kabhī is ḳhalish se chhuTkārā
vo mujh se jiit bhī saktā thā jaane kyuuñ haarā
har taraf shor usī naam kā hai duniyā meñ
koī us ko jo pukāre to pukāre kaise
nekī ik din kaam aatī hai ham ko kyā samjhāte ho
ham ne be-bas marte dekhe kaise pyāre pyāre log
ġhairoñ ko kab fursat hai dukh dene kī
jab hotā hai koī hamdam hotā hai
yahī hālāt ibtidā se rahe
log ham se ḳhafā ḳhafā se rahe
aql ye kahtī hai duniyā miltī hai bāzār meñ
dil magar ye kahtā hai kuchh aur behtar dekhiye
Wishing Javed Akhtar Sahab a very happiest birthday!
