Javed Akhtar – Hailed and assailed for schooling Pakistan on terror

• Pakistani celebrities condemn Javed Akhtar’s comment on 26/11 terror attacks
• Indian film makers, actors heaping praise on the poet for schooling Pakistan on terrorism
• The lyricist urges people in power to take a call on restarting engagement between 2 countries

Noted film writer and poet Javed Akhtar is assailed by celebrities in Pakistan. He is hailed by Indians, including his bête noire in Bollywood industry. The reason: he schooled Pakistan on terrorism after the neighbouring nation did not act against the men who India believed were involved in terror attacks in Mumbai on 26 November 2008.

Akhtar, during the Faiz Ahmed Faiz Festival held in Lahore recently, opined that Pakistan should not feel bad when India sought action against terrorists. He reportedly said: “I am from Mumbai and all of us witnessed the attack on Mumbai. The attackers weren’t from Norway, or from Egypt. They are still present in your country, so you should not be offended if an Indian complains about this.” He, however, said that the “atmosphere needs to cool down.”

Certainly, the words pinched the Pakistanis to the core as they loved the lyricist and admired him wholly for his everlasting works for filmdom and poetry. Despite being a proclaimed atheist, the people from the Islamic Republic often welcome him and open their hearts to him. Even in this trip, Akhtar claimed that “people in general agreed with him.” He told NDTV: “They all clapped. They agreed with me. There are many people who admire India, want to have a relationship with us.”

Pakistan has officially not responded to the writer’s claim, but celebrities there slammed him for “discomforting” to his hosts. Pakistani actors Saboor Aly, Shaan Shahid and others condemned his statement accusing him of being “selective”, and reminding the scriptwriter about the ‘communal situation in India”. Pakistani actor Ejaz Aslam shared an Instagram story related to the conversation stating, “Do you mind throwing light on the Kashmir issue?” If you hate Pakistan so much, you shouldn’t have come here, we still let you go back safely, that’s our answer to your stupidity.”

If Akhtar has inflicted wounds to some of his fans in Pakistan, he managed to win hearts of many in India, specially in the Bollywood where it is believed that the voices of right wing are increasingly getting stronger ever since the ascendance of Narendra Modi at the Centre.

Interestingly, people like Kangna Ranout and Ashok Pandits, who are opposed to his line of thinking, heaped praised on the poet. The actress, who has been at loggerhead with the poet, took to Twitter to re-share a video of Akhtar and supported him. Ranout said: “Jab main Javed saab ki poetry sunti hoon toh lagta tha yeh kaise Maa Swarsati ji ki in pe itni kripa hai, lekin dekho kuch toh sachchai hoti hai insaan mein tabhi toh khudai hoti hai unke saath mein … Jai Hind @Javedakhtarjadu saab….. Ghar mein ghuss ke maara .. ha ha”.’

It is worth noting that Akhtar had slapped Ranout with a defamation case and had claimed that she had dragged his name into a television interview about the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput.

Many of Akhtar’s admirers, friends and fans in Bollywood lauded him for his comment. Filmmaker Kunal Kohli also took to his Instagram story and saluted Javed Akhtar for his guts for showing the mirror. “No one has had the guts to do this in Pakistan. What a man! Javed Akhtar (sic),” he wrote along with the video of the lyricist from the event.

But what if he shows the same mirror to New India? Javed Akhtar can better be explained in the couplet below:

Zahid-e-tang-nazar ne mujhe kafir jaana; Aur kafir ye samajhta hai musalman hun main

(The intolerant ascetic deemed me a non-believer and the non-believers think I am a Muslim)