The generational gap has been one of the yardsticks by which people’s varying opinions, instincts and perceptions are gauged. Each generation looks up to their own icons – people they grew up watching, who resonate with their ideologies and whom they trust. Which is why it is rare, almost countercultural for a generation to be absolutely intrigued by someone they don’t necessarily grow up seeing. However, Javed Akhtar seems to have broken the mould, seamlessly, without reinvention or noise.
There began a quiet trend on social media where excerpts from Javed Akhtar’s interviews and social interactions began appearing on user’s timelines. Soon, the algorithm took charge making one thing clear that Gen-Z and millennials who are often received with accusations of fleeting attention spans stop scrolling when he speaks. Comments and supers read “Never Skip A Javed Akhtar Reel”. Slowly, the trend went viral, followed and appreciated by the youth who intently listened to the man’s thoughts on poetry, fantasy, faith, religion, politics, art, pop culture, human behaviour and so much more.
What draws attention to these reels is not just the depth and gravity of Javed Saab’s wisdom, but the sheer wit and moral clarity with which he delivers it. One of the moments that captures this essence took place on comedian Sapan Verma’s show. When told “Aapko dekh ke aisa lagta hai aap sirf political satire pasand karte honge” (Looking at you, it feels like you must only enjoy political satire), He replied, “Aapne mujhe achhe se dekha nahi” (You haven’t looked at me properly). What followed was a roaring laughter through the room not because it was a punchline, but because how casually he said it.
Many of the reels of Javed Akhtar are loved for being relatable and quirky. You would be scrolling through your phone and would stumble upon a random Javed Akhtar reel stating, “romance is a casualty of technology”. The sentence is enough to pull you down a trail of thoughts and inspection. To spare you the mental effort, he explains; romance is not in the meeting but the desire to meet. It’s not in seeing, but the longing to see. Romance thrives on yearning and waiting. And technology, with its instant gratification and easy access has killed the patience, leaving little to no room for fantasy. His simple explanation becomes your moment of epiphany that lingers long after the reel.
Equally striking is his nuanced understanding of self-respect and ego – two ideas that share a fine line in today’s world. He argues, a self-respecting person, places their ego in front of someone more powerful. But an arrogant man shows his ego in front of someone weaker. He claims the true test of self-respect is never in front of vulnerability but authority.
Then Javed Saab extends his moral clarity, talking about another often-conflicted human emotion: anger. He says the one true way to really know a person is to see them angry. Because anger strips away all masks and rehearsals. In this heated moment, a person’s class, character and morality all stand exposed. Therefore, anger is not an excuse, but a silent reflection of the person within. These thoughts stay with you because they offer a moment of self-examination in a space that thrives on curated personas.
In a time dominated by cancel culture and politically correct opinions, he talks with rare honesty and courage, bringing important conversations to the light in a way only a few can. You might not nod in agreement with all his opinions, but he aims to provoke thought. For example, one of the important discourses in the modern world is the takeover of AI. Is AI an erasure of human intelligence? Is it here to amplify it? Are our jobs at risk? Well, in a world run by AI and algorithms the fear of threat to art, poetry and creativity is natural. But Javed Saab has a very profound and deeply comforting reflection on it.
On Sapan Verma’s show, he offered a stunning analogy. Fishing, he says, is supposed to be a tranquil activity. A calm evening, still water, fisherman in the company of solitude and beer. But this tranquillity is relative, he says. From the fish’s POV, it’s brutal at the least.
He asks you to imagine entering a room where your favourite sweet hangs for the top. Tempted as you are, you go and grab it with your mouth. But along with the sweet, a sharp steel hook glides down your throat and pulls you up until breathing becomes impossible. Later, a blunt knife follows that skins you alive. This, he says plainly, is fishing. The only reason people don’t call it sadistic is because fish has no vocal cords.
Art, literature, poetry, he argues are the vocal cords of society. They give voice to collective pain, injustice and passion. To silence art is to suffer. He concludes by saying, your silence is their tranquillity. It’s a line that highlights cultural corruption and apathy in the starkest ways possible.
For lovers of literature and cinema, this philosophy echoes a much-loved dialogue from the classic – Dead Poets Society where Robin Williams says, “We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race… poetry, beauty, romance, love—these are what we stay alive for.” And Javed Saab’s ideas are a reminder of the same – to keep art alive is to keep hope alive.
Perhaps that is why the internet has collectively decided – never skip a Javed Akhtar reel!
Also Read: Exclusive: Farhan Akhtar on Unique Films, Javed Akhtar’s Advice and Marriage With Shibani Dandekar
