Javed Akhtar’s name finds a mention — that too, at the second position — in the list of ‘100 Hidden Heroes Of Cinema’ compiled by popular and respected international magazine Sight & Sound. The list, which mentions Brazilian screenwriter, singer, producer, director and actor Gilda de Abreu at the top spot, has turned the spotlight on 100 of the undersung geniuses who make film possible. The list includes casting directors, layout artists, stunt people and even publicists.
Javed Akhtar, defined by the author as screenwriter, poet, lyricist and political activist, has been described as a renaissance man, a proud rationalist and influential cultural commentator. Speaking about his film dialogues (which he co-wrote with Salim Khan in films like Zanjeer, Sholay, Deewaar and Trishul), the well-researched article goes on to say, “His iconic lines, now known to hundreds of millions, are the most repeated, referenced and parodied lines in Indian film.” His fight for change in copyright laws in India, which ultimately led to the awarding of royalties to lyricists and composers, also finds mention in the article.
