EXCLUSIVE: Shabana Azmi recalls Javed Akhtar’s battle with alcoholism was difficult; says, “Unhone tay karliya ki ab mai jyada zinda nahi reh paunga”

Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar are one of the most loved couples in Bollywood. However, just like every other relationship, even they went through ups and downs in their marriage. Earlier, in a candid chat with Bollywood Bubble, Javed Akhtar had admitted how his drinking habit created troubles in his relationship and he needed to curb it. Now, during the chat with Arbaaz Khan on The Invincibles season 2, Shabana Azmi opened up about dealing with her husband Javed Akhtar’s alcoholism, emphasising that it was “difficult”.

Shabana Azmi on dealing with Javed Akhtar’s alcoholism

Talking about how was it being with a man she was in love with but was alcoholic, Shabana says, “It was difficult.”

She further shared how he decided to give it up and to date, he has not even touched alcohol. He actress avers, “Unhone ye tay karliya ki ab mai jyada zinda nahi reh paunga aur creative kaam nahi kar paunga if I didn’t stop drinking. Humlog London mein ek flat mein the and he was stinking of alcohol and I said oh my god is this going to be one of those trips? And very quietly he told me to get him some breakfast. After having it he said me that ‘I am not going to drink anymore’. And I didn’t say anything. I just asked what do you mean? He said I am not going to drink. He had never said this before. And from that day he has not touched alcohol and I must say he has incredible will power. Even I won’t have that.”

Shabana Azmi on love story with Javed Akhtar

Recalling her love story with the screenwriter, Shabana Azmi says, “Javed and my family had an identical background. Unhone shayari bas likhna shuru ki thi toh abba ke paas aate the aur unko sunate the. Par main inse alag hi rehti thi kyuki maine suna thi ki ye jo salim-javed hai inki naak unchi rehti hai au rinse bachke rehna chahiye. Toh mai inko jyada ghaas nahi dalti thi. (He had just started writing poetry and he would come to my father to show him and take recommendations. I used to stay away from him because I had heard that Salim-Javed was very arrogant. So I didn’t give him much attention).”

She further added, “Aur mujhe yaad hai ki inhone sparsh film dekhi aur uski itni tareef ki. Yaha tak ki us film ka ek-ek dialogue aur gesture unko yaad tha. Fir maine kaha acha inki sensibility achi hai. Uske baad jab mai inke saath baithti thi toh mujhe aisa lagta tha ki bilkul mere abba ki tarah hai aur yahi sahi insaan hai humare liye. Aur fir uske baad humara ye rishta shuru hua. (I remember he had watched the movie ‘Sparsh’ and praised it so much. He even remembered every dialogue and gesture from that film. I was in awe of his sensibility. After that, when I used to sit with them, I felt like they are just like my father and are the right person for us. And then our relationship began.”

Arbaaz also spoke about how they still love each other and were recently even spotted holding hands at the airport.

Shabana Azmi on arguments with Javed Akhtar

She also said, “I don’t think we could have got married to anybody else, because there is so much similarity and dissimilarity. When we started building I thought it is being made like a weekend home but it turned out to be a mansion which was completely not what I envisioned it. We had lots of arguments on that. Then his friend Farhan Mujib explained me that ‘Javed aur tumhare beech ye fark hai ki wo sholay hai aur tum ankur.’ After that the penny dropped in and I didn’t interfere in the house and now what he has made I completely liked it.”

Watch the full interview here:

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Shabana Azmi admits being unaware of why Javed Akhtar and Salim Khan separated, says, “I didn’t get involved”