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

Javed Akhtar and Salim Khan were the blockbuster duo of Bollywood who have given several landmark films. They wrote some of the most iconic Hindi films of the ’70s, like Sholay, Deewaar, Zanjeer, Don, Haathi Mere Saathi, Yaadon Ki Baarat. They ended their partnership of 12 years in 1982. After this, Javed Akhtar got married to Shabana Azmi in 1984. In an exclusive chat with Bollywood Bubble, Shabana Azmi opens up about the infamous Salim-Javed split and reveals she is still unaware of it. Shabana Ji also recalls how Javed Akhtar became a happier person after the change in life.

Shabana Azmi on Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar split

During the chat, Shabana Ji recalls the time the screenwriter duo ended their partnership and she was somewhere blamed for it. She says, “Till today I do not know why Salim Javed have split. I did not get involved since I thought it was a personal decision. But I think what was happening was that he was going through some change. He had started writing poetry, he was moving into another kind of world. I don’t know what happened and why they ever split. But I do know he was a happier person having taken this huge risk. There is no merit or demerit from my end.”

Javed Akhtar – Salim Khan

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When Shabana Azmi thought Salim-Javed duo was arrogant

While talking about Javed Akhtar, the Ghoomer actress stated how she initially stayed away from him thinking he was arrogant. Recalling her first meeting with the screenwriter, the actress shares, “Javed and my family had an identical background. Our fathers were communists and both were even lyricists, so it was an identical background. Unhone shayari bas likhna shuru ki thi toh abba ke paas aate the aur unko sunate the. Par main se alag hi rehti thi kyuki maine suna thi ki ye jo salim-javed hai inki naak unchi rehti hai aur inse 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).”

Watch the full interview here:

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Javed Akhtar on his fallout with Salim Khan: I do not feel sorry because it ended in a special place