Javed Akhtar Promises to Take On Online Trolls with the Same Force He Uses to Pen Iconic Dialogues

Lyricist-screenwriter Javed Akhtar says he is often advised by his friends and family to avoid engaging with trolls online, but sometimes he feels the need to get off the pedestal and put people in their place.

Akhtar, who has chaired the Indian Performing Right Society (IPRS) since 2017, is a known voice on X, where he speaks his mind on a range of issues, from socio-political matters to recent events.

Recently, Akhtar has been a target of trolls after he spoke out against an incident of saffron flags being hoisted at a mosque in Idgah in Srinagar on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.

The 80-year-old screenwriter is no stranger to putting trolls in their place with his sharp wit andpivotal lines from some of his most-loved films like Sholay and Deewar, which are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year.

Akhtar spoke about the role of technology in music and the importance of intellectual property (IP) at a FICCI-organised session titled 'IP and Music : Feel the beat of IP'.

Akhtar said artists should be paid their public performance royalties but it's a huge task as there are lakhs who don't pay.

"We can't take each of them to the court, it's not feasible. The government has to create rules which are enforceable and make these payments mandatory. Otherwise, it will never get paid."

He added that various political parties and ministries have shown empathy for the plight of artists but the execution part is slow.

"You have made a fantastic law but on the ground it's not working. We have to go back and show what is going wrong."

Asked about the enduring magic of his films like Sholay and Deewar, which continue to be part of the collective consciousness even 50 years later, the lyricist said such things can't be planned.

"Some works stay in the public memory. Why these films? I don't know. If I did, I’d do it again and again. They have become a part of Indian culture, they are being referenced in stand-up shows, films, political speeches, innuendoes and memes."

Akhtar said people are still quoting the dialogues of these films in their everyday expressions.

"There is no real definition of charisma. It just happens and then we try to justify it. But I feel it's beyond logic. The dialogues, characters...somehow they entered people's mind and stayed there.

"You can't predict it when you are writing. You realise it decades later when people are still quoting your words like they are part of their everyday expressions. That's when you understand the power of storytelling."