Javed Akhtar: Everyone says that Zoya looks a lot like my Mother

On his visit to his hometown Lucknow, writer Javed Akhtar shares with us his memories of his mother, who succumbed to cancer when he was only eightJaved Akhtar's visit to Lucknow was ostensibly to attend a session on his maternal uncle, his Mamu, renowned Urdu poet Majaaz Lakhnawi at the ongoing Lucknow Literature Carnival in the city.
But for more reason than that, this trip to Lucknow filled the writer with nostalgia, as Javed sa'ab later visited his mother Safia Akhtar and maternal uncle Majaaz Lakhnawi's grave at the Nishatganj cemetry with his cousin.“Aapko le ke bhi kahan ja raha hoon kabristaan!“ he said in his usual humorous style. But once there, his mood turned sombre. After spending some time talking about the renovation of the graves, Javed sa'ab spoke at length about his mother, whom he lost to cancer when he was just eight-years-old.
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“She was a fantastic person. Even after her death she is a cult figure. Apne zamane ki bahot hi nayaab aurton main se theen woh. She was the first graduate among the women of that time. She was not only a wife, she was an excellent mother, a housewife, a prolific writer and a poet, who did every job to perfection. And also, kind of an intellectual co-traveller of her husband.And she was also one of the first women jinhone uss zamane mein naukri kari thi,“ says Javed sa'ab, adding, “I remember my Nanaji telling me that once someone from our village had come to Lucknow and couldn't locate our house. So he asked people `Woh ladki kahan rehti hai jisne graduation kiya hai?'. And that person guided him to my mother's house.“
Lost in memories, he tells us more about the lady he still looks up to. “My father and and she wrote quite a few letters to each other. For some reason, they couldn't live together too much, so they used to communicate through letters. And the letters are such masterpieces that they were first published in 1955 and are still being printed. They are part of the college curriculum in Pakistan.“
Ask him if he misses spending time with his mother and Akhtar's eyes well up.“Agar aapne yeh sawaal mujhse teeschaalis saal pehle poochha hota toh shayad main kehta `nahi'. Because there are certain things you would rather not say . But now I will say yes, I miss spending time with her. That's because for a very long time I couldn't accept that she wasn't there.I couldn't face the fact that my mother is no more. But now, as I have grown old, I can accept her death. This is no time to mourn over your mother's death or say that I miss her. Ab ek dada bann ke main kya kahun ki mujhe meri ma abhi yaad aati hai. Magar , bahot saalon tak main iss fact ko avoid karta raha ki meri ma nahi hai. But now I have come to terms with it. Now I have the courage to accept her death,“ says Akhtar, adding, “You see, jab tak aapke paas koi cheez hoti hai tab tak aapko uski ehmiyat nahi pata chalti hai. Jab woh cheez chali jati hai tab aapko samajh nahi aata ki uske baghair waqt kaise kaatein.“ Javed goes on, “The value of a mother is only appreciated by those who have lost their mother. The whole trajectory of my life ­ I won't say destiny , because that reeks of superstition ­ was because of her death. Jo aapki personality hoti hai, jo aapki values hoti hain, jo aapki aspirations hote hain, woh sab aapke life ke circumstances se nikalte hain. And for a child of eight, the death of his mother is bigger than the Third World War. Ab usne kitna mujhe affect kiya hoga woh toh aur log batayenge. Thoda mujhe andaaza hai, poora toh ho bhi nahi sakta. But you know, you have to live. Aapke sar pe jab chot lagti hai toh aap behosh ho jati hain. Aap behosh isliye ho jati hain because that pain is unbearable to you and the brain wants to save you from suffering that pain. Something like that happened with me too.Jab koi cheez aap ka brain samajhta hai ki aap accept nahi kar payenge, toh woh black out ho jata hai. Wahi mere saath hua. I have now woken up from that unconsciousness that my mother is no more.“
He adds, “People say that Zoya looks a lot like my mother.Once my cousin had come to Mumbai and she couldn't locate my house. So she was moving around my house and she saw Zoya standing on the gate and Zoya was just 7-8 years old at that time. And unhone taxi wale se kaha, `Bas yahin ruko, mujhe yahin jana hai.' Zoya resembles her so much. But Farhan has gone after me. In fact, ek bahot mazedaar baat hui. Main Delhi airport pe tha and this girl of 18-19 came to me and said I look so much like Farhan Akhtar!“
LUCKNOW WALON KA ITNA RUTBA HAI!
Finally , out of his mahyusi, talking about Lucknow, Akhtar says he is happy that culturally the city is picking up pace.“Achha lagta hai ki yahan itna kuchh ho raha hai. But it's nothing new. Lucknow ka itihaas yahi sabka hai. You know, if you tell somebody that you are from Lucknow, unka nazariya hi badal jata hai.They stare at you in wonder and awe, ki yeh janaab Lucknow se hain. Hum Lucknowwalon ka itna rutba hai, hamein uska andaaza hi nahi hai. Our language, our culture, literature, music, everything is our strength and that makes us better than anybody .“
“See, how ironical it is that the Tamilians have a film industry of their own, the Malayalis have one in Kerala, Marathis in Maharashtra magar Hindi film industry kahan hai? Mumbai mein. Main toh kahunga ki yeh Mumbai walon ki bhalmansahat hai ki woh hamari Hindi films bana rahe hain. So mere kehna ka matlab hai ki hum yahan Lucknow mein kyun nahi film industry bana sakte hain? Why do we have to hop to Mumbai to struggle and sell ourselves. Jab sari film industry mein yahan ke log hain toh why don't we make them come here? Why do we need to go to them?“ asks Javed.
The writer feels passionately about talent coming from Lucknow. “Hindustan mein bahot kam sheher honge jinki yeh credibility hai culture ke maamle mein jo Lucknow ki hai. That gives you an advantage and a responsibility ­ of not disappointing people because they think so highly of you. See, people say that there is a lull in talent coming from Lucknow, ki Lucknow se naya talent nikal ke nahi aata. But then it depends on where you are looking for talent. Main kehta hoon ki yahan abhi bhi bohot talent hai in all spheres,“ he says, adding, “I was here sometime ago and I went for a painting exhibition of a 13-year-old girl at the Lalit Kala Kendra.She's an IAS officer's daughter.She had made such exception ally beautiful paintings. In fact, maine bhi uski ek painting li, which still hangs in my living room in Mumbai. So, there is no dearth of talent. Kami hai toh usey market karne ki. Aap Mumbai, Dilli chale gaye, aapne struggle kar li, that's not enough. Aap sponsor dhoondiye. The importance is of learning to market your talent, warna aap ko kaun janta hai. By and large it is inherent in us (Lucknowites) to have a laid back attitude. Ab Dilli, Mumbai jana, wahi hamare liye bahot bada kaam hai.Hamara yeh easy-going attitude hi hamare talent ko maar raha hai. And the lack of sponsors. Yahan log paise kharchne se darte hain. Unse boliye ghar ke liye jhoomar le aao, woh nayaab se nayaab dhoond ke le aayenge. But you tell them to sponsor an artiste, woh ek paisa nahi kharch karenge. This attitude needs to change.“
BOLLYWOOD HAS A HABIT OF STEROTYPING EVERYTHING
Ask him if he's happy with the kind of films being made on Lucknow and Javed sa'ab laughs. “Ab yeh toh Bollywood ki aadat hai ki sab ka stereotype bana dete hain. Agar sardar dikhana hoga toh woh bada bubbly sa, loud bolne wala truck driver hoga. India's best spine surgeon is a sardar.Kya koi film mein sardar ko surgeon banayega? Goa wale ko hamesha hat pehna ke guitar pakadwa denge ki bhai tum gaana hi gao. So similarly , Lucknow ka ek perception bana hua hai ki yahan sab nawab hain aur gunde hain. Nobody wants to break that perceptions,“ he says.
KAB TAK BOYCOTT KARENGE?
Ask him about the ban that had been put on him by Bollywood for fighting for the royalty rights for scriptwriters and lyricists and Javed saab says that ever since the court has ordered in their favour things are slowly changing. “People are coming to me now, but only a few. Kab tak boycott karenge?“ he replies.
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