Now, in a recent interview, Javed Akhtar spoke candidly about the portrayal of modern Indian women in Bollywood movies.
Javed Akhtar has always been outspoken on different matters. The filmmaker has never shied away from expressing his feelings. Now, in a recent interview, Javed Akhtar spoke candidly about the portrayal of modern Indian women in Bollywood movies. During an episode of ‘Be A Man, Yaar!’, the veteran lyricist took an example from Yash Johar’s Jab Tak Hai Jaan and said that dialogue in the movie by a female character is just a way to fake women empowerment.
Javed Akhtar said, “Ek picture thi Yash Chopra saab ki, Jab Tak Hai Jaan. Usme ek dialogue he from one of the heroines, ‘Mein duniya mein jitni nationalities hein, har nationality ke ek admi ke ladke ke saath sone ke baad shaadi karungi!’ Arre bhai tu itni mehnat kyu karegi? Tu empowered hain? Tu modern hain? Tu cool hain? Tu forward thinking hain? Maan jaate hei na… itni mehnat karne ki zaroorat nahi hain tumko! Bahoot nationalities hain duniya mein us chakkar mein mat paro (There was a Yash Chopra film named Jab Tak Hai Jaan, in which there is a dialogue where one of the heroines says that I will marry you after I sleep with one man from all the nationalities. But why would you do so much hard work? Are you empowered and modern and cool? We agree so you let go of that hard work. There are a lot of nationalities).”
He added, “Ab ye kya hain? Is dialogue ka kya matlab hain? Kahan aa rahi hain? Yash Chopra ki film mein (What is this dialogue doing in a Yash Chopra film)! Because they want to fake that this is an empowered girl. They are not very clear what is an empowered girl so they are exaggerating.”
Jab Tak Hai Jaan is a 2012 Indian romantic drama film directed by Yash Chopra and produced by Aditya Chopra under the Yash Raj Films banner. The movie features Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif, and Anushka Sharma in the lead roles. This film was Yash Chopra’s final project before his passing in October 2012.
Jab Tak Hai Jaan delves into themes of love, sacrifice, and destiny, set against the scenic backdrops of India and Europe. The film’s music, composed by A.R. Rahman with lyrics by Gulzar, significantly contributed to its popularity and critical acclaim. The movie was praised for its performances, direction, and music, solidifying its place as a notable work in the romance genre of Indian cinema.
