Shabana Azmi Reflects on Her Marriage with Javed Akhtar: ‘I Overstepped Honey Irani’s Rights’

Veteran actress Shabana Azmi recently opened her heart in an interview with Filmfare, where she spoke about her decision to marry lyricist Javed Akhtar. The actress shared how many people questioned her move, especially those who admired her as a feminist icon. Her relationship with Javed, who was earlier married to screenwriter Honey Irani, came under a lot of public scrutiny.

Shabana and Javed got married in 1984, after his separation from Honey Irani. Reflecting on those times, Shabana revealed how people reacted strongly. She said, “I was this feminist model. And I had done something that was inexplicable. Because it was like, with everything that I said, I was stamping over another woman’s rights for my own happiness.” She added that those who followed her as a feminist had every right to feel let down.

However, Shabana shared that instead of justifying or explaining her side of the story, she chose silence. “What I figured was that if I started explaining the circumstances in which it had been done, it would lead to much more hurt for the people involved and the families involved. It was better to keep quiet, and I think that was a very sagacious decision because after all the mud that was flung at me, it died down,” she expressed.

Shabana also opened up about the respectful and mature relationship she now shares with Honey Irani. She acknowledged that it was possible because no one tried to attack or blame the other. She said, “That was possible because no mud was flung there. The credit for that goes to Honey, me and Javed.” She further added, “You’re in a big hurry to explain ki ye jo aap galti samajh rahi hai is ke basis dekhiye. But all three of us refrained from that and it was very wise.”

Javed Akhtar and Honey Irani share two children—Zoya Akhtar, a filmmaker, and Farhan Akhtar, who is both an actor and filmmaker.

On the professional front, Shabana Azmi was last seen in Netflix’s Dabba Cartel, where her performance once again reminded audiences of her strong presence and talent.