Javed Akhtar’s theatrical debut

Javed Akhtar's theatrical debut

Arnab Banerjee

New Delhi, January 24, 2007
When the country's wordsmith says, "I am nervous," you sure do a double take. But it's his first appearance on stage that makes him a little tensed.

We are talking about Javed Akhtar, teaming up with his talented actor wife to enact some of the life's precious moments and times of his father in law Kaifi Azmi in the Ramesh Talwar directed play Kaifi Aur Main.

Javed Akhtar teamed up with wife Shabana to perform a two hour play which got staged at the Birla Auditorium during the Jaipur Virasat Festival last week.

An epistolary play Kaifi Aur Main has both Javed and Shabana read out letters to unfold the story about his parents-in-law.

Is he nervous because of his wife Shabana sitting next to him? "I don't even bother who is sitting next to me as long as I can sort things out for myself. With reams of paper to be taken care of, controlling my emotions to get the right intonation and of course, putting my heart and soul into the life of a great man I admire, would make me feel nervy," laughs Akhtar.

Did he come across any unknown aspects of Kaifi's life while researching for the play? "There were many such nuggets which I want to present before the audiences, some of which would be pretty revealing too," he grins.

"In fact many of his friends and others close to him who saw the play in Mumbai last month, were surprised at some of the little known facts about him, which have never been shared before."

Which according to him is Kaifisaab's best song? "There are many and all of them are wonderful songs. But I have noticed- and this is from my personal experience – that whenever and wherever the song Waqt ne kiya kya hasin situm, tum rahe na tum, hum rahe na hum… from Kaagaz ke Phool is sung, there is some magic that makes audience spellbound. And I have also seen the young and the old alike going into a trance while the rendition takes place on stage," reminisces Akhtar.

And what about his favorite director?

"I believe that the craft, talent and futuristic vision, as well as unique story telling that director Guru Dutt had, is not to be seen among today's most talented filmmakers. He was extraordinarily gifted," says Akhtar.

Talk veers to theater, which makes him a little defensive, "We cant expect people or actors to be martyrs since theatre, unlike cinema, is not economically viable and we all need to run our kitchens," he argues when asked to comment on professional actors opting for television or films.

However, for his wife Azmi theatre is not a new thing. She has performed the world over touring with the play Kaifi aur Main and the Feroze Khan directed Tumhari Amrita, co-starring Farooque Shaikh.

Beams Azmi, "I don't think anyone else could have done the role of my mother, Shaukat Azmi. I feel privileged and honoured to play her on stage. Over the years we are more like friends but I was nervous when I had to perform this play the first time in London."

The play about beloved Urdu poet and film lyricist Kaifi moves though the memorable and significant moments of Kaifi and theatre actress wife Shaukat and their lives together. It begins with his early years at his native village Mijwan his fabulous romance culminating in marriage that lasted 55 years and their life in Mumbai.