The Prime Video documentary series Angry Young Men has opened floodgates of stories that many have desired to hear for a very long time. In the series, Javed Akhtar recalled his struggling days before making it big in Bollywood. The writer-lyricist shared how he intended to move to Bombay to work in the film industry and would eventually become a director over time. 

Javed Akhtar's struggles of survival in early days in Bombay

In an emotional recount of his early years, Akhtar said, "When you’re a teenager, life is easy, and you can do anything. That’s what I believed. I decided after my graduation that I’d move to Bombay to work as an assistant director, either with Guru Dutt or Raj Kapoor. They were directors, which I admired at that time. I was sure I’d become a director myself in a short time."

However, the reality of Bombay proved to be far from the dreams he harbored. Akhtar vividly described his early days in the city, where survival was a daily struggle, stating, "I slept at railway stations, studio compounds, in corridors, on benches, and so on. Sometimes I had to walk miles from Dadar to Bandra because I didn’t have money for the bus fare. Sometimes I realised I hadn’t eaten for two days. I used to always think the day I wrote my autobiography, or if someone did, this day would make for an amazing moment. This thought never crossed my mind that I wouldn’t make it."

Impact of hardships on Javed Akhtar's life perspective

Akhtar also shared a poignant memory from his teenage years, illustrating the extent of his poverty. The legendary writer added, "When I was 18, I realised I had nothing to wear. Now how's that possible? Obviously, I’ve been wearing clothes for 18 years. So how could I have nothing to wear? But that’s how it was. My last trousers and the only trousers I had were torn to the extent that they couldn’t be worn anymore, and I had no other trousers."

The hardships of those days left an indelible mark on Akhtar, influencing his perspective on life even after achieving success. He reflected on the impact of being deprived of basic necessities like food and sleep: "When I go to a five-star hotel with large sprawling double beds, and sometimes when I am lying there, I remember coming to Bombay in the third-class train compartment. It used to take two days. There was no place to sit in the compartment, not even a place to lean against, and I was deprived of sleep. How tired I was, if only I had a little stretch of that double bed."

Gratitude and humility amidst success

While getting teary-eyed and eventually breaking down, Akhtar concluded, "Sometimes I’m served breakfast on a trolley with butter, jam, half-fried eggs, and coffee. I think you deserve this even now. I think this breakfast can’t be for me; it must be someone else’s. I can’t get over that."

Akhtar's candid recollections offer a glimpse into the challenging journey that shaped his illustrious career.

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