Javed Akhtar On His Split With Salim Khan: We Did Not Fight About Money Or Credit, We Just Grew Apart

Veteran screenwriters Javed Akhtar and Salim Khan were one of the greatest writing duos in the history of Bollywood. They were the force behind some of the most iconic Hindi films of the ’70s, including ‘Sholay’, ‘Deewaar’, ‘Zanjeer’, ‘Don’, ‘Haathi Mere Saathi’, and were known to create the ‘Angry Young Man’ archetype. However, the two split up in 1982, ending their partnership of 12 years.

During an interview with Barkha Dutt for Mojo Story, Javed Akhtar revealed that their partnership “weakened” over time, and was not a decision due to one particular incident or event. Mentioning how writing partnerships are often difficult to sustain, he said, “Partnership in a cement factory is easier, because you know what the cost of making cement is, the price in the market, and if you are decent people you can have formal relations with your partner, and the business will continue.”

He further shared how a writing partnership is difficult because it is a matter of feeling, and cannot be put onto a scale or a weighing machine. You have to have tremendous mental rapport to take a scene and develop it mutually and reach the conclusion that this is the final thing and it is good. As long as you have that tremendous mental rapport you people can work together. The moment that rapport is broken or weakened, you can’t work together,” Javed Akhtar said.

He further elaborated how when they started off, the two were nobodies. As and when they became successful, more people entered their lives. However, despite that, they never fought, or even had a tussle over credit or money.

“When we began, both of us were nobodies, we only had each other. So, we would spend a lot of time together, sit by the sea, talk about stories … But when you become bigger, more successful, many more people enter your life. Then all those desires which were dormant, all those interests which were dormant… So, you start meeting different kinds of people and then gradually you become different people and that is what happened. We did not fight, there was no issue about credit, there was never any issue about money, there was nothing. We just grew apart,” Akhtar said.

He signed off by saying that once they realised that their relationship was no longer there, their rapport weakened, and it was reflecting on their work also.