Veteran screenwriter and poet Javed Akhtar has opened up about his past struggles with alcoholism, expressing regret over the time he feels he wasted battling the condition. In a recent interview on the Be A Man, Yaar podcast, Akhtar discussed how his battle with alcohol not only affected his personal life but also hindered his creative and personal growth.
Akhtar revealed that if he could speak to his younger self, he would advise against drinking. He said, “I would tell him that the 20-25 years he drank alcohol, he shouldn’t do that.” Reflecting on his past, he admitted, “Bohot time waste hua usmey. I think I wasted at least a decade of my life where I could do much more, but because of all this, I wasted it.” Akhtar expressed regret over not using that time to learn new skills or languages, such as French or Persian.
During the podcast, Akhtar explained that his drinking was partly a way to cope with bottled-up emotions. He noted that alcohol would bring out a different side of him, leading to behavior that was out of character. “After drinking I would become quite offensive, which I’m otherwise not,” he said. “Peeke koi ek dusra devil nikal aata tha (when I was drunk, a devil would emerge from within me).”
Akhtar’s wife, Shabana Azmi, also shared insights into his decision to quit drinking. In a recent interview with Arbaaz Khan for The Invincibles, Azmi recounted a moment when Akhtar, in a state of distress over his drinking, made a decisive commitment to stop. She described how, during a trip to London, Akhtar, who was visibly affected by alcohol, quietly declared that he would never drink again after breakfast. Since that day, he has remained sober.
Azmi praised Akhtar’s willpower, calling it “incredible” and reflecting on the significant change in his life since he quit drinking.
Akhtar’s journey with alcoholism began at the young age of 19. He admitted that while he initially drank with friends, the habit soon escalated to daily consumption, particularly as his career and financial situation improved.
