Javed Akhtar Takes A Dig At Yash Chopra, Shah Rukh Khan's Jab Tak Hai Jaan: 'They Wanted To Fake...'

In a recent interview, Javed Akhtar spoke candidly about the portrayal of modern Indian women in cinema. During an episode of ‘Be A Man, Yaar!’, the veteran lyricist and screenwriter discussed this topic at length, citing an example from Yash Chopra’s ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’ to critique a dialogue spoken by a female character in the film.

The veteran lyricist and screenwriter expressed, “Ek picture thi Yash Chopra saab ki, Jab Tak Hai Jaan. Usme ek dialogue he from one of the heroines, ‘Mein duniya mein jitni nationalities hein, har nationality ke ek admi ke ladke ke saath sone ke baad shaadi karungi!’ Arre bhai tu itni mehnat kyu karegi? Tu empowered hain? Tu modern hain? Tu cool hain? Tu forward thinking hain? Maan jaate hei na… itni mehnat karne ki zaroorat nahi hain tumko! Bahoot nationalities hain duniya mein us chakkar mein mat paro (There was a Yash Chopra film named Jab Tak Hai Jaan, in which there is a dialogue where one of the heroines says that I will marry you after I sleep with one man from all the nationalities. But why would you do so much hard work? Are you empowered and modern and cool? We agree so you let go of that hard work. There are a lot of nationalities).”

He added, “Ab ye kya hain? Is dialogue ka kya matlab hain? Kahan aa rahi hain? Yash Chopra ki film mein (What is this dialogue doing in a Yash Chopra film)! Because they want to fake that this is an empowered girl. They are not very clear what is an empowered girl so they are exaggerating.”

Jab Tak Hai Jaan is a 2012 Indian romantic drama film directed by Yash Chopra and produced by Aditya Chopra under their banner Yash Raj Films. It stars Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif, and Anushka Sharma in the lead roles. This was Yash Chopra’s final film before his death in October 2012.

The film follows the story of Samar Anand (played by Shah Rukh Khan), a bomb disposal expert whose life takes a dramatic turn after he meets and falls in love with Meera Thapar (played by Katrina Kaif). However, circumstances force them apart, and Samar relocates to London, where he saves the life of Akira Rai (played by Anushka Sharma), a journalist who becomes fascinated by his story and helps him reconnect with his past.

Jab Tak Hai Jaan explored themes of love, sacrifice, and destiny, set against the backdrop of beautiful locations in India and Europe. The film’s music was composed by A.R. Rahman, with lyrics by Gulzar, contributing to its popularity and critical acclaim. The movie was well-received for its performances, direction, and music, making it a significant entry in the romance genre of Indian cinema.