Zoya Akhtar Reflects on Angry Young Men and the Legacy of Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar

At the trailer launch of the highly anticipated docu-series Angry Young Men, filmmaker Zoya Akhtar shared her insights into the series and the enigmatic split between iconic screenwriters Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar. The three-part series, set to premiere on Prime Video on August 20, 2024, delves into the extraordinary careers and the complex relationship of these two legends of Indian cinema.

During the event, Zoya Akhtar spoke candidly about the process of creating the series. She remarked, “I think what I discovered making the series was nobody really knew what happened, and after making the series, we have discovered that we still don’t know what happened to them.” Her comments reflect the ongoing intrigue and mystery surrounding the reasons behind the split of the influential duo.

Despite the unresolved aspects of their separation, Akhtar highlighted the underlying respect that persisted between Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar. “Somewhere I discovered no matter whatever happened, there was a respect intact, yeah, no one spoke beyond something and that was something heartening,” she added, acknowledging the dignity and mutual regard that characterized their relationship.

The trailer launch of Angry Young Men saw the presence of key figures from the film industry, including screenwriters Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar themselves, along with Salman Khan, Farhan Akhtar, Ritesh Sidhwani, Sohail Khan, and Arbaaz Khan, among others.

Directed by Namrata Rao, Angry Young Men explores the remarkable careers of Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar, whose collaboration has left a lasting impact on Indian cinema.