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Javed Akhtar Says Alcohol Ruined His First Marraige With Honey Irani: "I Became A Nasty Man"
Updated on: 18 March, 2024 01:27 PM IST |Shweta Shah
Javed Akhtar Recalls How Alcohol Ruined His First Marriage With Honey Irani
Bollywood and divorces either have a harmonial definition or they can get as ugly as you can imagine. One of the celebrity marriages that ended on a nasty note was Javed Akhtar with his first wife, Honey Irani. The two were married for 11 years before they parted ways in 1985.
In a recent interview, the Indian screenwriter and lyricist opened up about his failed marriage and blamed alcohol for it. Javed Akhtar recalled that it was his severe alcohol addiction that ruined his marriage with Honey Irani.
The former couple shared two kids, Farhan Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar, both of whom are prominent members of the Hindi film industry. The lyricist is now married to veteran actress Shabana Azmi.
Also Read: Javed Akhtar Reveals He was Concerned Over Zoya Akhtar Directing Gully Boy
“I am living in the uniform civil code. I was married to a lady, and after 11 years of marriage, we got divorced. According to Muslim personal law, I was only responsible for giving her alimony for four months, but I didn’t think that. She was my responsibility," Akhtar said.
He further added, "It is also her choice whether she wants my support or not, but whenever she wants and whenever she will, or she may not, as she is a very self-respecting person, I’m available for help. I walked out of the house with some books and some clothes. That’s all. And now we are best friends because of this relationship and this understanding.”
“I started drinking at the age of 20–21 and left when I was 42 years old. I could afford a bottle, and I used to drink almost a bottle every night. It’s very common for Urdu poets to become big drunkards because they believe that if they are poets and artists, they should be carefree, and you should drink. I think I had those wrong values,” Javed Akhtar said.
Also Read: Here`s What Bothered Javed Akhtar About Shabana Azmi And Dharmendra`s Kiss In RRKPK
He further recalled how his alcohol addiction would make him break all his traditional barriers and make him a rather nasty man.
He added, “On the other side, all the tehzeeb that I learned in Lucknow didn’t allow me to use foul language, so all the bitterness was compressed inside me. But when I used to drink, all those barriers would break, and I would become a very nasty man and use foul language."
"I used to become another person. It was unhealthy, irrational, and caused problems for many people. It impacted my marriage with Honey. If I were a sober and responsible person, the story would have been different,” Akhtar mentioned.
Javed Akhtar further added how his now-wife and veteran actress, Shabana Azmi, somehow managed his alcoholism for the first decade of their marriage.
It was his self-awareness that stopped him from drinking, as he realized he might die soon.
In a recent interview, the Indian screenwriter and lyricist opened up about his failed marriage and blamed alcohol for it. Javed Akhtar recalled that it was his severe alcohol addiction that ruined his marriage with Honey Irani.
The former couple shared two kids, Farhan Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar, both of whom are prominent members of the Hindi film industry. The lyricist is now married to veteran actress Shabana Azmi.
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Javed Akhtar on being married to Honey Irani
In his recent interview with Mojo Rojo, the lyricist shared his views on the Uniform Civil Code in India, citing a reference from his own life when it comes to adhering to principles.Also Read: Javed Akhtar Reveals He was Concerned Over Zoya Akhtar Directing Gully Boy
“I am living in the uniform civil code. I was married to a lady, and after 11 years of marriage, we got divorced. According to Muslim personal law, I was only responsible for giving her alimony for four months, but I didn’t think that. She was my responsibility," Akhtar said.
He further added, "It is also her choice whether she wants my support or not, but whenever she wants and whenever she will, or she may not, as she is a very self-respecting person, I’m available for help. I walked out of the house with some books and some clothes. That’s all. And now we are best friends because of this relationship and this understanding.”
Javed Akhtar blames alcohol for his divorce from Honey Irani
For the uninitiated, Javed had become a borderline alcoholic, and his addiction took a major toll on his marriage with his first wife. Recalling how his alcohol addiction started, the screenwriter recalled how his 20-something years were wasted.“I started drinking at the age of 20–21 and left when I was 42 years old. I could afford a bottle, and I used to drink almost a bottle every night. It’s very common for Urdu poets to become big drunkards because they believe that if they are poets and artists, they should be carefree, and you should drink. I think I had those wrong values,” Javed Akhtar said.
Also Read: Here`s What Bothered Javed Akhtar About Shabana Azmi And Dharmendra`s Kiss In RRKPK
View this post on Instagram
He further recalled how his alcohol addiction would make him break all his traditional barriers and make him a rather nasty man.
He added, “On the other side, all the tehzeeb that I learned in Lucknow didn’t allow me to use foul language, so all the bitterness was compressed inside me. But when I used to drink, all those barriers would break, and I would become a very nasty man and use foul language."
"I used to become another person. It was unhealthy, irrational, and caused problems for many people. It impacted my marriage with Honey. If I were a sober and responsible person, the story would have been different,” Akhtar mentioned.
Javed Akhtar further added how his now-wife and veteran actress, Shabana Azmi, somehow managed his alcoholism for the first decade of their marriage.
It was his self-awareness that stopped him from drinking, as he realized he might die soon.
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