Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar are undoubtedly the ultimate screenwriting pair of 1970s and 1980s Bollywood films. The duo has delivered many blockbusters, including Seeta Aur Geeta, Yaadon Ki Baaraat, Sholay, Don, Kranti and the list goes on. But did you know how they first met? At the trailer launch event of the Prime Video docu-series based on their lives, Angry Young Men, Javed Akhtar himself revealed the story behind their first meeting. He shared that he was working as an assistant director on the set of the 1966 film Sarhadi Lootera, where Salim Khan was playing the lead role. Because no other writer was willing to write the dialogues, Javed Akhtar said he had to step in and write them.
Javed Akhtar said, "Mere Zindagi ki shayad sabse aham film hai Sarhadi Lootera, because that is where I met Salim saheb. Salim Sahab uss picture mein romantic lead kar rahe the aur main dialogue likhta tha. Mujhe itna pareshan karte the director sahab (SM Sagar) aur producer sahab ki maine tay kar liya tha iske baad nai likhunga. Magar mujhe constantly jo himmat di aur appreciation dia vo Salim Sahab ne. Aap agar is picture me aise dialogue likh sakte hai to aap sochiye agar koi theek picture hogi to aap kya karenge. Aap writer baniye. [Sarhadi Lootera is probably the most important film of my life because that's where I met Salim Sahab. Salim Sahab was playing the romantic lead in that film, and I was writing the dialogues. The director (SM Sagar) and producer used to trouble me so much that I decided not to write after that. But the one who constantly encouraged and appreciated me was Salim Sahab. He told me, 'If you can write such dialogues in this film, just imagine what you could do with a proper movie. You should become a writer.]”
At the trailer launch event of Angry Young Men, Salim Khan's son, superstar Salman Khan, and Javed Akhtar's children—actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar and director Zoya Akhtar—were also present.
In case you have not already watched, check out the trailer of Angry Young Men below:
Angry Young Men will be released on August 20 on Prime Video. The project has been produced by Salman Khan Films, Excel Media and Entertainment and Tiger Baby.