With the release of the documentary series Angry Young Men, cinephiles have finally been given a rare chance to delve into the lives and careers of India’s most renowned and celebrated screenwriting duo, Salim–Javed, the creative minds behind some of the nation’s most iconic and blockbuster films. During their 16-year partnership, Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar penned unforgettable movies such as Zanjeer (1973), Majboor (1974), Deewaar (1975), Sholay (1975), Trishul (1978), Don (1978), Kaala Patthar (1979), Dostana (1980) and Shakti (1982), ultimately concluding their collaboration with the blockbuster Mr India (1987).
The documentary is rich with captivating stories about Salim–Javed, shared directly by the duo, their close ones and colleagues. During the chat, the two screenwriters also recalled how they literally etched their names onto one of their projects, feeling they deserved recognition, even though it was uncommon practice at the time.
“We had written the complete script of Zanjeer. But when the posters were put up, our names were nowhere to be seen. A script is the most important thing in filmmaking. Yet, writers were not valued and sometimes, not even credited,” Salim recalled. “There were many other good writers, but I hadn’t seen their names on any banner. They would receive their money, but due respect or credit, wasn’t even given to senior writers, except for one or two,” Javed pointed out.
“This was another common practice that we wanted to break. So, we caught hold of a painter, gave him paint, a brush and a stencil with our names,” Salim said, to which Javed addded, “Now this painter went on the job a bit tipsy! So, he painted our names on the heroine’s nose, the hero’s forehead and even across Pran’s mouth. He painted in large letter, ‘written by Salim-Javed.’ The next morning people saw our names on posters all over Bombay.”
When asked how they came up with the idea to put their names on the posters, Javed, with a smile, suggested that Salim would be the better person to answer. “All these acts of bravery were his! He used to instigate me and I’d ask, ‘are you sure?’ He would say, ‘Why not? We wrote it. Why fear anyone? We’ll see later.'”
Salim highlighted the irony that a song lyricist, who writes only a single page for a film, is credited on posters, while screenwriters are not. Javed further remembered that many people reacted poorly to their stunt, with some questioning, “You’re just a writer, and you want everyone to know you?” To this, they confidently responded, “That’s how it’s going to be in our case.”
Helmed by Prakash Mehra, Zanjeer (1973) played a key role in establishing Amitabh Bachchan as both a star and the “angry young man” of Bollywood. The film also starred Jaya Bachchan (Jaya Bhaduri), Pran, Ajit Khan and Bindu in key roles.
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