Veteran writer and lyricist Javed Akhtar recently shared his thoughts on marriage and his relationship with the actress Shabana Azmi. He shared that the foundation of any relationship is mutual respect. He went on to suggest that marriage, as a concept, has become so outdated that it has accumulated “dirt” over the years. He further described his bond with Shabana as being based on friendship. “In fact, we are barely married. We are friends. My only qualification for a good marriage is: are you friends or are you not? Shaadi-waadi toh bekaar kaam hai (The concept of marriage is absurd).It’s a century-old tradition, it’s a stone that was rolled over the mountains for centuries and as it rolled down the hill it picked up a lot of moss, a lot of garbage and mud.. .” Javed Akhtar told Mojo Story.

According to the veteran writer, terms like “wife” and “husband” have evolved to carry too many connotations and baggage over time. He said the heart of a successful relationship lies not in labels, but in mutual respect and understanding. He added: “The words ‘wife’ and ‘husband’ have taken on so many different meanings. Forget it. Two people, regardless of gender, how can they live happily together? It requires mutual respect, it requires mutual consideration, we must give each other space.”

Javed Akhtar concluded: “We have to understand that the other person is a human being, with their own ambitions and their own dreams. They have as much right to their ambitions as I do to mine. That’s it. It’s not wizard. It’s actually quite simple. You can only live happily together if you are both happy, love without respect is a sham, an independent woman, with her own ambitions, her own. business, his own business, his own opinion. is not a very practical person. Obviously, a person who lives with you and who is not your slave is necessarily troublesome. But you must understand that he is not a slave.

Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi got married in 1984.