Javed Akhtar reflects on power of art: 'I think art is like a flag'

Veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar spilled insights on art and the power it carries to mold the society’s thoughts.

The 79-year-old marked his appearance at an event of Art Design Culture Collective, with wife Shabana Azmi.

While reflecting on his collective stance on art, the Main Hoon Na songwriter, stated: "I think art is like an anthem, like a flag, a slogan. It has to start from the society and it ultimately becomes a two-way traffic."

He further shared that a sense of discontent, desire, and ambition must be deeply ingrained in a society before it can manifest itself through various forms of artistic expression.

He went on giving examples of iconic slogans like 'Inquilab Zindabad'.

"But when you got this slogan, it became popular because people have one term to express all their feelings."

He added that art has the control to transform the intangible into something tangible, and in return, it gives back to society.

Shabana also joined him and spoke about the challenges faced by the world of theatre in today’s digital age.

For the unknown, Javed Akhter is the father of a leading filmmaker and actor, Farhan Akhtar.