4 days ago
Shabana Azmi Details Marriage, Friendship With Javed Akhtar
Shabana Azmi talked about her long marriage to Javed Akhtar.
She said they sometimes have very big arguments.
Their marriage is not perfect all the time.
However, they are also very strong friends.
They agree on many important ideas and values.
Azmi said she first liked Javed because he was very smart and funny.
She also said he reminded her of her father.
Javed was married to Honey Irani before marrying Shabana.
Shabana said she and Honey eventually built a close and respectful family relationship.
Shabana Azmi said her marriage to Javed Akhtar includes huge fights and is not always “hunky dory.”
Azmi said their strong friendship, shared worldview and similar ideologies help sustain their relationship.
She said Akhtar’s wit, intelligence, communication skills and fairness attracted and impressed her.
Azmi compared Akhtar with her father, citing their progressive, communist-party backgrounds and love of Urdu poetry.
She described her bond with Akhtar’s former wife, Honey Irani, as healthy despite the relationship’s difficult beginnings.
- Who
- Actor Shabana Azmi, writer-lyricist Javed Akhtar and Akhtar’s former wife, screenwriter Honey Irani.
- What
- Azmi discussed the disagreements, friendship and shared beliefs in her marriage to Akhtar, along with her bond with Irani.
- Where
- Azmi gave the quoted comments during an interview with Zoom.
- When
- The comments were reported on August 29, 2026; Azmi and Akhtar married in 1984.
- Why
- She was explaining what attracted her to Akhtar, what sustains their marriage and how her relationship with Irani developed.
Key facts
- Couple
- Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar
- Marriage year
- 1984
- Marriage duration
- The couple has been married for more than 40 years, according to one report.
- Relationship challenges
- Azmi said she and Akhtar have huge fights and that their marriage is not always “hunky dory.”
- Relationship strengths
- She emphasized their strong friendship, shared worldview and similar ideologies.
- What attracted Azmi
- She cited Akhtar’s wit and intelligence and also praised his communication skills and fairness.
- Akhtar’s previous family
- Akhtar was previously married to Honey Irani, with whom he has two children, Farhan Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar.
- Azmi and Irani’s relationship
- Azmi said their relationship is healthy and that Irani is like a family member and sibling to Akhtar.
Quotes
Shabana Azmi
Actor discussing what initially drew her to Javed Akhtar
“I was never a romantic, to begin with. I find that young girls, maybe today it has changed today, but young girls during my era had great ideas about romance. It would be fed on the fairytales, storybooks, and all the little cartoon books they would read. But I was never like that because I saw my parents’ marriage, which started with a lot of romance and then evolved into friendship. So what I have valued greatly is friendship.”
news18.com
“They have exactly the same kind of background. Their parents were progressive writers and were from the communist party. They loved Urdu poetry. Many people thought that ours should have been an arranged marriage. There are huge fights that Javed and I have. It’s not like it’s Hunky Dory. But our friendship is so strong, and our worldview is the same. Our ideologies are the same. That’s what I feel is important.”
news18.com
timesnownews.com
Sources
Related news
Javed Akhtar Praises Shabana Azmi’s CJP Protest Amid Health Scare
Shabana Azmi Says Liberalism, Not Religion, Defines India’s Divide
Shabana Azmi's Batwara 1947, Awarapan 2 Release Same Day
Shabana Azmi Celebrates Awarapan 2 Success, Explains Her Small Role
Shabana Azmi Recalls Students’ Concern During Protest Beatings
Jewellery designer Saba Ali Khan reveals why she never married
Preity Zinta recalls sharing screen with Amitabh Bachchan in Armaan
Dimple Kapadia Claims 'True Blood Kapoor' Title
Zoya Akhtar Shares Throwback from 18 Years Ago
Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar Celebrate 41st Wedding Anniversary
