Controversial video surfaces showing Javed Akhtar in a religious setting
Veteran writer, thinker, poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar is in the middle of a fresh controversy after a video surfaced online appearing to show him wearing a cap and embracing Islam. The clip, described by those close to him as “mischievous” and “hugely damaging,” has prompted an angry response from Akhtar, who has long publicly identified as an atheist.
Javed Akhtar reacts: “Who are these people?”
Akhtar has strongly rejected the video and the message it conveys. “Who does all this? Yeh log kaun hai (who are these people)? They must be taught a lesson,” he said, making his displeasure clear. He called religious belief a private matter and questioned the right of anyone to manufacture or imply a relationship between him and a faith he does not follow.
“Religious belief is a very personal matter. It is a private equation between Man and God. It is especially inviolable when one doesn’t have a relationship with God. I don’t. So who are you to make up an equation between me and the Creator?” he added.
Legal action planned
Javed saab has decided to pursue legal recourse. He told reporters that such mischief—calling it a mild word for what is, in his view, far worse—should not be allowed to go unchallenged. “We often allow such mischief…and that’s a mild word, it’s much more deleterious—to slide from sight. That’s wrong. It only encourages the troublemakers to get bolder. I won’t let it slide,” he said, announcing stern legal action against those responsible for the unauthorized video.
Why this matters
The episode highlights the wider problem of manipulated or misleading content spreading on social media. For public figures like Akhtar, doctored clips or misattributed gestures can damage reputation and sow confusion about personal beliefs. Akhtar’s response is a reminder that personal faith—or the absence of it—is sensitive and private, and that creating false impressions about someone’s religious identity can have serious consequences.
Context: Akhtar’s public positions
Over the years Javed Akhtar has been vocal about his secular and atheist stance, and he has often spoken up on social and political matters. Recently his name also came up with actor Shatrughan Sinha when both condemned an attack on a woman’s hijab, asking for accountability and an apology. In this case, Akhtar is focused on protecting his personal integrity and stopping what he calls deliberate mischief.
What to expect next
With legal notices likely to follow, the coming days should reveal more about who created and propagated the video, and whether platforms will take it down. For now, Akhtar’s firm reaction sends a clear message: manufactured narratives about someone’s faith will be legally challenged, and public figures will not necessarily let misleading content pass unnoticed.