Noted lyricist and scriptwriter Javed Akhtar says that Bollywood has drifted away from the middle class, which constitutes the major part of the Indian society. Akhtar, 67, who co-wrote the screenplay of Amitabh Bachchan starrers Sholay, Don and Deewar with Salim Khan, said that the protagonists of the today’s films don’t come from the middle class anymore. “Hindi cinema has always given us a reality check and depicted our dreams and aspirations. Those were the times when films used to be simple. Ramesh Sippy’s protagonist always used to come from the middle class. But now, there is completely a different story with a new language,” said Akhtar at a recent entertainment summit in the city.

The lyricist, however, praised filmmaker Prakash Jha’s recent release Chakravyuh, insisting the political thriller is the finest film of the last two decades. “Prakash Jha has brilliantly portrayed the naxal issue in his film. It is the best film of last 20 years. But there are still some people who feel that the film is dry. They didn’t bother to understand the plight of the society,” he said