‘Friends eased my pain’

Friendship is a recurring theme in actor-director Farhan Akhtar’s films, who says that his friends had supported him when his parents, Javed Akhtar and Honey Irani, had divorced, around 25 years ago.

Friendship is a recurring theme in actor-director Farhan Akhtar’s films, who says that his friends had supported him when his parents, Javed Akhtar and Honey Irani, had divorced, around 25 years ago.

“When our parents were going through a divorce, friends became a huge part of our support system and eased a whole lot of pain for us,” says the 37-year-old actor.

Akhtar even debuted as director with Dil Chahta Hai (2010), a film based on friendship and made his acting debut with another buddy story Rock On (2008), and now his latest film Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (ZNMD), directed by his sister Zoya Akhtar, is another bonding story.

“Friendship is a beautiful relationship. My friends played a very important part during our (he and his sister, Zoya) growing up period,” he says.

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Akhtar says friendship is an important part of his life. “Friendship is one relationship where you can just pick and start off from wherever you left last, without thinking much,” he says, adding, “Ritesh Sidhwani (producer) has been my friend since school days, and he understands me very well. Friendship, once formed, lasts for ever.”

The actor-director is also “very happy and excited” about the way ZNMD has been received. “People haven’t been calling me directly in bulk, but I have been hearing a lot of praise through my mom, my dad and Shabana (Azmi). People across ages have watched the film and loved it. I guess, whether you are 19 or 90, friends and friendship is something you would always identify with,” he says.

For now, he just wants to revel in the success of ZNMD before he breaks into working on his next directorial venture, Don 2: The Chase Continues.

And there is good news for the fans of the shayaris recited by Farhan Akhtar in his film Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, as the actor recently confirmed that the poems written by his father Javed Akhtar will be part of the ZNMD CDs, which are soon to be released.