Javed Akhtar honoured with Dostoevsky Star Award for his influence on ‘cultural dialogue’, Shabana Azmi shares pic

Shabana Azmi shared that Javed Akhtar was recently awarded the prestigious Dostoevsky Star Award for contributing to cultural dialogue and literary heritage.

Lyricist and writer Javed Akhtar has been awarded the prestigious Dostoevsky Star Award. On Friday, actor Shabana Azmi took to her Instagram account to share the news. Javed was chosen for the honour in ‘recognition of his remarkable influence on cultural heritage and literary dialogue.’ (Also read: Javed Akhtar doesn't think India-Pakistan situation will get better politically: 'It's a bit late for reconciliation')

Javed Akhtar presented the award by the Russian House.

Javed wins Dostoevsky Star Award

Shabana shared a picture of Javed receiving the honour. The caption read, “Another big honour for Javed Akhtar as he received the Dostoevsky Star Award! This year, the Russian House is deeply honoured to award the renowned poet, lyricist and public intellectual Mr Javed Akhtar, in recognition of his remarkable influence on cultural dialogue and literary heritage.”

His other achievements and awards

Considered as one of the greatest screenwriters in the history of Hindi Cinema, Javed has won numerous awards in the course of his decades-long career as a lyricist, poet and screenwriter. He has won five National Film Awards for Best Lyrics. He was also honoured by the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1999, and the Padma Bhushan in 2007. He went on to win India's second highest literary honour- the Sahitya Akademi Award in Urdu for his poetry collection Lava. He is also the only Indian to receive the prestigious Richard Dawkins award, in 2020.

Javed often voices his opinions on public policies, secularism, communism in society and other social and political issues whether on X (formerly Twitter), in newsrooms or at literary events.

He recently voiced his opinions on the relations between India and Pakistan after the hostilities intensified following the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists, on April 22. "It is a bit late in the day for reconciliation. Our people in India only knew what happened to them after 1947-48. The people over there knew what happened with them. If only all of them had sat together once.... It has been 75 years, they would be in their 90s now. How many of them would even be alive?" he said at the launch of a book titled Farewell Karachi.