Shabana Azmi says Honey Irani was 'bitter, felt rejected’ after her affair with Javed Akhtar

Shabana Azmi shared how it was difficult for Honey Irani, Javed Akhtar's first wife, to accept their relationship but she handled the situation gracefully.

Shabana Azmi shares a healthy equation with her husband Javed Akhtar's children from first wife Honey Irani – Farhan Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar. Shabana was on the chat show The Invincibles Series Season 2 with Arbaaz Khan when she shared how Honey felt ‘rejected’ initially when she came to know about her relationship with Javed and that ‘there were fights and ugly scenes.’ (Also read: Shabana Azmi says Farhan and Zoya are more comfortable with her than with Javed Akhtar today)

Shabana Azmi, Javed Akhtar, Farhan Akhtar, Zoya Akhtar and Honey Irani in a rare photo.

What Shabana said

During the conversation, “I feel very happy, because I have a very beautiful relationship with Zoya and Farhan, and I really give the credit to Honey. They were really young kids at the time, and it would’ve been the easiest thing in the world for Honey to take them away. She never did that; she encouraged them to be with us.”

She added, “I really doff my hat to Honey, because that generosity came from her. And today, even with Honey, we have a really, really good relationship. I know that Honey has the confidence to call Javed in the middle of the night if she needs something, and he would come… We decided that there should be no bitterness involved. Of course, in the beginning, she was very bitter, and she felt rejected. But he kept at it, he kept at it, he kept at it. And today, what’s come from it is really something that I’m extremely proud of.”

More details

Javed Akhtar was married to former child artiste and writer Honey Irani, with whom he had two children, Farhan Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar. Their relationship fell apart around 1980. Javed fell in love with Shabana Azmi and they got married in 1984.

Shabana will be soon seen in the crime drama Dabba Cartel, which is produced by Farhan's production house Excel Entertainment. She's previously worked with Excel in Reema Kagti's Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd (2007). She was last seen in Ghoomer and Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani.