Javed Akhtar REACTS To Being Called Kaafir, Jihadi: 'I'd Rather Go To Hell Than Pakistan'
At the launch of Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut's latest book Narkatla Swarg in Mumbai, veteran lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar delivered a powerful and personal reflection on the backlash he faces from different ends of the ideological spectrum. This comes at a time India-Pakistan tensions are at a peak following India's Operation Sindoor, targeted missile strikes on Pakistan's terror camps, after a deadly terrorist attack in Jammu & Kashmir's Pahalgam.
While addressing the crowd, Javed Akhtar recalled the hostility he often receives due to his outspoken views — not just from one community, but from both Hindus and Muslims. 'People from both sides abuse me. One calls me a Kaafir (infidel), saying that I will go to hell. The other calls me a Jihadi, asking me to go to Pakistan. So, If I only have a choice of going either to hell or to Pakistan, I would rather like to go to hell," he said, drawing a mix of laughter and applause from the audience.
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