Javed Akhtar reveals he would pay Rs 10 to attend Osho's sermons in Pune: 'I would go there and write dialogues...'
In the 1970s, Osho, attracted Bollywood stars like Vinod Khanna. Screenwriter Javed Akhtar attended Osho's Pune sermons, paying Rs 10 daily. Akhtar, an atheist, valued Osho's teachings for their lack of rigid ideology. He also mentioned brief encounters with Baba Ramdev and a possible rift with Sadhguru Jaggi, expressing willingness to meet him again.
In the 1970s, the spiritual leader Osho, then called Bhagwan Rajneesh, began gaining a big following. Many famous Bollywood stars were attracted to his teachings. Actor
Vinod Khanna
even gave up his film career and moved to the US to live in Osho's commune. Director
Mahesh Bhatt
also explored Osho's ideas. Before moving to Oregon, Osho preached at his ashram in Pune, where screenwriter
Javed Akhtar
used to attend his sermons.
Paying Rs 10 Daily to Attend
In a recent interview with The Lallantop, Javed Akhtar revealed that he has visited only one ashram in his life. He talked about his time in Pune when Osho, then known as Rajneesh, held morning sermons from 8 to 9:30 am. Javed used to stay at a hotel nearby and would attend the sermons daily, buying a ticket for Rs 10 each time, while working on writing dialogues over about 20-22 days.
The ace screenwriter who identifies as an atheist, shared that while he is not a follower of Osho, he appreciated his teachings because Osho did not promote any particular ideology.
He described Osho as a learned professor who spoke eloquently on various topics, often changing his views from day to day. Javed also mentioned that he remembers some of Osho's sermons by heart.
Brief Encounters with Baba Ramdev
Akhtar also mentioned that he has met Baba Ramdev before, briefly greeting him from a distance at the wedding of
Hema Malini
and Dharmendra's daughter.
Meeting Sadhguru and Possible Rift
Javed Akhtar also talked about meeting Sadhguru Jaggi twice but hasn't met him since. He heard that Sadhguru might avoid events if Javed is invited, though he isn't sure if it's true. Javed said he has no problem and would be happy to meet him again.
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