Javed Akhtar Had A 'Massive Ego', Salim Khan Was 'Arrogant' After Success: Honey Irani
Last Updated:
Honey even mentioned that Javed was a patronising husband.
Javed Akhtar's first wife, Honey Irani, witnessed his rise to fame during his legendary partnership with Salim Khan. Known as Salim-Javed, the writer duo ruled Bollywood and even earned bigger sums than most actors. However, as per Honey Irani, this inflated Javed Akhtar 's ego and made him and Salim Khan arrogant. Honey even mentioned that Javed was a patronising husband.
When asked if Javed Akhtar had ego issues after his massive success, Honey Irani told Filmfare, 'Any sort of? He had a massive ego… Massive, massive ego. He used to say, 'You don't know what you're talking about,' or 'Tum nahi samjhogi (You won't understand)'."
She continued, 'He was patronising with other people too. When someone would try to advise them, saying, 'Sir, aapko aise baat nahi karni chahiye… ya aapko yeh kar lena chahiye…' (Sir, you shouldn't speak like this, or you should do this instead). They would respond like, 'Don't tell us what to do, we know.' So they had that, they had arrogance. And I have seen that."
When asked if she addressed this behaviour with Javed, she said, 'Bolte toh thay hum… par agar woh sune toh. He would just say, 'Haan, you're right. Absolutely right (I used to tell him. But only if he listened. He would just say, 'Yes, you're right. Absolutely right)'." However, Honey added, 'Now he is just the opposite. Especially with the way he gets along with youngsters — it's amazing, really."
In the same conversation, Honey also reflected on her split with Javed. Reflecting on their separation in the 80s, Honey said, 'I did feel angry and all during my separation with Javed Akhtar, but I've never been dramatic. I did feel this was not working, and I have always said it was never because of Shabana (Azmi). I don't know what to call it."
'Maybe he was looking for something totally different from me, which I had. There is a lot of love and respect to date between us. I know he will never say anything or do anything that will harm my children; that is one thing I am confident about. So, I guess that made it easy," she concluded.
Javed Akhtar and Honey Irani got married in 1972 after dating for some time. They fell in love while working on Seeta aur Geeta, and their relationship was built on shared dreams, mutual respect and creativity. They even had two children, but their marriage didn't last due to personal differences.
First Published:
June 14, 2025, 09:43 IST
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Veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar was earlier married to screenwriter and actress Honey Irani. The duo were blessed with two children Zoya and Farhan. However, things took a turn and their relationship eventually ended after which he married Shabana Azmi in 1984. Now, Honey has opened up about his behavior at the height of his success alongside Salim Khan. She revealed that he had a 'massive ego' and often came across as 'patronizing' with her and others. However, she acknowledged that he has changed completely now. In a recent conversation with Filmfare, Honey Irani was asked if Javed Akhtar had any ego during that time. She spilled the beans and revealed, 'Any sort of? He had a massive ego.' She further recalled how the veteran lyricist had an overwhelming ego and shared that he would often dismiss her opinions and make her feel unheard, believing she couldn't possibly understand. She shared, 'He used to say, 'You don't know what you're talking about,' or 'Tum nahi samjhogi (You won't understand)'.' Honey added, 'He was patronizing with other people too. When someone would try to advise them saying, 'Sir, aapko aise baat nahi karni chahiye… ya aapko yeh kar lena chahiye…' (Sir, you shouldn't speak like this, or you should do this instead). They would respond like, 'Don't tell us what to do, we know'.' She claimed that he was very 'arrogant' and she witnessed it firsthand. Honey Irani also revealed that if she ever confronted Javed Akhtar about his past behavior, she admitted that she did try to speak up, though whether he truly listened was another matter. She shared that his usual response was a dismissive agreement, ending the conversation without real change. However, the veteran actress also added how he has transformed over the years and is a complete opposite person now. She said, 'Now he is just the opposite. Especially with the way he gets along with youngsters — it's amazing, really.' Honey also recalled how, despite being impressed by many of Salim-Javed's scripts, a few didn't quite resonate with her. She gave examples of films like Immaan Dharam and Shaan that left her unconvinced. However, she highlighted the stature the writing duo held during their peak. For the unversed, Javed Akhtar and Honey Irani parted ways in 1978 and officially divorced in 1985, bringing their 11-year marriage to an end.
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