Latest news with #SippyFilms
News18
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Javed Akhtar DENIED Shatrughan Sinha Entry Into His Rented House: 'Mujhe Bhi Nikalwa Doge'
Last Updated: Javed Akhtar once got a small room for Rs 60 a month, sharing the rent with someone. When Shatrughan Sinha asked to stay there too, Javed said no. Javed Akhtar, now a famous screenwriter and lyricist, came to Mumbai in the 1960s and had a tough time before making it in the film industry. He did small jobs and worked as an assistant director until he got a writing job at Sippy Films in 1970, earning just Rs 175 a month. Like many newcomers, he struggled in the beginning and shared those early days with others who were also trying to succeed, like actor Shatrughan Sinha and director Subhash Ghai. In an interview with Mid-day, Javed shared a funny memory from that time — he was living in a tiny room when Shatrughan Sinha came by, looking for a place to stay. Javed Akhtar once got a small room for Rs 120 a month, sharing the rent with someone. When Shatrughan Sinha asked to stay there too, Javed said no, joking that he couldn't afford the rent and might get them evicted. The lyricist recalled, 'Mere paas ek room aagaya tha… when I was doing well. Toh uska Rs 120 mahina kiraya tha… Rs 60 I used to give… and Rs 60, somebody else. Toh mere paas Shatru aaya, kehne laga ki tum mujhe rakh lo apne kamre mein. I said, 'Pagaal ho tum? Tum mujhe bhi nikalwa doge. Rs 60 mahina tum kahaan se laaoge? Har mahine tum Rs 60 de sakoge? Impossible.'" (I had managed to get a room… when things were starting to look up. The rent was Rs 120 per month. Rs 60 I paid, and the other half was paid by someone else. Then, Shatrughan came to me saying, 'Let me stay with you.' I said, 'Are you crazy? You'll get me evicted too. Where will you get Rs 60 from each month? Will you really be able to pay it? Impossible.') Javed Akhtar turned down Shatrughan Sinha's request but noticed the confidence and style that would later make Sinha a star. He recounted, 'Maine use nahi rakha… I told him main tumko nahi rakh sakta." First Published: May 11, 2025, 09:05 IST
Indian Express
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Javed Akhtar felt it was ‘impossible' for Shatrughan Sinha to pay Rs 60 as rent, refused to live with him: ‘You will get me evicted as well'
Veteran screenwriter and lyricist Javed Akhtar, who arrived in Mumbai in the 1960s, faced his share of hardships before establishing himself in the Hindi film industry. From odd jobs to working as an assistant director, he eventually secured a writing position at Sippy Films in 1970 with a modest salary of Rs 175. But before this, he shared his struggles with contemporaries like actor Shatrughan Sinha and director Subhash Ghai, who were also struggling with him. In an interview with Mid-day, Javed recounted a humorous episode from those early days, when he lived in a small room and was approached by Shatrughan Sinha for accommodation. He recalled, 'Mere paas ek room aagaya tha… when I was doing well. Toh uska Rs 120 mahina kiraya tha… Rs 60 I used to give… and Rs 60, somebody else. Toh mere paas Shatru aaya, kehne laga ki tum mujhe rakh lo apne kamre mein. I said, 'Pagaal ho tum? Tum mujhe bhi nikalwa doge. Rs 60 mahina tum kahaan se laaoge? Har mahine tum Rs 60 de sakoge? Impossible.'' (I had managed to get a room… when things were starting to look up. The rent was Rs 120 per month. Rs 60 I paid, and the other half was paid by someone else. Then, Shatrughan came to me saying, 'Let me stay with you.' I said, 'Are you crazy? You'll get me evicted too. Where will you get Rs 60 from each month? Will you really be able to pay it? Impossible.') Also Read | Mr India was originally conceived for Amitabh Bachchan before Salim-Javed's split, Javed Akhtar reveals: 'I developed it completely on my own' Though Javed turned down the request, he noted how Sinha already displayed the confidence, style, and flair that would later define his screen persona. Still, the decision was firm. 'Maine use nahi rakha… I told him main tumko nahi rakh sakta.' (I didn't let him stay… I told him I can't keep you as a roommate.) Despite the early struggles, both men went on to become stalwarts in their respective fields. Shatrughan has previously claimed that films like Sholay and Deewaar, written by Salim-Javed, were first offered to him. In a 2000 chat with Rediff, Shatrughan claimed, 'Sholay, the role Amitabh played was first offered to me, but I didn't do it. During those days, I was coming as the lead star, and I didn't want to take a second lead character. The role passed on to Amitabh, and you know the rest. Or take Deewar — Salim-Javed wrote the role for me, initially, and it was lying with my producer for a long time. But then there was some difference of opinion between Salim Khan and the producer, and the film passed on to Yash Chopra. And Amitabh got the role.' With Amitabh and Shatrughan being professional rivals, and Salim-Javed writing most of Amitabh's hits of the time, it was perceived that the writer duo supported Big B, and not Shatrughan. Salim-Javed and Shatrughan collaborated on films like Kaala Patthar, Shaan and Dostana, but they all starred multiple heroes.
