- July 2, 2024
Shabana Azmi Says Javed Akhtar Quit Alcohol As He Couldn’t ‘Live For Long’: ‘Was Stinking Of Alcohol…’ – News18
Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar have been married for 40 years.
Shabana Azmi said that Javed Akhtar has incredible willpower and has not drank since he quit alcohol.
Speaking to Arbaaz Khan for The Invincibles, Shabana recalled how Javed Akhtar left drinking. She said, “He knew that if I go on like this, I won’t live for long and I won’t be able to do my work creatively… We were in a flat in London. He was stinking of alcohol and I said ‘Oh my god, this is going to be one of those trips. Very quietly he told me ‘Make me some breakfast’. He had breakfast and after that he told me, ‘I am not going to drink anymore’.”
Shabana continued, “I didn’t say anything. I just said ‘Means?’ He said ‘I am not going to drink anymore’. He had never said this before and from that day, he has not touched (alcohol).” Shabana added, “It is impossible for me to have the kind of willpower he has,” calling his willpower “incredible”.
Back in 2023, Javed revealed that his relationship with Shabana was affected because of alcohol. “Obviously, she was not in love with me because I was drinking. She was in love with me in spite of my drinking.” He said, “I released yeh bevakoofi hai jo main kar raha hun. Isme koi glamour nahi hai, koi dignity nahi hai, koi charm nahi hai. (I realised what I was doing was stupid. There is no glamour, dignity or charm in this).” Javed had said that he drank a bottle of rum on July 31, 1991, and since August 1, he hasn’t had a drink.
In a 2012 episode of Aamir Khan’s Satymeva Jayate, Javed had said, “I started drinking at a very young age of 19. When I came to Bombay after completing my graduation I started drinking with friends and later it became a habit. Earlier I didn’t have enough money, but then after my success, money flow was also taken care of. Then came a time when I would drink one bottle a day.”
