Javed Akhtar, the renowned lyricist and screenwriter along with his filmmaker daughter Zoya Akhtar, attended an event in Mumbai on Thursday and the father-daughter duo engaged the audience with their lively discussion, sharing their deep love for literature, cinema and each other. The session was marked by unfiltered laughter, heartfelt smiles, thoughtful pauses, and a strong sense of connection between the two.
Zoya Akhtar who recently directed “The Archies” adaptation for OTT and produced the coming-of-age drama “Kho Gaye Hum Kahaan”, also on OTT, addressed the topic of censorship in OTT platforms. She explored whether the lack of censorship is a constraint or a liberating force for filmmakers. Contrary to the belief that restraint can enhance art more than explicitness, Zoya emphasized the need for a nuanced approach to depicting physical intimacy on screen.
Zoya said, “It is very important to showcase consensual intimacy on screen. I grew up at a time where women were bullied, beaten up, harassed and sexually assaulted on screen. All these were allowed, but you couldn’t see a kiss. People should be allowed to see love, tenderness, physical intimacy between two adults.”
She acknowledged that while the absence of censorship could lead to an unrestrained portrayal of intimacy, the decision ultimately rests with the filmmaker’s artistic choices. Zoya said, “Every film has a tone, and every filmmaker tells a story in a particular way. As opposed to Ramesh Sippy’s Sholay, where the choices of showcasing violence were ahead of its time, the violence in Tarantino’s films are operatic. It is all about what you are trying to evoke in the audience. The French are more open with male nudity when compared with the Americans. Their relationship with their bodies is different. It is a very cultural thing, and it depends on how comfortable you are with yourself, how you view sex, how you view your body, etc… I wouldn’t do in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara what I did in Lust stories. The audience doesn’t make a big deal of it because the intentions were clear.”
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Zoya’s views were supported by her father Javed Akhtar too. What is your take in this regard?
