On India’s 79th Independence Day, celebrated on August 15, lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar shared a heartfelt message on X. He reminded Indians that freedom was achieved through countless sacrifices of those who fought, suffered imprisonment, and even laid down their lives. However, his post drew a disrespectful comment from a troll suggesting he should celebrate Independence Day on August 14, Pakistan’s day of independence.
Javed Akhtar did not let the remark slide. In a sharp response, he wrote, “Beta jab tumhare baap dada angrez ke joote chaat rahe the mere buzurg desh ki aazadi ke liye Kaala Pani mein mar rahe thay. Apni aukaat main raho” (Son, while your forefathers were licking the boots of the British, my ancestors were dying in Kaala Pani for the country’s freedom. Know your place).
Javed Akhtar’s Freedom Fighter Legacy
Akhtar’s strong words stem from a proud family legacy. His great-grandfather, Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi (1797–1861), was a noted Islamic scholar, poet, and freedom fighter who played a role in the 1857 rebellion against the British. His resistance led to exile in the Andaman Islands, where he eventually died.
His father, Jan Nisar Akhtar, and grandfather, Muztar Khairabadi, were celebrated poets whose works often revolved around themes of freedom, justice, and resistance, embedding a deep sense of nationalism in Akhtar’s lineage.
In a Nutshell
Javed Akhtar shut down an online troll who attempted to question his patriotism on Independence Day. Rooted in a family history of resistance against colonial rule, his fiery response carried both personal conviction and the weight of ancestral sacrifice.