Why Javed Akhtar still rules the roost at this age

There are two veteran lyricists of Bollywood, Javed Akhtar and Gulzar who are still the first choice of leading filmmakers of the present times. Just flip through the hit songs of recent times and one has to be penned by Javed Saab. Age is just another number for him for he understands the mindset and sensibilities of the youth of today better than any modern poet. And it is not surprising then that his birthday evokes response from both young and old. Wishing lyricist-poet Javed Akhtar on his 72nd birthday on Tuesday, Hindi film industry celebrities like Anil Kapoor, Farah Khan and Shekhar Ravijiani, expressed their fondness for the "charming" Padma Bhushan awardee. Having penned songs for films like "Silsila", "1942: A Love Story", "Veer-Zaara", "Main Hoon Na" and "Jodhaa Akbar", the veteran poet has been in the industry for more than four decades. While Anil wished Akhtar saying that he is a "man whose words can start a revolution", actor Suniel Shetty hailed him as the "finest wordsmith". Here is what the Bollywood industry members had to share for the screenwriter, who once made a formidable team with Salim Khan.(Seema Faizee)