Mumbai, August 15
Filmmaker Zoya Akhtar shared the inspiration behind her upcoming docuseries Angry Young Men, which delves into the iconic partnership of writers Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar, who defined an era in Indian cinema with their powerful storytelling.
In a conversation with ANI, Zoya explained that the idea for the series came from her long-standing admiration for Salim-Javed's work.
"It all started with me because I've watched all of their films. I'm a writer, and I always wonder how they managed to complete a film in just one draft or two. I used to meet Salim uncle quite often, even more than Farhan met him, because we both used to go for walks in the morning. We often ran into each other and had conversations. He would tell me stories, discuss scripts with me, or talk about my films after watching them," Zoya said.
"I felt that I should record these conversations. There are books, interviews, and articles written about him, but no one has archived these in a way that the new generation can access. This generation doesn't really know about star writers, and I want to pass on the aspirations I have to the next generation," she added.
Zoya also touched on the impact Salim-Javed had on the industry, particularly regarding the value of writers.
"It's positive because they were very sure and confident about their work. It's not just that they created the Angry Young Man character. If you have an actor like Mr. Bachchan, no matter what you write, if the actor isn't capable, your character won't reach its full potential. I think it was a combination that just exploded," she said.
The docuseries 'Angry Young Men' explores the formidable creative partnership and legacy of writer duo Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar.
On Tuesday, the makers unveiled the trailer of the docuseries.
In the trailer, celebrities Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Shabana Azmi, Farhan Akhtar, Karan Johar and Jaya Bachchan mark their presence as they talked about the legendary work of Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar.
The documentary's title 'Angry Young Men' refers to the angry young man hero-type the duo created in the 70s. Salim-Javed played a pivotal role in Big B's stardom.
Produced by Salman Khan Films, Excel Media & Entertainment, and Tiger Baby, Angry Young Men is executive produced by Salman Khan along with Salma Khan, Ritesh Sidhwani, Farhan Akhtar, Zoya Akhtar, and Reema Kagti.
'Angry Young Men' is set to premiere exclusively on Prime Video in India on August 20. Namrata Rao has directed the project.