Veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar asks filmmaker Shekhar Kapur to meet a psychiatrist; here’s why!

Social media sometimes becomes a very tricky place to be in. On one hand, you can instantly share your opinions with the world but on the other hand, you have to constantly wonder if your personal views will end up offending someone. Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur recently shared his ‘fear of intellectuals’ in one of his tweets and that didn’t go down well with veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar.

Akhtar lashed out at Kapur for comparing ’embrace of intellectuals’ to ‘snakebite’. The former even adviced the latter to meet a psychiatrist. Their war of words has taken Twitter by storm.

The ‘Mr. India’ director took to the micro-blogging site and wrote, “Started life as a refugee of Partition. Parents gave everything to make a life for kids. Was always in fear of intellectuals’. They made me feel insignificant. Small. Then suddenly embraced me after my films. I still fear them. Their embrace is like a bite of a snake. Still a refugee.”

Started life as refugee of Partition. Parents gave everything to make a life for kids. Was always in fear of ‘intellectuals’. They made me feel insignicant. Small. Then suddenly embraced me after my films. I still fear them. Their embrace is like a bite of snake. Still a refugee.

— Shekhar Kapur (@shekharkapur) July 27, 2019

Commenting on Kapur’s tweet, Akhtar asked, “Who are these intellectuals who embraced you and you found that embrace like a snake’s bite? Shyam Benegal, Adoor Gopal Krishna, Ram Chandra Guha? Really ? . Shekhar saheb you are not well. You need help. Come on, there is no shame in meeting a good psychiatrist.”

.who are these intellectuals who embraced you and you found that embrace like a snake’s bite ? Shyam Benegal , Adoor Gopal Krishna , Ram chandra Guha ? Really ? . Shekhar saheb you are not well . You need help . Come on , there is no shame in meeting a good psychiatrist .

— Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) July 28, 2019

Akhtar didn’t stop at that. In a series of tweets, he questioned Kapur’s intention.

What do you mean by still a refugee Does it mean that you feel like an outsider n not an Indian n you don’t feel that this is your motherland .If in India you are still a refugee where will you not feel like a refugee ,In Pakistan? Cut this melodrama you poor rich but lonely guy

— Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) July 28, 2019

You introduce yourself as neither prejudiced by the past nor afraid of the future living in this moment and in the same breath you say you are a refugee of partition and still a refugee . One doesn’t need a magnifying glass to see the contradiction .

— Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) July 28, 2019

The war of words between Akhtar and Kapur comes after the recent open letter written by 49 celebrities to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take strict action over mob-lynching. There was a counter letter written by 61 celebrities including Kangana Ranaut and Prasoon Joshi over ‘selective outrage’.

Also Read: Javed Akhtar shows his support to MS Dhoni; says, “Why even talk about his retirement?”

Pooja Sharma

Cinephile. Bibliophile. Pluviophile. Selenophile. Autophile. Aesthete. Blood group- Tea positive. Poetry lover. Sucker of rom-coms.

PS: Sharmaji ki Ladki sucks at writing bios.
Email: editor@bollywoodbubble.com Phone: +91 8355910465