Published By: Nibandh Vinod
Last Updated: November 24, 2023, 07:07 IST
Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar has churned out a slew of cult classics.
Salim Khan, the legendary Bollywood actor, screenwriter, and producer, turns 88 today. We celebrate his remarkable career, his iconic partnership with Javed Akhtar, and his enduring legacy in Indian cinema.
Veteran film writer Salim Khan turns 88 today, November 24. The writer kick-started his career as an actor with the 1957 film Alladin Leila, which was directed by Lekhraj Bhakri. He even essayed a few more roles but none of the films helped him to establish himself as a bankable actor in the Hindi cinema. While Salim was struggling to make a mark on his presence as an actor, his career changed its trajectory after he formed an association with Javed Akhtar. The writer duo has churned out a slew of cult classics. Here are five iconic films written by the legendary duo:
Sholay (1973)
The Ramesh Sippy directorial featuring Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Amjad Khan, Jaya Bachchan and Sanjeev Kumar is among the cult classics. The dialogues from the film have gone down the history of Indian Cinema as being memorable, to say the least. The film revolves around a pair of criminals who are enlisted to capture a notorious dacoit.
Yaadon Ki Baarat (1973)
Yaadon Ki Baarat is a quintessential masala film featuring a stellar star cast including Dharmendra, Zeenat Aman and Neetu Singh. The musical saga follows three brothers estranged due to a childhood tragedy and eventually find their way to reunite.
Zanjeer (1973)
Zanjeer was the turning point of Amitabh Bachchan’s career and the Hindi cinema as a whole. With the introduction of an angry young man, the prolific screenwriter duo Salim-Javed centred the plot on the struggles of a common man in the action-crime film.
Deewar (1975)
The film is famous for its classic dialogue and the temple scene. The film directed by Yash Chopra featured Amitabh Bachchan, Shashi Kapoor, Neetu Singh and Praveen Babi in the lead roles. The film is about two brothers who struggle to survive in Bombay’s slums and finally find themselves on opposite sides of the law.
Mr India (1987)
The sci-fi superhero film, Mr India is one of the cult films of the Hindi cinema. The film starring Anil Kapoor, Sridevi and Amrish Puri was the second highest-grossing film of the year and has been also remade in multiple Indian languages. Salim-Javed initially created the Anil Kapoor’s role for Rajesh Khanna.
Why Did Salim-Javed As Screenwriter Duo Ended Their Association?
Mr India was the last film of Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar as the iconic duo screenwriter. Recently, Javed Akhtar revealed the reason for breaking the association. Speaking on Arbaaz Khan’s show, ‘The Invincibles’, Javed Akhtar said that after a point, their (Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar) mental rapport wasn’t the same as it was when they started, that’s why the writer duo drifted apart.
We Wish Salim Khan a happy Birthday!
