Javed Akhtar takes responsibility for marriage failure with Honey Irani, admits feeling guilty; ‘If I had as much understanding…’
In Angry Young Men, Javed Akhtar spoke candidly about his first marriage to Honey Irani, taking full responsibility for its failure and admitting that he feels guilty about it.
![Picture Courtesy: Javed Akhtar/Instagram Javed Akhtar on failed marriage with Honey Irani](https://www.pinkvilla.com/images/2024-08/948258935_1603947240_javed-min.jpg)
The new docuseries Angry Young Men, now streaming on Prime Video, spotlights legendary screenwriters Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar. Across three episodes, the series delves into their illustrious careers, family dynamics, and personal lives. Javed Akhtar opens up about his first marriage to Honey Irani, candidly admitting that he feels guilty about the relationship's end, acknowledging his role in its failure.
In the third episode of the docuseries, Akhtar addressed the failure of his first marriage, expressing that Honey Irani is the one person in the world toward whom he feels guilty. He said, "About 60 to 70 person responsibility lies on my shoulder for the failure of that marriage. If I had as much understanding as I have today, perhaps, things would not have gone wrong". He admitted that accepting this reality is difficult, but that’s how he sees it.
Shabana Azmi, Akhtar's second wife, reflected on the challenges of being in a triangular relationship, especially when children are involved. She described such situations as deeply personal and painful, made worse by the quick judgments people pass, labeling someone as a "home-breaker" or "home-destroyer." While she initially felt the need to explain her side, she realized that doing so would hurt too many people.
She believed that wisdom lay in remaining silent and accepting the criticism that came her way. Shabana also gave credit to Javed's first wife, Honey, for not turning the children against her. She acknowledged that Honey provided the children with a sense of security, ensuring they didn’t view her as an evil stepmother. As a result, Shabana and Honey now share a warm and positive relationship.
Javed Akhtar was married to Honey Irani, a former child artist and writer, and they have two children together, Farhan Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar. However, their relationship began to unravel around 1980. Javed later fell in love with Shabana Azmi, and the two were married in 1984.
According to Pinkvilla's review, Angry Young Men is hands down, one of the best documentaries to come out of India. The documentary takes you on a journey you would only be grateful and thankful to be taken on.
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