Poet, lyricist, scriptwriter and activist, Javed Akhtar is one of India’s most influential cultural figures. As one half of the legendary screenwriting duo Salim–Javed, he shared in the writing of some of the most iconic films in Indian cinematic history which transformed the landscape of Hindi cinema, such as the world renowned Sholay. He has also written over a thousand evergreen songs. Javed Akhtar has been a member of the Rajya Sabha. He has received innumerable awards including India’s high civilian literary and film awards - Padma Bhushan, Sahitya Akademi and National Film Awards. He was Literature Live! Mumbai LitFest Poet Laureate in 2020. He has been awarded by the French and Italian governments. His widely translated Urdu poetry collections, Tarkash and Lava are perennial best sellers. As commentator and activist, he has spoken extensively on secularism, women’s rights, social justice and successfully campaigned for the Copyright Amendment Bill