Javed Akhtar
Javed Akhtar Image Credit: Supplied

Indian National Award-winning lyricist and composer Javed Akhtar will headline a poetry recital evening entitled ‘Jashn-E-Javed Akhtar’ on December 9 at the Sheikh Rashid Auditorium in Dubai.

In a video message to Gulf News, Akthar said he was keen to meet his fans in the region and spend a night reciting poetry, his beloved activity. His actress-wife Shabana Azmi will also be there supporting him. The event will begin at 7pm.

According to the event organisers, the evening will be a celebration of the written words of Akhtar.

“We will be celebrating the achievements of Javed Akhtar, his poems, and will also see poets performing their own works. It’s a night that will honour Akhtar’s genius and his wife will accompany him as the special guest of the evening,” said the organiser.

190212  Shabana Azmi
Shabana Azmi

A string of notable poets including Shaheen Abbas, Shahid Zaqi, Amar Iqbal and Hammad Niyazi will perform during the course of the evening.

Akhtar remains one of India’s most popular lyricists and screenwriters. He boasts a prolific Bollywood career and has won five National Film Awards and received the Padma Shri in 1999 and the Padma Bhushan in 2007, two of India’s highest civilian honours. Akhtar became a household name after he collaborated with Salim Khan and turned screenwriter for films such as ‘Zanjeer’, ‘Sholay’, and ‘Deewar’.

Attendance to the event is by invitation only. For invites, call 052-6919878 or 055-8137094.