Veteran lyricist-writer Javed Akhtar says only he can translate the life and journey of the late iconic poet Sahir Ludhianvi on the big screen.
He opened up about sharing a close bond with Ludhianvi, who was his family friend. "He was a friend of my father and my mamu's (maternal uncle). He used to meet with a lot of love and affection. I shared a great bond with him.
"If anyone can make a film on him or his life, it is only me because no one knew him that well as I know him. Those who did know him are not alive," Akhtar said.
Asked who would be apt to play him on screen, he said any good actor would be the right fit. Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali has been planning to make a biopic on Ludhianvi for some time now. Names of several actors, including Shah Rukh Khan, Irrfan Khan and Priyanka Chopra have cropped up for the project but nothing has been finalised yet. Most recently there were reports about Abhishek Bachchan and Taapsee Pannu starring in the project.
"We have an interesting relationship with nostalgia and it is not just the film industry but the entire country. We often praise the olden days as if everything was just amazing then. But at the same time we do not respect the old times," Akhtar said.
However, he said the quality of filmmaking has improved a lot over the years. "In the '50s, '60s and even in '70s bad films were made but the fact is that by and large the standard has improved today," he said.
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