Did Javed Akhtar's Emotional Birthday Note for Zoya Akhtar Touch Your Heart?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Javed Akhtar shares a heartfelt birthday tribute to his daughter.
- Zoya Akhtar has made significant contributions to Indian cinema.
- Her film Superboys of Malegaon is a tribute to amateur filmmakers.
- The emotional bond between father and daughter is highlighted.
- Both Javed and Zoya continue to inspire in their respective fields.
Mumbai, Oct 14 (NationPress) Renowned lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar expressed his emotions in a touching birthday tribute for his daughter, filmmaker Zoya Akhtar, as he reminisced about her birth.
In an Instagram post, Javed shared a nostalgic photo with Zoya and wrote: “Happy birthday, my dearest Zoya. The memory of the day you came into this world is so clear in my mind. I felt a mix of emotions when they placed this tiny baby in my arms.”
“You gazed at me unfocused, and then suddenly, you flashed a toothless smile. In that moment, it became clear that a father’s love for his daughter would last a lifetime,” he continued.
Javed, who was first married to Honey Irani, has two children, Farhan Akhtar and Zoya. He later married acclaimed actress Shabana Azmi in 1984.
After earning a diploma in filmmaking from NYU, Zoya worked as an assistant for directors such as Mira Nair, Tony Gerber, and Dev Benegal before stepping into writing and directing.
She debuted as a director in 2009 with the film Luck by Chance and gained recognition with the comedy-drama Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara in 2011. Her other notable works include Dil Dhadakne Do, segments in anthologies Lust Stories and Ghost Stories, and the musical drama Gully Boy.
Zoya also contributed to the streaming series Made in Heaven and the crime thriller series Dahaad.
Her most recent project is the coming-of-age drama Superboys of Malegaon, directed by Reema Kagti, set for release in 2024. This film, inspired by the documentary Supermen of Malegaon, follows the journey of amateur filmmakers in Malegaon and stars Adarsh Gourav, Vineet Kumar Singh, Shashank Arora, and Anuj Singh Duhan.
The film premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival and was selected as the Opening Night Film at the 2025 National Indian Film Festival of Australia (NIFFA), where it won the award for Best Feature Film.