'Proud' husband Javed Akhtar reacts to Shabana joining CJP protest amid health scare

Lyricist Javed Akhtar has said he is “proud” of actor-wife Shabana Azmi for joining the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) student protests in New Delhi last month, after the actor took part in demonstrations at Jantar Mantar over the NEET paper leak. Azmi later suffered an asthma attack after Delhi Police hurled tear bombs during the July 20 protest and was subsequently diagnosed with H1N1.Speaking on the podcast Lets Talk With DevnaG, Akhtar said, “She called me when I was in London to tell me she’s going to Delhi for the protests.When she told me, I knew she would. It’s the call of the conscience. Not once I told her to not go or think twice.” He added, “The moment she told me I cannot not go, I knew the old Shabana had woken up, and nobody can stop her. And good she did! I’m proud of her.”Akhtar said Azmi’s decision to join the protest did not surprise him, and described speaking up for causes as something that has been part of her life since before they became a couple. He said her participation in protests was not a recent development. “This isn’t the first time she’s done this. She’s aged now, so does it less now,” he said with a laugh. “I’ve gone to the police station to bail her out. She’s gone for a hunger strike in Mumbai. She’s been quite active,” Akhtar added.He said activism was already an important part of Azmi’s life when their relationship began developing in the late 1970s. Among the incidents he referred to was her participation in the 1993 Cuffe Parade protests in Mumbai against the demolition of slum dwellers’ homes. At the time, Azmi was arrested along with 16 others and reportedly refused to seek bail or accept the charges against her. During her detention, she was scheduled to perform Tumhari Amrita at Tata Theatre.Akhtar said Azmi’s mother, veteran actor Shaukat Kaifi, persuaded the police to escort her to the venue. Azmi then performed in the same dusty clothes in which she had been detained, and Akhtar later bailed her out.Acknowledging that fear is natural, Akhtar emphasised that conscience must ultimately override it. "We feel scared most of the time," he said, adding that one must overcome that fear to speak the truth — or risk losing their self-respect.Akhtar highlighted that failing to speak up would mean betraying his roots, his times, and his conscience.Azmi mentioned that she and Akhtar had initially written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging dialogue with the protesting students, but she chose to join the demonstration after receiving no substantive response for three days.Meanwhile, Azmi was last seen in Batwara 1947, featuring actors Sunny Deol, Preity Zinta, Ali Fazal and Karan Deol in key roles.- EndsPublished By: Anurag BohraPublished On: Aug 31, 2026 20:00 IST