Celebrating the Angry Young Men
Documentary on Salim-Javed
The two stalwarts are among the most
celebrated writers of the country and have worked in many
films together
In May 2019, Salman Khan and Farhan Akhtar held a long conversation, setting off speculation that there could be a third instalment of Don. But we now discover that Salman Khan Films, Excel Entertainment and Tiger Baby Films are all set to come together to bring out a documentary on Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar, titled Angry Young Men.
Directed by Namrata Rao, the editor of films like 2 States, Jayeshbhai Jordaar and Jab Tak Hai Jaan, the joint venture will be spearheaded by Salman Khan, Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani, Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti. It seeks to capture the magic of the era that Salim-Javed created together.
“The two stalwarts are among the most celebrated writers of the country and have worked in many films together, penning hits like Zanjeer, Deewar and Sholay, to name a few, before drifting apart over a few differences.
In fact, it was their work that led to Amitabh Bachchan getting the title of ‘angry young man’,” says film historian Imtiaz Baghdadi. “Salim saab was a man for plots and Javed saab was a wizard with words, and that’s why they worked well together,” he adds.
The duo is noted for being the first Indian screenwriters to achieve star status. They revolutionised Indian cinema in the 1970s, transforming and reinventing the Bollywood formula, and pioneering the Bollywood blockbuster format.