Lucky Ali calls Javed Akhtar 'ugly' after his clip asking Hindus to not be like Muslims goes viral

Mumbai: Veteran lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar and singer Lucky Ali have found themselves at odds after a resurfaced video clip of Akhtar sparked criticism on social media.

In the clip, Akhtar, who is known for his outspoken views and secular stance, is seen urging the Hindu community to avoid hardline behaviour, drawing a comparison with the Muslim community. He has consistently criticised traditional practices across faiths that he believes harm society, advocating for critical thinking and progressive social norms.

In the clip, Akhtar can be heard saying: “In ‘Sholay’, there was a scene where Dharmendra hides behind Shiv ji's murti and speaks, and Hema Malini (thinks) Shiv ji is talking to her. Is it possible to have a scene like that today? No, I will not write a scene (like this today). Were there no Hindus in 1975 (when Sholay released)? Were there no dharmic people? There were. As a matter of fact, I'm on record, I'm not saying it right here. Raju Hirani and I were in Pune in front of a big audience and I said 'Don't become like Muslims. Make them like yourself. You are becoming like Muslims'. It's a tragedy.”

The authenticity of the clip and the event has not been independently verified. However, Lucky Ali took to X, formerly Twitter, to respond to Akhtar’s remarks, writing: “Don’t become like javed akhtar, never original and ugly as f**.”*

Akhtar, who has a long history of attracting criticism from conservative sections of society, has previously faced rebuttals from both the public and filmmakers, including Sandeep Reddy Vanga. IANS