Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan shared their feelings on the breakup of Salim-Javed, the iconic screenwriting duo who played a crucial role in shaping Amitabh’s career. The couple expressed sadness over the split, acknowledging its impact on Indian cinema. Despite parting ways, the duo maintained mutual respect and camaraderie.

Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan recently shared their thoughts on the split of the iconic screenwriting duo, Salim-Javed. The couple had a close association with Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar, with Amitabh marrying Jaya after the success of ‘Zanjeer’, a film penned by the famed duo. They were instrumental in shaping Amitabh’s image as the ‘Angry Young Man’ through films like ‘Deewaar’ and ‘Trishul’. In the new docu-series ‘Angry Young Men’, both Amitabh and Jaya expressed their heartbreak over the split of Salim-Javed.

Amitabh reflected on the split and shared in the series, “I for one was very sad that it happened. Even though I had the opportunity to work with Salim sahab and Javed sahab separately, even after they had parted ways. But yes, them being together was altogether a different story.”

Jaya Bachchan, visibly emotional, reminisced about the times with Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar. She said, “Amazing times. Short, but amazing. I mean, cinema history, without this chapter (is not possible).” Her words underscore the significant impact Salim-Javed had on the history of Indian cinema. Ramesh Sippy, the director of ‘Sholay’, added, “Everything in life has that kind of cycle which very rarely does it last forever. And you feel for it also, because it ends. It should not have ended.”

While the duo refrained from delving into the reasons behind their split, Javed Akhtar provided some insight. He mentioned, “I made new friends, and he made new friends, slowly our circles started separating. Our evening meetings stopped, that was also a reason but that was not the major reason. The major reason, according to me, was that the spring of our career was drying up. Fatigue was showing in our work too. No doubt about that.” Despite the split, Salim Khan emphasized that their parting was amicable. He noted that even today, they meet each other with warmth and respect. The duo was recently seen together at the trailer launch of ‘Angry Young Men’, showcasing their enduring camaraderie and mutual respect.

In the three part docuseries, Javed Akhtar also spoke about his first marriage with Honey Irani and said, “Honey is one person in the world towards whom I feel guilty. And she’s the only person. About 60 to 70 person responsibility lies on my shoulder for the failure of that marriage. If I had as much understanding as I have today, perhaps, things would not have gone wrong. It’s very difficult to accept. But that’s how it is.”

Released on August 20, the series is available to stream on Prime Videos.