Javed Akhtar Reflects on Cinema's 'Angry Young Man'

Veteran screenwriter Javed Akhtar discussed the evolution of the 'angry young man' archetype, famously portrayed by Amitabh Bachchan, in light of contemporary cinema during a recent interview. He lamented that today's characters lack the depth of pain that defined earlier portrayals, stating, 'Then they forgot about the hurt; there was only anger, which was crude.' While promoting the docu-series 'Angry Young Men,' Akhtar was asked whether Ranbir Kapoor could achieve Amitabh's level of stardom following his role in the controversial blockbuster 'Animal.' He humorously replied, 'No, no. I may write a film for him,' indicating his openness to future collaborations. Despite mixed reactions about 'Animal,' which faced criticism for its violent content, it still performed well at the box office. Akhtar emphasized that the absence of great characters in current films limits the emergence of iconic stars.