Javed Akhtar inspires Toilet: Ek Prem Katha writers

Javed Akhtar

Writers Siddharth Singh and Garima Wahal, known for their work in films like Toilet: Ek Prem Katha and Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-leela, have penned a poem, Thande Lekhak, inspired by veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar's recent call for free writing and expression.

Earlier this month, Akhtar recited a new poem in public that urged writers to express themselves in today's dark times. And now, Siddharth-Garima have written a heartfelt poem highlighting the problems that plague our nation in today's times.

"The trigger was the poem written by Javed Saab. We feel a writer thrives on the socio-economic scenario of the society. In the last couple of years, we have seen killings of the torch-bearer writers, including Gauri Lankesh, who advocated freedom of speech," the writers said in a joint statement.

"People in our country die unceremoniously when a bridge collapses. This after we pay hefty taxes for the development of infrastructure. There's actually no freedom of speech left in the country."

Talking about films, they pointed out that writers write and create mass entertainers that have a social message at the heart.

"But the censor board strikes off any critical mention of the government policies. Be it literature or any mass media communication, it's the writer who shapes the face of a liberated society. It's this responsibility that we see missing in today's creators and that's the driving force (angst) of this outburst," they said.

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