Javed Akhtar, one of Bollywood’s most well-known lyricists and screenwriters, has never shied away from talking about the darker chapters of his life. From the heights of fame to his personal battles, Akhtar has always spoken with rare honesty. In a recent interview, he once again opened up about his long struggle with alcohol, sharing just how deep his addiction once ran.‘I used to drink 18 bottles of beer in one sitting’Speaking to Mid Day, Akhtar looked back at a time when drinking wasn’t just a habit—it had taken over his life.“I got allergic to whiskey. Then, I thought that I must have only beer. However, I used to drink 18 bottles of beer in only one sitting. Fir mujhe laga ki yaar yeh kya pet phoola raha hun main apna (Why am I increasing my belly fat with beer)? So, I quit it and started drinking rum,” he said.It wasn’t about having someone to drink with, either. Company wasn’t necessary. Akhtar added, “I didn’t even need any company. Koi hai toh achi baat hai, nahi toh main akele pee lunga (It’s great if someone is around or I used to drink alone).”‘Another devil would come out of me’In an earlier conversation on the YouTube channel We Are Yuvaa, Akhtar offered a deeper look into what led to this pattern of heavy drinking. “Maybe there were bottled-up emotions, the anger, the bitterness. That is why, after drinking, I would become quite offensive, which I was not otherwise. This would never happen in my sober moments. But pii ke koi ek dusra devil nikal aata tha (when I was drunk, another devil would come out of me),” he shared.‘Don’t do that’ — Advice to his younger selfWith years of reflection behind him, Akhtar looked back at his drinking days with regret. “I would tell him that the 20–25 years that you drank alcohol, don’t do that,” he said.Despite the years of drinking, there came a day when Javed Akhtar decided enough was enough. The date was 31st July 1991—a day that changed his life forever. “I have done only a few nice things in life and one of them is I left drinking on July 31, 1991. I never drank again, never even took a sip of champagne. Not even during celebratory cheers. I never touched it again,” he revealed.
