New Delhi: 'The Angry Young Men' docu-series has become a valuable resource of information from the time the writing duo Salim-Javed struggled and became an established name in the Hindi film industry. Reckoned to be as powerful and important as the lead actors of the time, Javed Akhtar and Salim Khan revolutionised the writer's plight in Hindi cinema.
The screenwriter duo penned some 24 films, 22 of which were box office successes. While screenwriters and other technicians on a film production typically do not get that much of a clout as a leading star does, the Salim-Javed duo were of different material.
The two were a household name in the 70s thanks to blockbusters like 'Zanjeer','Deewar', 'Yaadon Ki Baaraat', 'Sholay' and many more. In the docu-series, filmmaker and producer Karan Johar sheds light on an interesting anecdote involving the kind of respect Salim and Javed commanded even in monetary terms.
Karan Johar on Salim-Javed earning more than the highest paid actor of the country
The interesting anecdote revolves around Karan Johar recalling his father talking about how Salim-Javed asked for Rs. 1 lakh more than the leading star of the time-Amitabh Bachchan. At the peak of their popularity, the two asked for Rs. 21 lakh per film, even more than Amitabh Bachchan, who at the time was India's highest-paid actor.
In the series, Johar quips, "Can you imahine if a writer today asked for a crore more than Salman Khan? That was the power of Salim-Javed."
Getting their names in film credit
In a portion of the docu-series trailer, Salim-Javed also spoke about the struggle to break tradition by getting their names mentioned in the credits of films; in promotional materials including posters and more. This convention too, the two wanted to break and did everything in their power to change the respect accorded to the writer duo, who were churning out blockbusters at a speed never seen before.
In the docu-series, several Bollywood stars like Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Dharmendra, Aamir Khan, Hrithik Roshan and Farhan Akhtar are interviewed as they share the enormous impact Salim-Javed had on the industry furing the 70-80s.