Javed Akhtar was born on January 17, 1945, in Gwalior, India. He is a prominent Indian screenwriter, lyricist, and poet, celebrated for his contributions to Hindi cinema. Akhtar is the son of Jan Nisar Akhtar, a noted poet and songwriter, and Safia Akhtar, a singer. He was previously married to Honey Irani, with whom he has two children: Farhan Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar. He has been married to actress Shabana Azmi since December 9, 1984. Akhtar has received numerous accolades, including the Padma Shri in 1999 and the Padma Bhushan in 2007.