Javed Akhtar has never shied away from expressing whatever it is that is in his heart. He is a man of words, but many times, a lot of his statements have led to major controversies. However, that never stopped the legendary lyricist from talking about issues he feels strongly about. Akhtar has always announced himself as an atheist and, over time and again has explained his reasons for choosing that path of belief. In a recent turn of events, Akhtar remarked and made comparisons between alcohol and religion.
In a conversation with Aaj Tak Radio, Javed spoke about how two pegs of whiskey in a day is actually good, but people do not stop at that or understand moderation. He equated the same thought with how people treat religion. On the same thought, he shared that according to him, alcohol and religion have a lot of similarities.
He said, "Alcohol and religion have a lot in common. The Americans did a survey once, about who lives longer; the person who doesn't drink or the person who drinks an entire bottle every day. It was discovered that neither is advisable. Those who live the longest are the ones who strictly have two pegs before their dinner. Medicines have alcohol, how can it be so bad? What's bad is overconsumption. If a person has two glasses of milk, it's fine. But if he has two glasses of whiskey, it's not okay. People never stop at two, do they? They don't go overboard with milk, but they go overboard with whiskey and religion. It becomes harmful. A few cancer cells will keep you slim, but they'll multiply and kill you."
For those unversed, Akhtar has publicly admitted to having quit alcohol and is currently absolutely sober. He has also been extremely honest about his journey with alcohol and how he has shifted focus from one drink to the other.
In an interview with Mid-Day, Akhtar had mentioned, "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 (I thought to myself, why am I increasing my belly fat with beer)? So, I quit it and started drinking rum."
The lyricist in the past has opened up about a great many things; he once also had a public debate with spiritual leader Sadhguru. Akhtar continues to remain unbothered and unabashed, while many criticise him for the same, others respect his honesty and adore his transparency.
