Javed Akhtar’s response to Bushra Ansari’s remarks was measured but firm, emphasizing his identity and dignity as an Indian and rejecting attempts to silence him. When Ansari mocked him on social media, suggesting he couldn’t even rent a house in Mumbai and telling him to “stay quiet like Naseeruddin Shah,” Akhtar didn’t shy away from addressing these points directly.
He sarcastically dismissed the rent issue by saying, “Yes, of course! Shabana and I are sleeping on the streets now,” highlighting the absurdity of the claim. Akhtar then shared a backstory about an incident 25 years ago when a broker told his wife Shabana Azmi that a landlord didn’t want to sell a flat to Muslims due to personal pain related to Partition — a rejection born out of personal grief, not religion. He questioned how Bushra Ansari could twist this isolated event into a mockery aimed at him.
The controversy itself began after Akhtar’s poignant speech at the Gauravshaali Maharashtra Mahotsav, where he condemned the terrorist killing of 26 tourists in Pahalgam, calling the tragedy something that must never be forgotten. Ansari responded by dismissing his speech as an excuse and again made the “house rental” jab, telling him to be quiet like Naseeruddin Shah, who had not spoken out publicly on the issue.
Akhtar stood his ground, making it clear that as an Indian, he would not stay silent in the face of external criticism, and pointed out that people like Ansari should first examine their own history before casting stones. His calm but strong rebuttal underlined both his commitment to his country and his refusal to be undermined by such comments.
