“Your Silence Is Their Tranquility”: Javed Akhtar On The Importance Of Art, Poetry (Facebook image@ Javed Akhtar)

Screenwriter and lyricist Javed Akhtar explained how art and literature is the vocal chords of the society.  During an Indian interview with stand-up comedians of the country, Akhtar said “your silence is their tranquility”.

Answering to the question of if there are still place for art and literature in this fast-paced world of social media, Akhtar explains. He said while everyone preaches about “save the tiger”, and “save the wildlife”, nobody speaks of “save the fish”.

He that was because fishing is supposed to be a sort “entertainment in tranquility”. It’s an activity that people find relaxing to do after their retirement, without much ‘hungamas’.

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Erupting laughter from his audience, Akhtar asked to think from a fish’s point of view. He said ‘suppose it us humans who are lured in by a gulab jamun when we entered a room. The moment we grabbed the gulab jamun, the roof of our mouth gets hooked to a steel hook and we are being pulled up through it. Then we lost oxygen, and while fighting for our life, someone will start to scale off our skin…this is what is happening to the fish’, he said.

The lyricist said the only difference between a fish and a human is the vocal chords. “Arts, literature, and poetry are the vocal chords of the society”, he said.

“Your silence is their tranquility” 👏 pic.twitter.com/ntqQ6rTZD4

— Siddharth (@DearthOfSid) October 9, 2024

He said it takes a collective escalation, deprivation, and hope to make changes, and so many people are not saying anything, because they do so through literature.

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He also added that if the society is not using that vocal chords, they are going to be killed in other’s tranquility, like the fish, because “your silence is their tranquility”.