From Blockbuster Brothers To Break-up; Inside Salim Khan–Javed Akhtar’s SHOCKING Split!
In Bollywood lore, few names hit harder than Salim–Javed. Long before writers were celebrated, Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar became stars in their own right. They gave Bollywood its legendary Angry Young Man, brought alive by Amitabh Bachchan, and reshaped 1970s films with stories about rebellion, injustice, and masculinity.
From Blockbuster Brothers To Break-up; Inside Salim Khan–Javed Akhtar’s SHOCKING Split!
Together, they penned absolute classics like Sholay, Deewaar, Don, Zanjeer, Yaadon Ki Baaraat, and Seeta Aur Geeta. In the 70s, producers wanted only one thing on their posters – Written by Salim–Javed.
So why did it end?
In June 1982, after 12 wildly successful years, the duo quietly went their separate ways. Salim later recalled the moment with quiet heartbreak –
“Every box has an expiry date… We were near Javed’s house one evening when Javed told me he wanted to split… I shook hands with him and started walking towards my car.”
One major point of friction was creative direction.
Salim revealed, “Javed wanted to use this partnership to start writing lyrics too… I told him to restrict the partnership to script-writing.”
(Also Read: Salim Khan-Helen Love Story During Don & More –)
Add creative exhaustion, rising egos, and serious money pressure, and the cracks widened. With Amitabh charging ₹25 lakh per film, Salim–Javed raised their fee to ₹21 lakh, a figure many producers were unwilling to match.
Rumours soon followed, especially about Javed’s closeness to Amitabh. Javed later clarified, “A lot of people thought I have parted ways with Salim Khan because of my closeness with Amitabh. Due to these rumours, I didn’t do any films with Amitabh Bachchan for about 10 years.”
Post-split, Javed found quick success with films like Saagar, Betaab, and Lakshya.
Salim’s journey was tougher. He once admitted, “There was a time when I’d make my drink, and then keep the phone off the hook. And here I was, checking the phone every now and then to see if it was working.” Still, he went on to write films like Naam and Patthar Ke Phool.
Despite the split, the respect never disappeared. They remained dignified, never spoke against each other, and even shared an unofficial final collaboration on Baghban.
Some partnerships end. Legends don’t.
Salim Khan Health Update:
Salim Khan was recently admitted to Lilavati Hospital after a minor brain haemorrhage and is currently on ventilator support. Prayers continue to pour in for the legend.