When just Rs 60 became main reason for Javed Akhtar not making Shatrughan Sinha his roommate

Veteran actor and screenwriter Javed Akhtar looked back on his early struggling days in Bollywood when he was sharing a room with someone and Shatrughan Sinha requested to join them. However, to our surprise, Javed declined his request as he was unsure how Shatrughan was going to manage the Rs 60 rent. 

In a conversation with Mid-day on the Sit With Hitlist series, Javed Akhtar shared a light-hearted memory from his struggling days. He recounted how, after doing 'well' in his career, he finally found a small room with a monthly rent of Rs 120. He shared that he used to split equally with another person.

Talking about Shatrughan Sinha and his request that the veteran lyricist, however, declined, Akhtar said, “Toh mere paas Shatru aaya, kehne laga ki tum mujhe rakh lo apne kamre mein. I said, ‘Pagaal ho tum? Tum mujhe bhi nikalwa doge. Rs 60 mahina tum kahaan se laaoge? Har mahine tum Rs 60 de sakoge? Impossible.'” 

(Then, Shatrughan came to me saying, ‘Let me stay with you.’ I said, ‘Are you crazy? You’ll get me evicted too. Where will you get Rs 60 from each month? Will you really be able to pay it? Impossible’). 

Javed Akhtar also shared that though he refused Shatrughan Sinha’s request to stay with him, he noticed the actor’s unmistakable 'confidence, style, and flair' that would later define his on-screen persona. However, even after being rejected to share a room with him during the early days, the actor went on to etch his mark in Bollywood and is now one of the well-known stars of the industry.

In the same interview, the veteran lyricist has also opened up on his difficult early days in Mumbai when he went without food for over two days. He admitted that the idea of getting a meal outside Mahim Dargah never even occurred to him back then. 

Javed Akhtar revealed that breakfast used to be a ‘comfort’ for them, and each day was a struggle to figure out where his next meal would come from and where he would sleep. 

Stay tuned to Pinkvilla for more!

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