Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 08:02am on 02 Sep 2025,Tuesday Entertainment
Poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar responded to West Bengal Urdu Academy's event cancellation after Islamic groups objected to his participation, accusing him of insulting religion. Akhtar, invited as chief guest for "Urdu in Hindi Cinema" panel discussion, said receiving "hate mail from both sides" confirms he's "doing something right." He emphasized his Persian name has no religious association, criticizing India's tendency to link names with religion. Author Taslima Nasreen condemned the academy's decision, warning that bowing to extremist threats empowers them. The cancellation drew criticism from poet-filmmaker Gauhar Raza and civil rights groups like APDR, who flagged broader dangers to democratic rights and freedom of expression in contemporary discourse. (PC: Black Hat Talent Solutions)
