“When people ask me to cut a cake, I feel awkward, as I hadn’t as a kid,” says writer-lyricist Javed Akhtar, who turns 76 today. “Birthday ek rasm hai. Mohabbat hai, toh dost aa jaate hain. If you are born in a well-to-do family where parents enjoy celebrating birthdays, you feel different, but humne toh dekha nahi tha. Poor kids don’t celebrate birthdays, I started doing so only after growing up,” he adds.

With his wife, actor Shabana Azmi, shooting in England, Akhtar says there won’t be any party. “I won’t be doing anything. I doubt anyone will turn up, especially due to Coronavirus,” he says.

In his trademark humour, he calls 2020 ‘the year that never was’. He admits that in their 36 years of marriage, the couple never spent so much time together as they did last year. “Both of us are compulsive travellers and usually away from home, so it was pleasant to stay in a house together for over three months. Shabana and I enjoyed our Khandala home, which we would visit for weekends, only on occasions. We saw many movies, read a lot and introspected, too. We got time to be with ourselves,” he says.

Last year, there were rumours of his son, Farhan Akhtar, planning to get married to Shibani Dandekar. Has he spoken to Farhan about marriage or the rumours? “I believe once kids become adults, they have a right to their privacy and asking them personal questions is a no-no. If they offer personal information, you should listen, but never probe, enquire or question them. It is not a decent thing. If my kids want to share their personal lives with me, I would be most happy to listen. But, I never probe or ask personal questions to my kids,” he signs off.