Javed Akhtar received the Dostoevsky Star Order – a literary award given to those promoting Russian literature and culture – in a ceremony held at the Russian House in Delhi on Friday. The ceremony coincided with Russian Language Day, celebrated annually on June 6, the birthday of the legendary Russian poet Alexander Pushkin.

Drawing a parallel across cultures, the lyricist added, “I believe that Pushkin was the Ghalib of Russia and Ghalib was the Pushkin of India.”

Akhtar, accompanied by Shabana Azmi, spoke about the importance of translation, comparing Pushkin to Ghalib.

Talking about the power and paradox of language, Akhtar said, “It’s strange that languages were made for communication, and more often than not, languages become a barrier in communication. But in the barrier, there are windows of translation. I shudder to think that if there had not been any translations then I would not have been able to read (works of) so many great writers of Europe. I would not have read Balzac.”

Talking about India’s deep-rooted literary ties with Russia, the lyricist spoke about the Progressive Writers Movement that gained momentum in India in the 1930s.

He said, “There was a great writing movement in India in 1936, and it was greatly influenced by Russian literature. There is influence of Russian literature in the modern Urdu novels and Urdu short stories as well.”

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As a teenager, Javed Akhtar would devour Urdu translation of Russian literature, particularly Fyodor Dostoevsky’s works. Had someone told him then that he would be honoured with the Dostoevsky Star Award later in life, he wouldn’t have believed it. Last week, the noted screenwriter, poet and lyricist was felicitated with the award by the Russian House for promoting cultural dialogue and preserving literary heritage. 

For Akhtar, 80, it’s a matter of pride to receive the Dostoevsky Star Award. “Dostoevsky is one of the most respected novelists and journalists. In our Khandala house, we have his portrait on the door of our study. I don’t think any Indian writer has received the Dostoevsky Star Award before. One of my books, where my poems have been translated by Ramdas Akella in the Russian language, was released at the function,” says the veteran writer.

Akhtar — who has shaped Indian cinema with movies like Zanjeer (1973), Sholay (1975), Mashaal (1984), and Lakshya (2004), among others — notes that Indian and Russian literature have been inspired by each other over centuries.

“The novel structure and short stories of Anton Chekhov, Maxim Gorky, or Dostoevsky inspired our writers. Similarly, Indian writers inspired them as some of our classics, including the Bhagavad Gita, were translated in Russian. At an impressionable age, I was introduced to Russian literature because they were translated in Urdu and English. My thinking and dramatic structure got influenced by them.”

The event, which took place on June 6 in Mumbai, was a bittersweet moment for Shabana Azmi, actor and Akhtar’s wife. She says, “I wish his father Jan Nisar Akhtar, and my father Kaifi Azmi were here to see him receive it.”