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Farhan Akhtar is not just a well-known actor but also a talented director who has made a few of Bollywood classics like Dil Chahta Hai, Lakshya, and Don 2, among others. While today he is seen as one of the most successful actor-directors, there was a time when he had no aim in life and believed he failed his mother as a son. In a recent interview, Farhan Akhtar recalled a dark phase of his life when he was “aimless” and had begun to drink.
In a conversation with Faye D’Souza, Farhan Akhtar said, “There was a time where I was really aimless. I knew I wanted to entertain people but I didn’t know what to do about that feeling and how to go about it. I wasn’t very good at studies.” He added, “I made the mistake of getting into a bachelor program for Commerce, for which I absolutely had no interest. But, all my friends were going so I was like let’s go. And within a year, I was like its not for me. I stopped attending and also became a little bit of a waste for about two years. My mom was really worried for me, especially because I was living with her. She was stressed out all the time.”
Recalling his mother’s struggles, the actor said, “She was a single mother, taking care of Zoya and me. She was working. So, the last thing I think she needed at that time was one of her kids just being like that. I was drinking and doing a lot of other things like that.”
Farhan recalled the moment when his mother had almost given up on her and suggested he should go live with his father Javed Akhtar. He said, “At that moment when I saw the effect of that on her, and when it came to a head with her, she was just like, ‘Listen, I have tried my best with you, but, I can’t. Maybe you go and live with your dad for a bit.’ I felt like I failed her as a son. That was the first time I felt horrible in the pit of my stomach like she doesn’t deserve this.”
This incident changed Farhan Akhtar’s destiny. He said, “Not like I was treating her badly, but I was adding to her stresses which she didn’t need at that time. That horrible feeling motivated me to go out and start working.”
Farhan Akhtar established his production company Excel Entertainment along with Ritesh Sidhwani in 1999. In 2001, he made his directorial debut with Dil Chahta Hai, which went on to become one of the most successful films in the history of Bollywood. It even bagged the National Award for Best Hindi Film. He debuted as an actor in the 2008 film Rock On! which he also produced under his banner, bagging yet another National Award.
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