‘Angry Young Men’: From ‘Andaz’ to ‘Mr India’ – All Hindi Movies Scripted by Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar, and How They Fared at the Box Office

Angry Young Men is a three-episode docuseries on Bollywood's most iconic writing duo, Salim-Javed. Once upon a time in Hindi Cinema, Salim Khan, a struggling actor, and Javed Akhtar, a shoot assistant on the brink of penury, joined hands to write screenplays, and Cinema History was made. In an industry where writers are often low-paid or discredited for their work, Salim-Javed's equation was equal to the top stars during the '70s and the '80s, and they had even demanded remuneration more than those stars! ‘Angry Young Men’ Review: A Well-Edited, Nostalgic Ode to Bollywood’s Legendary Screen-Writers, Salim-Javed!

Directed by Namrata Rao, Angry Young Men not only interviews these legends and have them dissect their success and eventual decline but also have other celebs and their family members share their insights on their legacies and impact on cinema. When the series begins, a statement from Zoya Akhtar, Javed Akhtar's daughter and an established filmmaker herself, cements the reputation of Salim-Javed - save for two movies out of the 20 off-films they penned screenplays for, the rest were blockbusters.

If that's the case, then why did the industry disown them when they only suffered two flops? Which were those movies that broke their winning streak and also ended their partnership? Angry Young Men is edited in a way that makes you think that the failures of these movies could be a factor in the breaking off their writing partnership. While it was true that these flops did dent their reputation as blockbuster writers for a bit, the actual reality is when their partnership ended in 1982, it still ended on a high note.

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Salim-Javed's filmography itself is a proof of that!

Films Penned By Salim-Javed From 1971 to 1982

1. Andaz (1971) - Blockbuster

2. Haathi Mere Saathi (1971) - Blockbuster

3. Seeta Aur Geeta (1972) - Blockbuster

4. Zanjeer (1973) - Blockbuster

5. Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973) - Blockbuster

6. Majboor (1974) - Hit

7. Haath Ki Safai (1974) - Hit

8. Deewaar (1975) - Blockbuster

9. Sholay (1975) - All Time Blockbuster

10. Aakhri Dao (1975) - Flop

11. Immaan Dharam (1977) - Flop

12. Chacha Bhatija (1977) - Hit

13. Trishul (1978) - Blockbuster

14. Don (1978) - Blockbuster

15. Kaala Patthar (1979) - Hit

16. Dostana (1980) - Superhit

17. Shaan (1980) - Hit

18. Kranti (1981) - Blockbuster

19. Shakti (1982) - Superhit

PS: Haven't consider the 1971 film Adhikar - the first film that Salim-Javed had written - considering they were not given credits in the movie.

As you can see, yes, Salim-Javed had only two legit flops in their entire filmography, rest all were money-makers. It also has to be pointed out that their last two movies before the rift - Kranti and Shakti - were also big successes. Shaan may not have performed on the same level as Sholay, Salim-Javed's previous collaboration with director Ramesh Sippy, but it still performed decently at the box office. ‘Angry Young Men’ OTT Release Date: When and Where To Watch Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar’s Docuseries Online.

After the rift, their two already-prepared screenplays were turned into movies, and even they were even successes.

20. Zamana (1985) - Hit

21. Mr India (1987) - Superhit

While Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar didn't exactly reveal what made them go their separate ways (and even spend years not talking to each other), we can't say that the mere failure of two movies could be major factor in their split, as Angry Young Men so strongly insinuates.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 20, 2024 09:22 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).