Exclusive: Hindi is not less than English, says Farhan Akhtar

Hailing from a family of writers, Farhan Akhtar knows the importance of language. He says that all languages, including Hindi, are equally important. “It’s not less than English. What happens is whatever language you’ve learned the most, and have been conversing in right from your childhood days, becomes comfortable for you. Right now, too, I may be talking to you in one language, but in the back of my mind, I’m phrasing it in English. Mere dimaag mein ek monologue angrezi mein chal raha hai,” he says. “However, my Hindi is good enough. Belonging to a family of writers, I’ve inherited this quality of trying to be perfect with a language.”

Known for his concise thoughts, Farhan says that he’s picky about his movies too. “I always choose a film that will give me loads of pleasure while doing it,” he says. “Being on the sets must entice me. Otherwise, I will not be giving out my best and the right performance. So, for me, a film is not just a romance or a comedy, it has to be close to my heart.”

With the digital platform booming, Farhan says, “The advantage of the digital medium is growing multi fold. The reason is simple: we have an iPad, a mobile phone and other digital facilities that are instantly accessible. So, reading the news while travelling not only saves your time, it tells you what’s trending too. We can also watch our favourite films. I cannot say which way this will affect films. Filmmakers have to think and show great content to be able to survive.”