Writer Honey Irani married Javed Akhtar in 1972 and they had two children Farhan Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar. However, they were separated in 1985 and after that Javed Akhtar married Shabana Azmi. In a recent interview, Honey has revealed that Akhtar’s alcoholism was the major reason for their separation. She has never blamed Shabana Azmi for it and in the same interview, she also revealed how she remained friends with them after the divorce. Honey looked back at a relationship that moved quickly, at a time when both she and Javed were still establishing themselves. She said the rapid success that came their way played a role in the strain that followed.She said during an interview with Vickey Lalwani, “I don’t know why it didn’t work. Everything was moving too fast. The success that they were getting was very fast and with success things do change, the man also changes and so does his surrounding. I guess maybe I couldn’t cope up with that.”She also spoke candidly about one of the most difficult aspects of their marriage and how it affected their relationship.“His drinking was a major problem. Then he was meeting a lot of people, he was spending evenings out and those things increased a lot in between. We both were mature enough to understand that this is not working. He had tried to give up drinking many times.”Honey said their separation was a mutual and conscious decision, taken before things turned ugly.“We both took the decision to separate because it wasn’t working. So instead of fighting and tearing each other apart, the most sensible thing we did was separating.”She also acknowledged her own age and emotional maturity at the time, making it clear she does not place the blame entirely on Javed.“I was also too young and immature, so I’m not blaming Javed entirely. We got into it very fast. We should have waited, maybe we would not have gotten married.”Recalling how their relationship began, Honey said she first met Javed Akhtar during the shooting of ‘Seeta Aur Geeta’, where she was acting and he was part of the writing team. She said his humor and immediate knowledge stood out.“I first met Javed during the shooting of Seeta Aur Geeta. He came to me to give me my lines. The first thing that I noticed about him was his sense of humor. Also, anyone could talk to him on any topic, he had so much knowledge. That was something which was very attractive.”Honey also shared her view on separation, saying it does not have to be bitter if accepted honestly.“Once you have separated, then what is the problem. Then why are you angry and why are you crying?”She added that while it took a few years for things to settle, Javed continued to support their children, and over time, emotions around the separation softened.
