‘To look at each other with such tenderness’: Shabana Azmi wishes Javed Akhtar on 41st wedding anniversary

Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar celebrated their 41st wedding anniversary, receiving love from fans and Bollywood celebrities.

Celebrating a beautiful milestone, veteran actor Shabana Azmi and acclaimed writer-lyricist Javed Akhtar marked 41 years of marriage on Tuesday on 9 December.

Veteran actor Shabana Azmi and writer Javed Akhtar celebrated 41 years of marriage, receiving love from fans and celebrities.

Shabana wishes Jaadu on 41st wedding anniversary

Sharing the joy on Instagram, Shabana posted a heartwarming picture with Akhtar and wrote, “To be able to look at each other with such tenderness after 41 years of marriage says it all… Happy Anniversary Jadu.”

Film industry wishes the iconic couple

The post quickly resonated with fans and well-wishers, who flooded the comments with love and congratulations. Several Bollywood celebrities, including Abhay Deol, Soni Razdan, Vidya Balan, Dia Mirza, Anil Kapoor, Urmila Matondkar, and Meiyang Chang, also extended their warm wishes. Filmmaker Farah Khan Kunder, who coincidentally celebrates her anniversary on the same date, added, “Happy happy anniversary my anniversary sharers.”

Javed ans Shabana's relationship

Javed Akhtar was previously married to veteran screenwriter Honey Irani in 1972, and the couple had two children, filmmaker-actor Farhan Akhtar and director-producer Zoya Akhtar, before separating. Shabana and Javed tied the knot in 1984, and over the decades, their relationship has been celebrated for its warmth and mutual respect. Shabana, known for her active presence on social media, often shares glimpses of personal moments, from family gatherings to celebrations with friends.

Earlier this year, Shabana was honoured with the Radiant Lifetime Achievement Award at the 8th edition of the Radiant Wellness Conclave 2025, which also marked the conclave’s 10th anniversary, recognising her remarkable 50-year cinematic journey. Born to the legendary poet-lyricist Kaifi Azmi and theatre actress Shaukat Azmi, she has collaborated with India’s most respected filmmakers, including Shyam Benegal, Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, and Aparna Sen.

She was recently seen as a drug cartel lord in the Netflix series Dabba Cartel.