The Times Of India Podcast

'It is the number of idiots that give dignity to a stupid idea'

Poet, lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar was recently invited to a Urdu literature festival in Kolkata and then saw the invite withdrawn after Muslim groups objected to his presence, on the grounds that he is an atheist.

In this episode, he speaks with Alka Dhupkar about his atheism, why a community can't claim ownership over a language and why he's happy to receive abuse for his views from all religious groups.