How Urdu Poetry Taught Javed Akhtar the 16 Names of Krishna! | Live at Jashn-e-Rekhta

How Urdu Poetry Taught Javed Akhtar the 16 Names of Krishna! | Live at Jashn-e-Rekhta THE 16 NAMES OF KRISHNA Javed Akhtar . Javed Akhtar wrote a Krishna Aarti for Yugandhar without believing in God, and the music directors could not work out how he knew so many names for Krishna. At Jashn-e-Rekhta he tells the whole story. N. Chandra and Laxmikant-Pyarelal were too awkward to ask him for the Aarti, so he asked for the tune himself. He heard straight away that they had written a song, not an Aarti. An Aarti has to build to a crescendo. It cannot end flat. So he wrote one that climbs through sixteen names of Krishna, from Murlidhar and Manmohan to Ghanshyam, Banwari and Pitambar. When they asked how he knew all of them, he said he reads Urdu. That is where he learned them. He closes with the friend who heard his bhajan for Lagaan, sung by Asha Bhosle, and refused to believe he was an atheist. Akhtar's answer is the sharpest line in the session, and it involves Gabbar Singh. . About Jashn-e-Rekhta Jashn-e-Rekhta is the world’s largest cultural festival celebrating the beauty, depth, and living spirit of the Urdu language. Held annually, it brings together poets, musicians, writers, thinkers, and artists from across the world to create a space of poetry, music, conversations, and storytelling. From soul-stirring mushairas and spellbinding musical evenings to intimate dialogues and immersive cultural experiences, the festival is where language turns into emotion and heritage finds a contemporary voice. More than a festival, Jashn-e-Rekhta is a movement that keeps Urdu alive, relevant, and deeply connected across generations. . #javedakhtar #jashnerekhta #urdupoetry #shayari #bollywood #krishna #urdulanguage . About Rekhta Foundation: Rekhta Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation committed to preserving, promoting, and celebrating the Urdu language and its rich literary and cultural legacy. Through digital archives, learning platforms, publications, festivals, and community initiatives, the Foundation works to make Urdu accessible and meaningful for audiences worldwide. By bridging classical traditions with modern platforms and voices, Rekhta Foundation ensures that the language continues to inspire, connect, and evolve with time. . IMPORTANT COPYRIGHT NOTICE © Rekhta Foundation. All rights reserved. Unauthorised downloading, clipping, re-uploading, or reuse of this content (audio/video/visuals) is strictly prohibited without written permission. . External Links: Website: https://rekhta.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jashnerekhtaofficial/ Rekhta Books: https://rekhtabooks.com/ Rekhta Learning: https://rekhtalearning.com/