Salim Khan: Started my career in front of camera but realised my true strength lay in telling stories

Mumbai: The makers of the three-part docu-series “Angry Young Men”, which traces the journey of blockbuster duo Salim-Javed’s cinematic legacy, dropped the trailer on Tuesday.

The over two-minute long trailer showcases the who’s who of cinema world including names such as Aamir Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Salman Khan, Farhan Akhtar, Shatrughan Sinha, Shabana Azmi, Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Hema Malini, Helen and Kareena Kapoor Khan highlight the significant impact Salim-Javed had on their careers. It also shows how the duo fought for their names to be on the posters of the films.

Salim Khan said: “I started my career in front of the camera but realized that my true strength lay in telling stories. That’s when I decided to focus on what came naturally to me – writing.”

Reminiscing about how he met Javed Akhtar, he added: “I then met Javed who was equally passionate about writing, and together we did some fantastic work together, which I am very proud of. We had an excellent run and achieved great success, and also challenged industry norms along the way.”

He is happy that their journey is being documented for future generations, and hopes that they will be inspired to do their best and not be confined by society’s prescribed roles.

Javed Akhtar added: “I arrived in this city as a young man with no job, contacts, or money and often going to bed hungry; despite that, quitting never crossed my mind. What I always knew, however, was that my life story was something I would want to share with the world.

“The support we have received from our family, friends, and the industry in documenting our journey has been heartening and I would like to thank them all for their love,” he shared.

The trailer of the docu-series also presents an emotional ride along with spotlighting their iconic characters and blockbusters such as “Deewar”, “Don”, “Sholay”, “Trishul”, and “Dostana”. It showcases rare archival footage, offering a nostalgic glimpse into their personal relationships, camaraderie, and creative brilliance through their unforgettable collaboration across 24 films.

Namrata Rao, director of “Angry Young Men” said that directing this docuseries on Salim-Javed had been an amazing experience.

“Interacting with Salim and Javed saab has taught me so many things about film writing, about life and dealing with the odds an artist faces. They are effortlessly candid, witty and vociferous storytellers.

“Their stories are filled with both deep insights and charming anecdotes. It’s also a journey into the larger-than-life cinema of the 70s.”

The series on the legends will drop on Prime Video on August 20.