'Brainwashed': Javed Akhtar questions burqa logic, asks 'why should you be ashamed of your face?'. Watch viral video

Javed Akhtar, celebrated lyricist and screenwriter, recently opened up about sensitive topics like burqa, politics and religion. At the SOA Literary Festival 2025, Javed spoke about the burqa and asked, “Why should a woman be ashamed of her face?". This clip from November has gone viral online especially when a huge row has erupted after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar came under fire for pulling down a Muslim woman doctor’s hijab. The 'Sholay' writer questioned the idea of women covering her faces and also questioned the logic as to why women are expected to cover their faces.

Refraining from attacking faith or personal belief, Javed Akhtar focused on what he described as deep-rooted social conditioning. According to him, face-covering is often less about personal freedom and more about invisible pressure from society.

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'Why should you be ashamed of your face?'

At the literary festival, Javed Akhtar was questioned by a student about his earlier remark on being raised by women who did not wear burqas. The student challenged Javed’s thinking on why a woman becomes less strong if she chooses to cover her face. Her question elicited an unfiltered response from Javed, who said, “Why should you be ashamed of your face?” Akhtar asked. “Why should you be? I believe that revealing clothes – whether men wear them or women – don’t look dignified. If a man comes to the office or college in a sleeveless shirt, it’s not a good thing. He should dress decently. And a woman should also be decently dressed.”



“But what makes her cover her face? What is so vulgar, obscene, undignified about her face that it is covered? Why? What is the reason?” he asked. Calling wearing a burqa “peer pressure,” Javed said, “This is peer pressure. If given a choice, she is brainwashed. If she says that she is doing it on her own, then she is brainwashed. She knows that some peers in her life will appreciate that this is done.”

Taking his argument further, Javed Akhtar questioned whether covering her face would exist if there is no social pressure. “If you leave her, then why will anyone cover their face? Does she hate her face? Is she ashamed of her face? What? Why?” he asked.

Recently, Nitish Kumar triggered a controversy after he pulled down the hijab of a newly recruited AYUSH doctor. The incident snowballed, with opposition parties condemning his action and questioning the chief minister’s conduct.

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Javed Akhtar condemns Nitish Kumar's 'naqab' controversy

However, after Akhtar’s video went viral, he shared a statement on X (formerly Twitter) condemning Nitish Kumar’s action and calling it disrespectful towards the woman doctor. The writer clarified that while he is against any form of parda, he strongly opposes the chief minister’s conduct.

He wrote, “Every one who knows me even in the most cursory manner knows how much I am against the traditional concept of Parda but it doesn’t mean that by any stretch of imagination I can accept what Mr Nitish Kumar has done to a Muslim lady doctor . I condemn it in very strong words . Mr Nitish Kumar owes an unconditional apology to the lady.”