“Why Be Ashamed of Your Face?” Javed Akhtar’s Comment On Burqas
Javed Akhtar questioned burqa face-covering as social conditioning, sparking mixed reactions.
At the SOA Literary Festival in Bhubaneswar on 29 November 2025, Javed Akhtar engaged in a thought-provoking exchange with students during an interactive session. When a young woman asked whether wearing a burqa makes a woman less strong, Akhtar turned the question around—challenging the very idea of covering one’s face.
He questioned why a woman should feel the need to hide her face at all, asking what could be “undignified” or “obscene” about it. Emphasizing equality, he noted that dignity in clothing applies to both men and women, advocating for modesty without discrimination.
However, he drew a sharp line at face coverings, suggesting they stem more from social conditioning than personal choice. He described it as peer pressure, even going as far as to say that believing it is entirely voluntary could itself be a result of “brainwashing,” influenced by family and societal expectations.
Though the remarks were made in November, they gained traction in mid-December amid a separate controversy, and resurfaced again in March 2026 as clips went viral. The reactions were divided—some praised him for questioning societal norms, while others defended the burqa as a matter of personal and religious freedom.
