He wrote Dil Chahta Hai when his mother threatened to throw him out of the house. She never thought she would direct a Hindi film. Farhan and Zoya Akhtar, children of writers Javed Akhtar and Honey Irani, belong to a film family, but represent much that is new in Bollywood. In this interview, they talk about growing up with movies, working with each other and their new movie Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. Excerpts: What kind of a relationship do you share? Are you buddies, confidants or siblings who get along? Farhan: I think it’s a combination of all three. Zoya probably knows more about my life at any point of time than my mom and dad, so I share a deeper level of intimacy with her. Zoya: We are siblings who get along really well. I can’t imagine my life without Farhan.

Farhan: You see, I have that effect on people! Zoya: But that doesn’t mean that we don’t have fights. We both have strong opinions and we voice them. Farhan: We are confidants, but we don’t have discussions about life at 3 am. The only time Zoya will wake me up at 3 am is if there is a rat in her room. Right?

Zoya: (shudders) Yes. Don’t like rats. Your father, Javed Akhtar, told me that as children, Zoya was the serious, conscientious one while Farhan was the drifter. Would you agree? Zoya: Dad says so because I was always working. I had a plan and got on to doing what I wanted to at an early age. ... contd.