Javed Akhtar wins Richard Dawkins Award

National Award-winning lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar has won the prestigious Richard Dawkins Award, reports The Indian Express. 

Akhtar was honoured with the award for his “critical thinking, holding religious dogma upto scrutiny, advancing human progress and humanist values,” according to Shabana Azmi’s tweet. “Such marvellous news. Congratulations @Javedakhtarjadu. To win an award from your Hero is the ultimate validation,” she wrote further.

Dia Mirza also took to Twitter to congratulate Javed Akhtar. She tweeted, “Javed Akhtar Saab has won the the prestigious Richard Dawkins Award 2020 for critical thinking, holding religious dogma upto scrutiny, advancing human progress and humanist values. He is the only Indian to have won this award! @Javedakhtarjadu Congratulations! You make us proud.”

Other celebrities like Anil Kapoor, Nikhil Advani and Urmila Matondkar also took to Twitter to congratulate the veteran poet.

The Richard Dawkins Award, which is named after the celebrated biologist, seeks to recognise individuals who “publicly proclaim the values of secularism, rationalism, upholding scientific truth”. Other famous awardees include Ricky Gervais, Stephen Fry and Bill Maher.

Javed Akhtar, who is a leading figure in Indian cinema, has lent his support to various social causes. He has also never shied away from expressing his views on issues like CAA, islamophobia among more.