On
April
2,
Javed
Akhtar
was
awarded
an
honorary
doctorate
by
the
University
Of
Pondicherry.
And
proud
wife
Shabana
who
has
been
conferred
the
doctorate
thrice
over
by
Leeds
University
in
the
UK
in
2005,
Jadavpur
University
in
West
Bengal
2003
and
Jamia
Milia
University
on
Delhi
in
2008
can't
stop
preening.
Jokes
Shabana,
"Now
there
are
two
resident
doctors
in
the
house,
in
addition
to
the
doctor
who
comes
daily
to
look
at
my
fractured
leg." To
her
dismay
Shabana
couldn't
be
with
Javed
for
this
proud
moment
in
Pondicherry
because
of
her
leg.
Another
dear
old
friend
of
hers
Farouq
Abdullah
was
also
given
a
doctorate
along
with
Javed
Akhtar.
Farouq
and
Shabana
go
back
a
long
way.
Remember
Shabana's
infamous
pillion
ride
on
Farouq's
mo'bike
down
the
main
street
of
Srinagar?
Shabana
would
rather
forget
it.
"That
was
so
long
ago.
Poor
Farouq!
He
hasn't
been
able
to
live
it
down,
although
it
happened
in
1984!
It
was
such
a
spontaneous
action
and
lasted
all
of
two
minutes.
Anyway
I'd
have
liked
to
be
there
to
cheer
my
husband
and
Farouq."
Javed
who
last
month
got
inducted
into
the
Rajya
Sabha
is
more
guarded
in
his
enthusiasm.
"In
the
South
they
take
the
honorary
doctorates
very
seriously.
Kamal
Haasan
who
is
a
Class
8
drop-out
is
referred
to
as
Dr.
Kamal
Haasan
in
Tamil
Nadu.
I
went,
got
my
doctorate
and
came
back.
I
feel
the
same.
Now
I'm
preparing
for
my
maiden
speech
in
the
Rajya
Sabha."
Whether
Javed
known
to
possess
a
gift
of
the
gab
gives
an
impromptu
speech
at
the
Rajya
Sabha
or
goes
fully
prepared
would
depend
on
what
issues
have
to
be
addressed.
At
the
moment
Javed
seems
to
have
cut
down
his
film
work
to
focus
on
various
non-cinema
activities.
He
will
now
direct
a
film
in
2011.
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Story first published: Thursday, April 8, 2010, 12:09 [IST]