Bollywood superstars are excited about the International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) 2024. A lot of celebrities including Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Javed Akhtar, Shabana Azmi, Ananya Panday, and Mrunal Thakur among others attended the ceremony in Abu Dhabi. Legendary couple Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi walked the green carpet at the IIFA Utsavam 2024. Sharing their thoughts on the evolving landscape of cinema and women empowerment in the industry, Javed called Shah Rukh Khan veteran, and Azmi synonymized the word stardom with Alia Bhatt.

The lyricist was asked to name who he thinks is the Angry Young Man of today. He said, "There are many great actors. Hrithik (Roshan), Farhan (Akhtar), Vicky Kaushal." When asked if Shah Rukh Khan is one of them, Javed said, “He's not from this generation. He's a veteran now.”

Javed Akhtar and Salim Khan were a dynamic writer duo in the Indian cinema, having worked for several years. Both are renowned as Salim-Javed had unforgettable collaboration across 24 films. Reflecting on their journey Amazon Prime Video recently released a documentary titled Angry Young Men. At the IIFA event, Javed addressed a possible collaboration with his co-writer Salim Khan. He said, "There's nothing in this world that you should respond to with a never. This can also happen. Let's hope so."

Shabana Azmi on being asked which actor holds superstar status, quickly named Alia Bhatt. She said, “She's a very fine actor. And although she makes it look effortless on set, she gives it her all. And that shows.” She also spoke about women facing challenges in the industry and addressed women empowerment. She said, “India is a country that lives in several centuries simultaneously. There will be contradictions in terms of how empowered women are. In some instances, there’s been huge progress, while in others, we still have much more to give.” She also asserted Mahesh Bhatt's film Arth is “significant for its portrayal of women’s struggles and empowerment.”