Veteran screenwriter, poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar recently shared his views on the boycott culture in Bollywood and stated why it is not going to be very effective. Boycott culture has become a major topic of discussion in last one year and several stalwarts of cinema have shared their opinion on the same. While some deny boycott culture as a factor in poor performance of Hindi films, others believe that it is an unfair practice.

Speaking at the ongoing Jaipur Literature Festival, Javed Akhtar said, "This 'Boycott Bollywood' trend will not help. People in India love movies, be it in north, south, west or eastern part of the country.We are a nation of 'Movie Bhakts'...It is in our DNA to listen to stories, to tell stories, and this has been the trend for ages.Our stories always come along with songs...Hindi films did not invent it."

Talking about the effect of Bollywood in global perspective, Javed Akhtar said, "Our films are released in 35-36 countries worldwide. Indian cinema is one of the strongest goodwill ambassadors in the world. If we start doing a headcount, our stars are better recognised in the world than even Hollywood stars. You go to Egypt or Germany and tell people 'I am an Indian', they immediately ask if you know Shah Rukh Khan. Our films spread goodwill in the world."