Noted Indian scriptwriter, lyricist, and poet Javed Akhtar will be hosting a live in concert at the Carteret Performing Arts & Events Center in Long Island, New Jersey on June 3. Titled Mai Koi Aisa Geet Gaoon the concert will also feature performances by playback singers Meiyang Chang and Jahnvi Shrimankar.

The NJ event is a part of Akhtar’s four-city tour of the U.S. along with Chang and Shrimankar. It will be followed by a final event in New York on June 4. The first show of the tour was held on May 19 in Chicago, Illinois followed by another in Plano, Texas on May 20.

Akhtar made his debut in the Bollywood movie industry in 1971. Back then he was one half of the popular scriptwriter duo Salim-Javed. The two split after a successful decade of writing blockbuster movie scripts for Sholay, Deewar, and Don among others. Akhtar started working as a lyricist in 1981 and made his debut as a solo scriptwriter in 1983.

As a solo scriptwriter, Akhtar wrote the 2003 hit movie Kal Ho Na Ho. Other movies to his credit from the millennium era include LOC Kargil, Kuch Naa Kaho, Talash, and Vishwaroopam among others. For his illustrious career spanning over four decades, the industry has recognized and honoured him with a plethora of awards including India’s Oscar equivalent Filmfare Award which he has won over 16 times.

Akhtar has also won several civilian awards including the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and the National Award bestowed upon him by the Government of India, five times during his career, for his exceptional contribution to the movie industry as well as for his work as a social activist.