"So so proud": Farhan Akhtar on his father Javed Akhtar winning Richard Dawkins Award

Farhan Akhtar recently took to social media to reveal that his father, Javed Akhtar, was awarded the Richard Dawkins Award for Critical Thinking and Advancing Humanist Values. The Richard Dawkins Award seeks to recognise individuals from the worlds of science, scholarship, education, or entertainment, who publicly uphold the values of secularism and rationalism, through their views. 

Farhan Akhtar proudly reveals father Javed Akhtar wins The Richard Dawkins Award

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Taking to social media, actor Farhan Akhtar revealed that his father, Javed Akhtar, recently became the very first Indian to win the Richard Dawkins Award. Farhan Akhtar congratulated Javed Akhtar in the caption for his post, and he also stated that his father "absolutely and unequivocally" deserved the award. Farhan Akhtar also mentioned that he was extremely proud of his father's achievement. 

Other awards won by Javed Akhtar include The Padma Shri, The Padma Bhushan, The Sahitya Akademi Award, and five National Film Awards.

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What is the Richard Dawkins Award and why was it awarded to Javed Akhtar

The Richard Dawkins Award is an annual award that was first created by the Atheist Alliance of America. This organisation strived to separate religion and faith from politics and government operations in the US. In 2019, the Richard Dawkins Awards was officially moved to the Center for Inquiry (CFI), another organisation that promotes free thinking and advocates for church-state separation. 

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Javed Akhtar is the first Indian to ever receive the Richard Dawkins Award. Back in 2019, the award was presented to Ricky Gervais, an English comedian, actor, writer, and producer. Like Javed Akhtar, Ricky Gervais is also a vocal proponent of secularism and atheism. 

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[Promo from Farhan Akhtar Instagram]