Few fathers would shy away from claiming the unbearably light and beautiful burden of a child poised at the tip of fame.

Javed Akhtar just happens to be one of them. Clearly pleased about the fact that his son has scripted Dil Chahta Hai on its way to release, he talks about how Farhan Akhtar came into his own:

My son, the surprise

I used to worry about Farhan when he was a child. Sure, he was always intelligent and had a great sense of humour.

But I do believe that parents lack the ability to be completely objective about their children. In our anxiety, we either underestimate or overestimate them. It isn't possible to be accurate about their abilities.

I wasn't very different from most other parents.

But he proved me wrong on every count.

I am in no position to sit back and take the credit for the fact that I always knew my son would be a writer.

The truth is his writing a script and making a film has come as a very, very pleasant surprise to me.

My son, the talent

Can talent be inherited? Biologists, psychologists, neurologists -- all say that an acquired craft cannot be genetically inherited. They also add that the environment in which one grows up cannot be negated.

My son grew up surrounded by writers. In that environment, there would obviously have been many things he simply imbibed. Perhaps that is what happened.

But I do believe he has the temperament and aptitude to write creatively and well, which is equally important.

I have always asked my children to do what they wanted. At the end of the day, they make their own decisions about what they want to do.

Even though you might inherit some things and learn others, ultimately what counts is your own talent and calibre.

That's the difference between art and jagirdari. You can inherit land.

Talent? No. You have to draw deep within yourself to think and create.

My son, the filmmaker

When Farhan first narrated the script to me and left it with me to read later, I was immensely happy. It gave me a lot of pride.

Once I read the script, I realised my son knew exactly what he was doing. He knows the job, has a striking style uniquely his own. He has his own ideas.

For a youngster that age, it wasn't a small surprise.

I have seen Dil Chahta Hai. I am also aware of the nitty-gritties of its making. You could call it organisation in chaos.

For a first attempt, it's very good. Impeccable planning went into the film which was made in about four months.

Farhan and Ritesh, his childhood friend, put everything they had into the film. I feel it's good. It has certainly made me very proud.

My son's film

Dil Chahta Hai is not based on something that has been made earlier -- uncommon for a Hindi film. There's a certain freshness and candour in its approach.

What happens to the three boys on screen might well have happened to Farhan and his friends. Or at least they might have wanted things that way. The freshness lies in its simplicity.

When I first saw it, I was quite impressed with its attention to detail in terms of script and pre-production. Surprising how these things can make such a big difference.

I have done the lyrics for the film, not a word else.

My son in the film industry

The one thing I find in the young people slightly senior to Farhan is that while they are very respectful and courteous to their seniors, they cannot be browbeaten.

Youngsters who have proven themselves have very strong convictions. And it isn't like the days of yore when people could be dictated to.

This generation is different. My son, when he makes a film with someone else, I think, will be no different.