Viral video: Sudha Murty touches Javed Akhtar's feet to seek blessings; netizens say, ‘only in Bharat’ | Watch

The Jaipur Literature Festival is gearing up for its 18th edition, which is currently underway. Meanwhile, a video from the festival is going viral. In it, author and philanthropist Sudha Murty captures the hearts of fans with a heartwarming gesture. Sudha is touching lyricist Javed Akhtar's feet to seek blessings.

Watch the video here:

In a clip shared on Instagram by Red FM Rajasthan, Rajya Sabha MP Sudha Murty is seen arriving on stage, where Javed Akhtar greets her with folded hands. As a gesture of respect, Sudha attempts to touch his feet, but Javed gently stops her. Despite this, Sudha moves Javed’s hand aside and touches his feet, while Javed smiles warmly.

The post caption reads, "Not all stories are written—some are lived. A moment of profound respect at #JLF2025. Sudha Murthy ji’s gesture for Javed Akhtar sahab is a lesson in respect and admiration." It beautifully captures the mutual respect and admiration between the two.

By the time of writing, the video had amassed 5,992 likes. A user commented, “Only in Bharat, our cultue.”

Another user replied, “Huge respect.” A user said, “Videos I pay internet bills for.”

Jaipur Literature festival

The Festival will feature over 600 luminaries, including Nobel laureates, Booker Prize, Pulitzer and Sahitya Akademi winners, policymakers, and acclaimed writers.

William Dalrymple, award winning historian and Festival Co-Director, said in a statement, "The Jaipur Literature Festival, the biggest literary festival in the world, returns with a spectacular lineup, featuring a range of award-winning writers. The Festival continues to serve as a global platform where some of the world's most influential voices come together to engage, inspire, and exchange ideas. It fosters meaningful dialogue across a wide range of topics, bridging perspectives from diverse cultural and intellectual backgrounds."

Sanjoy K. Roy added, "Over the past 18 years, the Jaipur Literature Festival has become a true celebration of ideas and stories, and much of its success is owed to the city of Jaipur and its citizens.

This year there is a stellar lineup of award-winning speakers, including Abhijit Banerjee, Amitabh Kant, Andrew O'Hagan, Anita Anand, Anna Funder, Amol Palekar, Anirudh Kanisetti, Barnaby Rogerson, Benjamin Moser, Cauvery Madhavan, Claudia De Rham, David Hare, David Nicholls, Esther Duflo, Fiona Carnarvon, Geetanjali Shree, Ghaith Abdul-Ahad, Gideon Levy, Gopalkrishna Gandhi, Ijeoma Oluo, Imtiaz Ali, Ira Mukhoty, Irenosen Okojie, Javed Akhtar, Jenny Erpenbeck, Joe Boyd, John Vaillant, Kailash Satyarthi, Kal Penn, Kallol Bhattacherjee, Katy Hessel, Lamorna Ash, Lindsey Hilsum, Maithree Wickramasinghe, Manav Kaul, Manu S. Pillai, Matt Preston, Miriam Margolyes, among others.

(With inputs from ANI)