Farhan Akhtar: 'Friends helped me through parents' divorce'

Farhan Akhtar has revealed that friendship is a recurring theme in his films since it was his friends who supported him when his parents divorced.

His parents - writer and lyricist Javed Akhtar and screenwriter Honey Irani - divorced when Farhan was a child. Javed then married actress Shabana Azmi in 1984.

Farhan told IANS: "I have always found this relationship of friends very beautiful. It made a lot of sense to me when (twin sister) Zoya told me that during our growing up years, friends played a very important part for us."

"Given the fact that my parents were going through a divorce, friends became a huge part of our support system and eased a whole lot of pain for us," added the 37-year-old actor.

Farhan made his directorial debut in 2001 with Dil Chahta Hai, a story of three friends who follow different paths in love.

He then made his acting debut in 2008 with Rock On, a film about a group of friends who form a band.

Farhan's latest movie Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara focuses on the camaraderie between three friends who go on a road trip.

The film, which stars Hrithik Roshan and Abhay Deol, has become the biggest Hindi film of 2011 in the overseas market.

> Digital Spy speaks to 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' star Hrithik Roshan