Salman Akhtar

Salman Akhtar (born 31 July 1946) is an Indian-American psychoanalyst practicing in the United States. He is a renowned author and holds the position of Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. Akhtar was born in Khairabad, Uttar Pradesh to Jan Nisar Akhtar, a Bollywood film songwriter and Urdu poet, and Safia Akhtar, a teacher and writer. He comes from a family with a rich literary and cultural background, with his grandfather being a poet and his great-great-grandfather playing a significant role in the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Akhtar is the brother of poet and film lyricist Javed Akhtar and the brother-in-law of actress and social activist Shabana Azmi. His son, Kabir Akhtar, is an Emmy-nominated television director and editor. After completing his medical degree at Aligarh Muslim University, Akhtar did his internship at Maulana Azad Medical College in India.