From his early years in Lucknow to his struggles as an aspiring writer seeking to get into the film industry in the 1960s to his later years as a husband, father, and wildly successful song composer and poet, Akhtar speaks with refreshing candour about the highs and lows of his unusual life. He thinks back on the relationships and projects that were the pinnacles of his personal and professional lives, as well as the inevitable setbacks. He reenacts the fight he fought in Parliament on behalf of lyricists and music composers, the deep internal struggle he through to overcome the challenges that arose as a result of fame and wealth, and the various threads that flowed through his unrelenting quest of perfection. Talking Life is an engrossing read that is candid and comprehensive.