Have you heard? Sea of stars at WAVES; Salman Khan to play a soldier

Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone

‘I've done pretty well'

Deepika Padukone also shared her thoughts on her journey, saying, "I am actually going to tell myself I have done pretty well. You don't really sit back and look at the journey." She also shared how her day at home is after embracing motherhood. She revealed that her daily routine involves household chores, including sorting mail, cleaning the kitchen, and doing laundry. SRK praised her, saying, "I think the role she's going to play the best, inshallah, is that of a mother with dua. She is going to be a wonderful mother."

(From left) Alia Bhatt, SS Rajamouli, and Aamir Khan attended WAVES in Mumbai

A new beginning

PM Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in Mumbai on Thursday, May 1. He addressed a huge audience that included celebrities like SS Rajamouli, Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, among others. He talked extensively about the content made in India and the capability of the content creators to lead the country to an economical boom. PM Modi also promised further initiatives like WAVES awards in the near future. Akshay Kumar held the first panel of the day with Chiranjeevi, Mohanlal, and Hema Malini. The trio spoke about their journeys, inspirations and the Indian entertainment industry.

Akshay Kumar

‘I was brash, overconfident, reckless'

During a fireside chat with Karan Johar and Deepika Padukone, Shah Rukh Khan reflected on his personal philosophy and journey in cinema. In the session ‘The Journey: From Outsider to Ruler', SRK shared his approach to life and work. "When I am not on the sets, I don't do anything. I am in a meditative state," he said. He attributed his success to his youthful boldness, saying, "I believe I was brash, overconfident, reckless, and a lot more stupid. I'm happy I was like this otherwise, I wouldn't have chosen the path I did with such wonderful people." He also addressed the "insider versus outsider" debate and said, "I have a problem with the distinction of insider and outsider," he stressed that success depends on individual drive and perseverance. He also discussed Deepika Padukone's journey in Bollywood.

Honouring the legends

Nagarjuna

Telugu superstar Nagarjuna announced the release of commemorative postage stamps honouring Indian cinema legends Guru Dutt, Ritwik Ghatak, Raj Khosla, composer-singer-poet Salil Chowdhury, and legendary actor P Bhanumathi at the event. He thanked PM Modi for preserving and honouring Indian cinema's legacy. Nagarjuna stated that WAVES celebrates India's spirit, saying it honours a country whose stories have "shaped not just cinema but generations of hearts." The stamps were launched by PM Modi, Nagarjuna, and other dignitaries, in the presence of his son and actor Naga Chaitanya and daughter-in-law Sobhita Dhulipala.

‘Intellectual soul of India'

Mohanlal

Akshay, while in conversation with Malayalam superstar Mohanlal, called Malayalam cinema the "intellectual soul of Indian cinema". To this, Mohanlal responded, "Thank you for calling Malayalam cinema the intellectual soul of Indian cinema. We are blessed with great actors and directors. From the very beginning in Malayalam cinema, there is a thin line between art house and commercial cinema. It is closely knit. It's very well-balanced. I had the chance to work with great directors. That time they used to call it art cinema, but those films also had entertainment value."

Bhai at the border

Salman Khan

Salman Khan is reportedly in talks to star in a film about the 2020 Galwan Valley conflict between Indian and Chinese troops. We have learnt that the film will chronicle the clash that resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers and nearly 45 Chinese casualties. Salman will apparently play the role of a soldier in the film.