Mumbai/IBNS: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has expressed his gratitude on behalf of the film industry to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for conceptualizing and bringing together the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) that has the potential to further strengthen the entertainment industry.

He mentioned how relevant this platform is for the industry and that it will provide much-needed synergy and support from the government on various fronts.

Speaking about the immense possibility India holds as a film-shooting destination, Shah Rukh shared how India could be the next destination for international filmmakers to ‘Shoot in India.’

Further, he emphasized on how various forms of agreements with international film bodies and industries could go a long way in shaping and strengthening India’s entertainment industry.

The 59-year-old actor also stressed upon making the Indian cinema more affordable for the viewers of tier-2 and tier-3 cities.

He ideated on bringing single-screen cinema experience to these cities which would help films to reach a larger audience.

Superstar Deepika Padukone, who joined SRK for a chat session with filmmaker Karan Johar, also shared the view in terms of the importance of WAVES and called it a timely intervention bringing together various mediums of media and entertainment industry.

She said the various verticals of the sector were so far working in silos with less convergence while WAVES has a wider scope and has possibilities of weaving together films, OTT, Animation, AI, and other immersive technologies.

While speaking on the sidelines of the Day-1 of WAVE Summit, Shah Rukh and Deepika had an immersive interaction with Karan in a jam-packed session named ‘The Journey: From Outsider to Ruler.’

They contemplated on their journey in the film industry and on how they carved out a niche for themselves.

Shah Rukh shared his views on the ‘outsider-insider’ tags and called the youth to treat the film industry as any other profession where hard work and perseverance has no substitute.

Talking of the changing dynamics of the entertainment industry in the time of social media and image management, SRK suggested the newcomers to focus on their skills rather than merely focusing on their image.

Deepika added that the time is to distinguish oneself through their unique strengths and abilities.

In his concluding remarks, Karan called India a soft power which is poised to take the next leap with WAVES in the years to come.

(Photo courtesy: PIB X handle)