India’s cinematic future, creator economy take centre stage at WAVES Summit 2025
Mumbai: On the inaugural day of the WAVES Summit 2025, on Thursday, a power-packed conversation unfolded that blended star power with sharp insight into the evolving landscape of global entertainment. At the heart of it was Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan, who laid out a compelling vision for India as a global film-shooting destination and a rising soft power in the cultural arena.
Speaking at the session titled “The Journey: From Outsider to Ruler”, alongside filmmaker Karan Johar and actor Deepika Padukone, Khan urged stakeholders to embrace international collaboration to elevate Indian cinema’s global reach. He made a strong pitch for reviving single-screen cinemas, particularly in India’s tier-2 and tier-3 cities, to democratise access to cinema and re-engage grassroots audiences. “We need to make cinema accessible again—not just digitally, but in theatres that people can reach,” Khan said, underscoring a need to reimagine distribution beyond metros.
Reflecting on his own journey, Khan dismissed the ongoing debate around ‘outsiders’ and ‘insiders’ in the film industry. “Hard work, more than heritage or hashtags, defines longevity in this field,” he asserted. The audience, largely a mix of industry professionals, creators, and policymakers, received his words with rapt attention.
Deepika Padukone praised the summit as “timely and transformative,” noting its unique position in bridging traditional film with emerging mediums like OTT, animation, and immersive tech.
Karan Johar also underlined that India’s entertainment sector as a soft power “ready to influence the world,” especially as AI and digital platforms redefine how stories are told and consumed.
Meanwhile, in one of the summit’s important sessions, titled “The Business of Influence: Creators Shaping Global Culture,” the spotlight turned to digital content creators—modern storytellers who are shaping narratives on a global scale. Moderated by Gautam Anand, Vice President of YouTube APAC, the panel featured four dynamic voices from the digital space: Mayo Murasaki, Chef Ranveer Brar, Akash Jadhav, and Jeetendra Advani.
Mayo Murasaki, a Japanese creator who surprised the crowd by speaking fluent Hindi, earned instant applause. Her heartfelt commitment to portraying India with cultural depth and nuance resonated across the room. “India is not just a location—it’s an emotion,” she said.
Celebrity chef Ranveer Brar brought the conversation back to core values. “Relationship first, transaction second,” he emphasised, pointing out that authenticity, not branding, sustains creator-audience connections. Brar’s insights on culinary storytelling were echoed by Akash Jadhav of Indian Farmer, who spoke passionately about sustainable agriculture and the importance of clean food narratives in the age of climate urgency.
Jeetendra Advani, the mind behind Chess Talk, highlighted the quiet but powerful resurgence of chess in Indian homes, spurred by digital platforms and creator communities.
