The inaugural Waves 2025 Summit featured a panel discussion moderated by Akshay Kumar with legendary Indian cinema stars Mohanlal, Chiranjeevi, Mithun Chakraborty, Hema Malini and Rajinikanth.
The session, titled Legends & Legacies: The Stories That Shaped India's Soul, took place at Mumbai's Jio World Centre on the first day of the four-day event.
Telugu star Chiranjeevi shared his journey into acting, beginning with entertaining family and friends through dance as a child. "Slowly my inclination towards acting developed, that's when I went to Chennai, and right from the beginning, so many legends were already there. More than half-a-dozen superstars were already there. What is that extra that I could contribute? My aim was to hit the bullseye."
Chiranjeevi revealed his inspirations from across Indian cinema. "In 1977, I was a student at the Film Institute, and I saw Mithun da, and the performance he won a National Award. I took inspiration from him, to not wear makeup and look like average boy. From Sholay, I learned to do all my stunts myself. I took inspiration from the great Amitabh Bachchan. For dancing, I took inspiration from Kamal, my senior. I moulded myself."
When Akshay Kumar asked Mohanlal about the distinctive nature of Malayalam cinema, the actor explained, "There's a thin line between art-house and commercial success, but it's closely linked. Malayalam industry has always been like this. Even our art films have got entertainment value. Even entertainers have art. I've had the opportunity to work with great directors... New directors are making only art."
The Waves 2025 Summit was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday morning. According to the Waves website, the event serves as "a key forum for promoting discussions, collaboration, and innovation in the media and entertainment industry" and aims to "bring together industry leaders, stakeholders and innovators to discuss prospects, challenges, promote trade to India, and influence the sector's future."
NDTV is at the inaugural edition of the Waves Summit, currently on at the Jio World Centre in Mumbai. The event brings together the who's who of showbiz, creators, and everyone who's anyone in the world of entertainment in India and beyond. Catch all updates on NDTV.com, from May 1 to May 4.