Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with members of the film industry on Saturday. Several of Bollywood's top stars were present at the event.
Bollywood delegation meeting Narendra Modi. Image courtesy: Twitter/@narendramodi
A delegation of Bollywood celebrities including Aamir Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Shah Rukh Khan, Kangana Ranaut and Rajkumar Hirani met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday at his official residence in New Delhi on Saturday.
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In the interaction, Modi and the delegation discussed initiatives to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The focus was on inviting the film industry to create films and television shows that popularise Mahatma Gandhi and Gandhism, to mark the 150th birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation.
Among those present in the meeting were Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, Kangana Ranaut, Jacqueline Fernandez, directors Rajkumar Hirani, Rajkumar Santoshi, Imtiaz Ali, Anurag Basu, Ashwini Iyer Tiwari, Nitesh Tiwari and producers Ekta Kapoor, Boney Kapoor and Jayantilal Gada.
Sharing pictures from the meeting, Shah Rukh Khan thanked the prime minister for hosting them and having an open discussion. He also appreciated the idea of a University of Cinema.
Thank u @narendramodi for hosting us & having such an open discussion on #ChangeWithin & the role artistes can play in spreading awareness of the msgs of The Mahatma. Also the idea of a University of Cinema is extremely opportune! pic.twitter.com/kWRbNk3xzo
— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) October 19, 2019
Kangana Ranaut also expressed her views on the talks in the capital. Her views were shared by Narendra Modi on his Twitter handle. Here's what she has to say:
It’s a remarkable day for us.
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) October 19, 2019
PM @narendramodi has given great respect to our industry.
Hear what Kangana Ranaut has to say... pic.twitter.com/Y0w6VvltV2
Sonam Kapoor also shared pictures from the meeting. In the picture, we can see Sonam Kapoor, Kangana Ranaut, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Rajkumar Hirani and Aanand L Rai.
Speaking to IANS after the event, Shah Rukh Khan said he feels that there is a need to reintroduce Gandhi to India and the world. "I would like to thank the Prime Minister for bringing us all together, that too for a cause such as this. I feel we need to re-introduce Gandhi ji to India and the world. The film industry can get self-obsessed and it is important we create work that is not only about business," said Shah Rukh.
Said Aamir, about the interaction session with the Prime Minister: "It was a wonderful interaction we had with the Prime Minister today. He was very inspiring, very warm and very deep in what he had to say. I want to appreciate the PM for thinking about this effort. As creative people, there is much we can do, and I assure the PM that we will do even more."
For Kangana, the effort underlines the fact that Prime Minister Modi has recognised the power of the film industry.
"Modi ji is the first Prime Minister who is so inclusive of art and artistes and the film industry. Nobody has recognised the soft power of art and artistes in the country before. From the bottom of my heart and on behalf of the film industry, I thank the Prime Minister," said Kangana.
Jacqueline said it was "an extreme honour be in the presence of PM Modi ji, and also to have a Prime Minister who is so willing to lend a helping hand to the film fraternity".
After the session with the PM, producer Ekta Kapoor said she felt that "for the first time it seemed like there is someone who knows our industry better than us".
Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali noted the tone of informality about the session helped. "The best thing about the session was that it was very informal. The film industry understands the informal language the best. The idea to make films on Gandhi ji will help reintroduce ourselves to Gandhi ji's philosophy," he noted.
Said filmmaker Anurag Basu: "When we make films, there are moments we wonder why are we doing this. Today, we got a reason, a direction. All the creative people here are extremely upbeat after the session. I feel we will see results in a year's time."
Producer Boney Kapoor added: "This government has always been sympathetic to the film industry right from (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee saab's time when we were recognised as an industry. Since Mr Modi came in, he has made it a point to ensure every glitch is solved instantly."
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