- Saturday, May 03, 2025
By: Vibhuti Pathak
At the inaugural World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025, actor Kareena Kapoor Khan shared a moment of pride for Indian cinema, recounting how legendary Hollywood filmmaker Steven Spielberg once praised her performance in the 2009 blockbuster 3 Idiots.
“Even Steven Spielberg is watching our Hindi movies today… I was traveling somewhere and at a restaurant, Steve Spielberg was also there. This was many moons ago, 3 Idiots had just been released. And he came up to me and asked, ‘Are you the same girl who is in that famous Indian film where three students study together?’ I said yes, ‘I am the same girl.’ He told me that he loved the film. I don’t have to act in an English film for him to see me. He watched 3 Idiots, so that is our moment in Indian cinema,” Kareena said at the Mumbai event.
The panel titled “Cinema: The Soft Power” was hosted by filmmaker Karan Johar and also featured Telugu actor Vijay Deverakonda. Kareena emphasized the cultural reach of Indian films, stating they’ve made an “insane” impact worldwide. She highlighted how her grandfather Raj Kapoor’s legacy continues to resonate internationally.
“In 2023, I was in a taxi in London, the driver was a local and he started singing my grandfather’s song to me because he had watched all of Raj Kapoor’s movies. He sang the song ‘Mera Joota Hai Japani’ in Hindi. For me, that was really a great moment of pride… I felt the impact. He made me realise the kind of love that we, as a nation, our films, are getting,” she added.
Despite growing interest from international cinema, Kareena clarified she has no ambitions to pursue a Hollywood career. “Films are a passion to me, films run into my blood, I was born into this (film) family. So, never say never, but chasing something is not part of my personality. So, if it has to happen, maybe a Hindi-English film will happen,” the Jaane Jaan actor remarked.
She also touched on the changing viewing habits of Indian audiences, stating that while dubbed films were once popular, today’s viewers prefer original languages with subtitles—a sign of increased cultural acceptance and understanding.
Karan Johar, during the same session, shared his excitement over Hollywood icon Martin Scorsese joining his upcoming Hindi-language production Homebound as executive producer. The film, starring Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa, and Janhvi Kapoor, will premiere under the Un Certain Regard segment at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.
Vijay Deverakonda advocated for greater collaboration between North and South Indian cinema to expand its global footprint. Praising the impact of Hindi and Telugu films abroad, he noted, “It’s the biggest advertisement for a country, its culture and people. You attract them to your culture, customs and country through cinema.”
He concluded by emphasizing the importance of unity in Indian cinema: “If we’re to take on the giants of world, then we need to unite, collaborate. Like, Shah Rukh’s last biggest hit was Rs. 800 to 1000 crore, Allu aana’s film did Rs. 1000 crore
