FICCI FRAMES 2025, 04: Padma Shri Akshay Kumar and Ayushmann Khurrana, BA
FICCI FRAMES the annual Media and Entertainment Convention event, was held over two days, October 07 and 08, at the Fairmont Hotel, near CSMI Airport, Sahar, Mumbai. RISE: Redefining Innovation, Sustainability, and Excellence was the theme for the convention this year. The inauguration of the event, on the morning of October 07, was graced by India’s Information and Broadcasting Secretary in the Union Government, Sanjay Jaju, and actor Ayushmann Khurrana, who was appointed as its Brand Ambassador (BA), in January 2025.
Asked about his choice of a role in the quirky film, Gulabo Sitabo (2020), Khurrana said, “It was a film directed by Shoojit Sircar. I am ever willing to act in any film that Shoojit was making, no questions asked, quirky or commercial, since he is my Guru. Moreover, it had Amitabh Bachchan, and I always wanted to work with him.” Taking various questions sportingly, he added that, “We are in the business of story-telling, and there is no formula. There is another belief that if there is indeed a formula, it changes every five years. Then there is this formula of staying Indian, being connected to the grass roots, and staying relevant. The more we stay grounded, the more successful we will be.”
Remembering his baby steps towards success, he averred, “I was a student of journalism, did radio, did television, theatre….saying no to people (assignment) is not easy. You have to go with your gut-feeling, your intuition, your conviction. But if you ask me which film changed the perception audiences had about me, it would be Article 15. I was known for light-hearted, comedy films, and Article 15 was a very serious film, based on casteism, and it did commercially very well and gave me a lot of respect as an artiste. My films mix serious issues with entertainment, which comes from my street theatre background, and it seems to be an extension of my personality. Audiences are like little children. If you have to give them a message, in the form of bitter pills, you should coat them with a sweet taste, otherwise a child will not take the medicine. The entertainment precedent should always overpower the serious content. That is why, you will find my films to be a hybrid of the two components.”
Jaju highlighted the global appeal of Indian cinema, naming movies like Lagaan, Slumdog Millionaire, RRR, Baahubali, and The Elephant Whisperers, which touched audiences across continents.
Following the inauguration, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis participated in a session, alongside actor Akshay Kumar. Akshay opened the session with the remarks that this was the second time he was turning journalist and interviewing a politician. The first one was when he interviewed the Prime Minister, recalling that he had asked the PM how does he eat mangoes? For this, he was made fun of. This time, he would persist in asking a similar question to Fadnavis, “Sir, you come from Nagpur, and Nagpur is famous for oranges. Do you like oranges, and how do you eat them?” “I like oranges very much. The best way to eat oranges is to cut them, without peeling them, sprinkle salt over the flesh, and then eat the flesh. You will experience taste that you had never experienced before. This way of eating oranges is known only to people who come from Nagpur.”
Moving to his second question, Akshay asked Fadnavis which actors or films had influenced him. Fadnavis replied that films did not influence him as a politician, but many films influenced him with their emotions and sensibilities. “But there was one film that influenced me as a politician too, or, rather, it crated many problems. And that was Nayak, starring Anil Kapoor. Becoming Chief Minister for a day, Anil Kapoor manages to do so many things. I have often been asked why I am not able to achieve as much as the Chief Minister did in that film. In fact, when I met Anil Kapoor, I asked him why did he make such a film, which portrayed him as a Nayak (hero) and real politicians as Nalayak (unworthy). While pursuing a career in politics, one tends to become immune to some emotions, but whenever I see a good film, it evokes those dead sentiments, and brings out the human in me, which I really am.”
Taking off from the Nayak plot, Akshay posed this question to Fadnavis, “Suppose you were to be a film director for a day, and were asked to make a film on Maharashtra, what would be the first scene you would shoot?” The answer was very obvious, “In a film about Maharashtra, I would shoot the scene of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, sitting for his coronation, and the revival of ‘swaraj’ (self-rule) after a long period of slavery.” He also expressed his commitment to strengthening the connection between FICCI FRAMES and the Marathi film industry.
Speaking about the WAVES OTT platform, Prasar Bharti CEO Gaurav Dwivedi said that the platform is envisioned as a one-stop shop for all Indian content. He said the platform is built upon Prasar Bharati’s rich heritage and legacy. He said the platform is also being expanded by including new programmes, shows, films, online games, and reading materials. Prasar Bharti was created by merging All India Radio and Doordarshan under one apex body, and widening its goal.
