Mumbai: Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani praised the students of Whistling Woods International as the "Gems of Bharat" and referred to sharing the stage with Rajkumar Hirani, Kartik Aaryan, and Jackie Shroff, calling them "icons."
He took to his social media accounts and shared a motley collection of images of his address to the students at Whistling Woods International. He also posted a picture with filmmaker Subhash Ghai, Kartik Aaryan, and others.
He captioned the photos, stating, "Always energizing to be among the youth of our nation. And when that youth comes from @whistling_woods, the energy turns electric. Thank you, @subhashghai1, for giving our country a powerhouse of creativity and passion - every corner of your institute radiates inspiration."
Always energizing to be among the youth of our nation. And when that youth comes from @whistling_woods, the energy turns electric.
Thank you, @subhashghai1, for giving our country a powerhouse of creativity and passion - every corner of your institute radiates inspiration.… pic.twitter.com/UosRIFIBb4
— Gautam Adani (@gautam_adani) October 11, 2025
"Sharing the stage with icons @hirani.rajkumar, @apnabhidu, @kartikaaryan and Mahaveer Jain made the evening even more special! To the students - you are the gems of Bharat. Let your Bharatiyata light the path to India's greatness."
The Adani Group Chairman on Friday had highlighted the importance of India taking charge of its global narrative through the soft power of cinema, storytelling, and leveraging the advantage of emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI).
He had said, "If we do not narrate who we are, others will rewrite who we were. That is why we must own our story, not with arrogance, but with authenticity, not as propaganda, but as purpose."
Citing the example of Raj Kapoor's iconic film 'Awara', in which the famous actor, in the role of a common man, made a deep emotional connect with Soviet audiences in the post-World War II era, he said that Kapoor was India's finest advocate of soft power, building a cultural bond that uplifted Indo-Soviet ties for generations.
Gautam Adani warned against allowing India's stories being told through Western perspectives, as was the case with films like 'Gandhi' and 'Slumdog Millionaire'.
"Why must it take Richard Attenborough from across the oceans to tell us Indians the story of our Mahatma?" he asked.
He said that for too long, "India's voice has been firm within our own borders but faint beyond them. And in that silence, others have lifted the pen, sketching Bharat through their lenses tinted by bias and shaped by their convenience."
"And nothing reveals this bias more than the British film 'Slumdog Millionaire', a spectacle that sold Dharavi's poverty for Western applause, turning our pain into foreign award-winning ceremonies," the billionaire businessman said.
He went on to point out that in contrast, a Hollywood film like 'Top Gun' "is not just selling cinema; it is projecting power".
"Behind the dogfights and heroism lies a brilliantly crafted narrative, one that showcases national pride, the might of the US military, and drives exports, an image of American courage to every corner of the world. These films are not just stories. They are strategic instruments designed to shape perception, project US strength, and define US identity," he said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
(Disclaimer: New Delhi Television is a subsidiary of AMG Media Networks Limited, an Adani Group Company.)
Disclaimer: If your rights are infringed, please contact the webmaster and we will delete the infringing content in a timely manner. Thank you for your cooperation! |
