The inaugural ceremony of FICCI Frames 2025, India’s premier convention on the business of media and entertainment, witnessed an engaging and light-hearted exchange between Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Bollywood icon Akshay Kumar. The annual gathering, held in Mumbai, brought together top stakeholders from the film, TV, digital, and media industries — but it was this candid conversation that stole the spotlight.
CM Fadnavis took a nostalgic and humorous detour while reflecting on the cultural impact of Indian cinema, specifically pointing to the 2001 political drama Nayak, starring Anil Kapoor. “There are plenty of movies which have impressed me,” he said, “but one film that not only impressed me but caused me a lot of trouble is Nayak.” The Chief Minister described how the film — in which Kapoor plays a common man who becomes Chief Minister for a day and brings sweeping change — has raised unrealistic expectations among the public. “Now when I go out in public, they tell me, ‘You should work like Nayak! Look how much he changed in a single day.’” He added, chuckling, “One day I met Anil Kapoor and asked him, why did you make this film?”
The remark drew laughter from the audience, including Akshay Kumar, but also highlighted a deeper point about the perception-vs-reality gap in governance and public service. The anecdote cleverly underscored how cinema can shape — and sometimes complicate — public expectations of real-world leadership.
Shifting gears, Fadnavis spoke seriously about his long-term vision for Mumbai’s Film City, a dream that has seen multiple false starts. “I wanted to develop Film City and its ecosystem. We did a lot of planning and also spoke to the film fraternity. But we couldn't execute it properly,” he admitted. However, he reaffirmed his commitment to the project, stating, “I have decided to convert it into a world-class environment.” His remarks suggested that the Maharashtra government may soon revive the ambitious plans to transform Film City into a global hub for film production, possibly on the lines of Hollywood or South Korea’s media zones.
The session, rich in insight and humor, set a positive and optimistic tone for FICCI Frames 2025, signaling a renewed push for collaboration between the government and the entertainment industry. With both vision and wit, CM Fadnavis’ presence underscored the vital role that policy, infrastructure, and creative synergy play in shaping the future of Indian media.
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