Prime Minister Narendra Modi kicked off the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit, or WAVES, on Thursday. The event paid tribute to legends of the Indian entertainment industry. Superstar Nagarjun welcomed PM Modi to the stage, where he released commemorative postage stamps honoring five influential figures in Indian cinema.
The stamps were issued in the names of filmmaker Guru Dutt, filmmaker Ritwik Ghatak, filmmaker Raj Khosla, musician-composer-lyricist Salil Chowdhary, and actress P. Bhanumathi. Nagarjun expressed his gratitude to PM Modi and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for recognizing these industry greats.
Honoring Indian Cinema’s Rich Legacy
The postage stamps are part of a broader effort to celebrate India’s rich cultural heritage. At the 55th International Film Festival of India, stamps were released in memory of Raj Kapoor, Mohammed Rafi, Tapan Sinha, and Nagarjun’s father, Akkineni Nageswara Rao. This latest batch of stamps continues that tradition, marking the 100th birth anniversary of five more trailblazers in Indian cinema.
A Celebration of Indian Talent
The WAVES summit, which will run for four days, brings together some of the biggest names in Indian entertainment. Attendees included Rajinikanth, Mohanlal, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Naga Chaitanya, Shobhita Dhulipala, Sara Ali Khan, and Vicky Kaushal. The event aims to showcase India’s vibrant film industry to a global audience.
As Nagarjun noted during the ceremony, WAVES is a celebration of India’s spirit. The release of these commemorative stamps is a testament to the country’s rich cinematic history and its ongoing contributions to the world of entertainment.