Waves 2025: At the ongoing World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (Waves) in Mumbai, Kareena Kapoor Khan shared a memorable encounter, outlining the growing global reach of Indian cinema. Speaking in a session called “Cinema: The Soft Power”, the Bollywood star revealed that no one other than Hollywood’s famous filmmaker Steven Spielberg had praised his film ‘3 Idiots’.
When Steven Spielberg met Kareena Kapoor
Recalling a chance meeting in an international restaurant, Kareena said, “Even Steven Spielberg is watching our Hindi films … I was traveling somewhere else in a restaurant, Steve Spielberg was also there. He told me that he loves the film.
‘Jane Jaan’ actor expressed that his heart is in Hindi films and he does not feel the need to work in the West. “Movies are a passion for me, movies go on in my blood, I was born in this (film) family. So, never say, but chase something is not a part of my personality. So, if it is to happen, it would probably be a Hindi-English film,” he was said by PTI.
The session conducted by filmmaker Karan Johar also included Telugu actor Vijay Devarakonda. Kareena used the stage to highlight how Indian films resonate on boundaries, describing another incident from the London visit.
Taxi driver sang Raj Kapoor’s songs in London
“In 2023, I was in a taxi in London, the driver was a local and started singing my grandfather’s song for me as he saw all the films of Raj Kapoor,” he shared. “He sang the song ‘Mera Jota Hai Japni’ in Hindi. For me, it was really a big moment of pride … I felt its influence. He made me realize such love that we are getting our films, as a nation, as our films.”
He pointed to a positive change in viewing the habits: Indian audiences today prefer to watch films in their native language rather than dubbed versions, a change that has added authenticity and deep relations for regional materials.
Karan Johar on homebound
During the discussion, Karan Johar also talked about his upcoming project ‘Homebound’, which has attracted international attention. “It was a great honor for us to become an executive producer on our film, ‘Homebound’, the fact that he contributed to a Hindi language film, there was a great honor for listening to his input,” Jauhar said.
The film, which plays Ishan Khat, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor, is set to premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival in a certain category of the United Nations. It is manufactured by Johar with co-produced marijke Desuza and Melita Torskan Do Plantar with Edar Poonwal, Apoorva Mehta and Somen Mishra.
