Various plenary sessions are being organised at WAVES. Actor Akshay Kumar moderated a session titled “Legends & Legacies: The Stories That Shaped India’s Soul”, where industry veterans Hema Malini, Mohanlal, and Chiranjeevi talked about storytelling, creativity, and cultural legacy. While discussing the evolving nature of cinema, celebrated actor Mohanlal opined that there is a very thin line between art cinema and entertainment cinema, as art films also have entertainment value. He added that it’s storytelling that moves people. Emphasising his commitment to authenticity, Chiranjeevi expressed a deep desire to stay grounded and relatable. He stated that he always wanted audiences to see him as the boy next door, and that’s why he strives to keep his performances as natural and genuine as possible.

Talking about building the next global entertainment revolution from India, industrialist Mukesh Ambani appealed to content creators to create content for global audiences. He also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given them a target to increase partnerships with studios around the world.

Adobe’s Chief Executive Officer, Shantanu Narayen, shared his views on design, media, and creativity in the age of AI. He highlighted the opportunities available for India in the field of AI. He said that India has access to vast data and can create its own AI models using it. YouTube’s Chief Executive Officer, Neal Mohan, shared insights on the use of YouTube by Indian creators. He said that overseas viewers have consumed 45 billion hours of content created by Indian creators. While discussing content monetisation, he informed that in the last three years, YouTube has paid around 21,000 crore rupees, and in the next two years, the company will invest around 850 crore rupees.