India’s top industrialist Gautam Adani visited Subhash Ghai’s Whistling Woods International at Goregaon in Bombay on 10th October and interacted and motivated students there. This was the first time ever that Adani attended a film institute. He was the guest of honour on the third and last day of Celebrate Cinema 2025 Festival organised by Whistling Woods. Besides Ghai, others present were Rajkumar Hirani, Jackie Shroff, Kartik Aaryan and producer Mahaveer Jain.
Adani spoke about the soft power of cinema at the film school. He also dwelt upon how AI would change filmmaking. After the speech, Kartik Aaryan was felicitated for his performance in Chandu Champion. Rajkumar Hirani was felicitated for his immense contribution to cinema. In his address, Kartik said that Gautam Adani’s speech was one of the best he had ever heard. Rajkumar Hirani called Gautam Adani’s speech “the Sholay of speeches”! He thanked Adani for reminding the film people about the soft power of cinema. Said Hirani, “It (Adani’s speech) also made us realise that sometimes, we forget the soft power of our cinema. There’s muscle power and there’s political power. But soft power is dil ka power, according to me. What we say through cinema touches the hearts of people. Thank you for reminding us of it.”
Top students of the institute were also felicitated on the occasion.
Jackie Shroff stole the show when, in response to a student touching his (Jackie’s) feet, he, too, touched the student’s feet.
Gautam Adani later tweeted, “Always energising 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. Sharing the stage with icons @rajkumarhirani, @bindasbhidu, @theaaryankartik 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.”
Earlier, on the first two days of the festival, celebrities like Gulzar, Mohit Suri and Ranbir Kapoor attended and paid their tributes to Raj Kapoor and Guru Dutt on the occasion of their centenaries.
