Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India]: At the ongoing WAVES 2025 summit, actor Vijay Deverakonda stirred excitement by expressing his wish to see Shah Rukh Khan and Allu Arjun collaborate on a film, stating that such a project could “unite the country.”
Speaking during a session moderated by filmmaker Karan Johar, Deverakonda said, “Shah Rukh sir’s last biggest hit made around 800-1000 crores… And Allu Arjun anna’s film made 1000 crores. Now imagine they collaborate! When you bring a star from the South and a star from the North… you unite the country.”
He also weighed in on the North vs. South cinema debate, dismissing it as “unproductive,” and urged the industry to focus on collaboration instead of competition. “If we have to take on the giants of the world, we need to unite. We need to collaborate,” he emphasized.
Also present in the session was Kareena Kapoor Khan, who shared a fascinating anecdote about Steven Spielberg recognizing her for her role in 3 Idiots. “He actually came up to me and asked, ‘Are you the girl in that very famous Indian film about three students?’ I said, ‘Yes, it’s me!’ He said, ‘My God, I loved that movie,’” she recounted.
On potential Hollywood ventures, Kareena said, “It hasn’t happened organically yet… but if it’s meant to happen, maybe a Hindi-English film will come along. After all, even Spielberg is watching our movies!”
WAVES 2025, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is hosting over 10,000 delegates, 1,000 creators, 300+ companies, and 350+ startups from 90+ countries, running from May 1 to May 4.