By Lipika Varma

Copyright deccanchronicle

Bollywood star Akshay Kumar had an interesting one-on-one with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at FICCI Frames 2025. Here are some highlights of the interview:Akshay Kumar: You’re doing a great job promoting Maharashtra as a hub of entertainment and content creation. What plans do you have for a Film City?Devendra Fadnavis: We’re working on creating a top-class ecosystem for film production, including infrastructure and training programmes. We’ll bring about a transformation in the industry within the next few years. I assure you that in one year we will start the transformation and try to complete it within four years. Marathi cinema is strong, and the audience is vibrant. We’re working on promoting Marathi films and creating more opportunities for creators.AK: If you were to direct the first scene of a film titled Maharashtra, what would it be?DF: If I were to direct a film titled Maharashtra, the first scene would be the coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, highlighting the vision of Swarajya.AK: Have you been inspired by any films or drawn from the film industry for your political career?DF: Yes, films like Nayak have inspired me. Cinema has the power to evoke emotions and influence people. Through storytelling, content creators can raise awareness and promote responsible behaviour.AK: I’ve played various roles, but in my upcoming film ‘Haiwaan’, I’ll be playing a negative character. The story ends with the character’s downfall — “Haiwaan har jata hai”.DF: (smiling) I’m sure you’ll nail it, Akshay!