Aamir Khan Highlights the Importance of India-China Creative Collaborations at WAVES Summit
At the 2025 WAVES Summit held at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai, renowned Bollywood actor Aamir Khan called for deeper collaboration between India and China in the realm of creative industries. This summit, which is focused on making India a global hub for the creative economy, brought together some of the leading figures in cinema, technology, and entertainment from both countries. Khan, who has achieved massive success with films like 3 Idiots, Dangal, and Secret Superstar in China, expressed that there is immense untapped potential for creative partnerships between the two nations.
Khan spoke passionately about the cultural and emotional similarities that Indian and Chinese audiences share. He emphasized that this connection offers a strong foundation for collaborations that are not just commercially successful but also artistically enriching. According to Khan, such partnerships could not only bridge the gap between the two nations but also create global content that resonates with diverse audiences.
Also Read : Vijay Deverakonda Highlights Hollywood’s Global Dominance and Language Power at WAVES 2025
Shared Cultural Values and Audience Resonance Between India and China
During his speech at the WAVES Summit, Aamir Khan pointed out the striking similarity in the emotional responses of audiences in both India and China. Drawing from his own experiences, he shared how Chinese audiences reacted to his films, especially Dangal, in the same way Indian audiences did. For Khan, this was a clear indicator of how connected the cultural emotions are between the two countries.
Khan explained, “The emotions of people in China are similar to the emotions of Indians. I was watching a number of my films in China, and the Chinese audience reacting to Dangal is no different from the Indian audience. The reaction was identical.” This realization only reinforced his belief that Indian and Chinese cultures share many commonalities that could provide the perfect foundation for joint ventures in cinema and other creative fields. He urged both countries to focus on these shared values as they collaborate on global content creation.
Organic Collaborations: Moving Beyond Commercial Trends to Focus on Storytelling
While discussing the future of India-China collaborations, Aamir Khan stressed that these partnerships should stem from an organic process driven by the story itself, rather than being influenced by market trends or the desire to appeal to commercial interests. He emphasized that the story and script should excite both Indian and Chinese creative communities equally. Only in this way could such collaborations be genuinely successful and resonate with the audience on an emotional level.
“It has to be an organic process, like it has to be a story, a script that should excite us. It can come from an Indian or Chinese writer, but it should excite the creative community on both sides to come together,” Khan elaborated. He further clarified that collaborations based on surface-level motives, such as casting an Indian star in a Chinese film or vice versa, were not his primary interest. The collaboration, according to him, must focus on creating content that speaks to both audiences in a meaningful way.
Aamir Khan’s comments highlight his deep respect for the creativity and originality that both India and China possess, and his commitment to fostering genuine collaborations based on mutual respect and shared values.
Industry Peers Echo Aamir Khan’s Call for Meaningful India-China Creative Collaborations
Producer Prasad Shetty, who has a long-standing connection with the Chinese film industry, echoed Aamir Khan’s thoughts, emphasizing that the cultural similarities between India and China can lead to strong collaborations. Shetty shared an instance where the film PK, which features Aamir Khan in the lead role, struck a deep chord with his Chinese colleagues. This reaction, according to Shetty, proves that both Indian and Chinese audiences resonate with authentic, culturally rooted stories.
“The biggest opportunity that Indian filmmakers have for China as a market is to tell stories that are authentic to Indian culture because there isn’t much difference between Indian and Chinese culture,” said Shetty. His words reinforce the idea that a successful partnership doesn’t require contrived formulas or artificial storytelling techniques. Instead, the key lies in authenticity and cultural relevance.
WAVES Summit: A Platform for Global Collaboration and Innovation in the Creative Industry
The WAVES Summit is not just an event for dialogue; it is also a platform designed to spark actionable collaborations between the creative industries of India and the world. Aimed at strengthening the creator’s economy and bringing together professionals from various sectors such as films, OTT, gaming, comics, digital media, AI, AVGC-XR, and more, the summit is positioned as one of the biggest gatherings of the media and entertainment industry globally.
One of the key initiatives announced at the summit is the WAVES Bazaar, a global e-marketplace that connects Indian creative talent with international markets. This platform is expected to simplify global business interactions and expand opportunities for creators and businesses worldwide. This initiative could play a pivotal role in facilitating international co-productions, helping bring diverse creative visions to life, and ensuring that the Indian creative community thrives in the global market.
With such initiatives and the growing momentum for collaboration, the WAVES Summit serves as a timely and essential catalyst for fostering stronger partnerships in the global entertainment and creative sectors.
A Future of India-China Creative Partnerships
As Aamir Khan and other industry leaders continue to advocate for stronger India-China collaborations, the future of creative partnerships looks promising. Both countries possess rich cinematic traditions, and by tapping into their shared cultural values and emotional resonance, they can create content that transcends borders.
Aamir Khan concluded his remarks at the WAVES Summit by expressing his excitement for the future of co-productions between India and China. His vision of a collaborative global cinema industry, where both nations contribute equally to storytelling, could very well set the stage for a new era of creative cooperation.
In the years to come, it is likely that more films, television shows, and digital content will be created through joint ventures between India and China. With the support of initiatives like WAVES and the continued effort of creatives on both sides, the world can look forward to a new wave of storytelling that blends the best of both cultures.
