Brainstorming at the NDTV Solutions Summit
Nobel laureate biologist Venkatraman Ramakrishnan believes it is important for India to invest in molecular biology.
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Brainstorming at the NDTV Solutions SummitAmitabh Bachchan began the discussion by commenting how a panel discussion on cinema was a positive change from a time when cinema was a dirty word for “people from good homes.”
"Now even people from other countries other than the expatriates watch Indian cinema," he said. -
Brainstorming at the NDTV Solutions SummitVeteran actress Waheeda Rehman shared that coming from a Muslim family and from the South, she scared when she was offered films, but her parents said, "No, things are changing."
Today, she remarked, film stars get a lot of love and respect, but because they are popular, they have a responsibility to deliver good movies and a good message -
Brainstorming at the NDTV Solutions SummitTalking about how women are portrayed in Indian cinema today, Mr Bachchan said, "We don't always degrade women in our films. Waheedaji, my wife Jaya, Meena Kumari, Nutan have all starred in films that portray strong women. At least 80% people working in the movies are women these days. " -
Brainstorming at the NDTV Solutions SummitShah Rukh Khan, who joined the panel late, said, India has a very strong star system but lacks collaboration. Now there is art and commercial cinema. Bottomline is to tell a story. The industry needs to develop the habit of collaborating with each other.
He also pointed out that star system is an integral part of globalisation of Indian cinema. -
Brainstorming at the NDTV Solutions SummitAmitabh Bachchan felt that the film industry needs to blend western sensibilities into Indian cinema a little more. He also pointed out that Shah Rukh Khan and Karan Johar are largely responsible for bringing Bollywood to the global stage. -
Brainstorming at the NDTV Solutions SummitOn Indian cinema going global, Shah Rukh said that some westerners like Indian films because of the emotional connect. Warner and Sony come make the movies here but allow the industry to distribute it globally. There has to be a give and take. -
Brainstorming at the NDTV Solutions SummitAmitabh Bachchan felt second or third generation expatriates are more aligned to Indian cinema than to the western films and as these generations grow so will the reach and viewership.
Ahead - Session 5: Governance: Towards cleaner politics in India -
Brainstorming at the NDTV Solutions SummitManish Tewari said that Indian politics has been enriched over the last 40 years and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has done spectacularly well, much better than their own expectations. He also added that Congress should not have extended support to Aam Aadmi Party and responsibility of providing Delhi a government is on Bhartiya Janata Party. -
Brainstorming at the NDTV Solutions SummitDerek O'Brien said, "To use a cricket analogy, there's the Congress, BJP and Aam Aadmi Party and the Trinamool Congress is happy playing third umpire."
He also pointed that the Trinamool Congress is the only party since Independence which broke away from the Congress and are still in business. -
Brainstorming at the NDTV Solutions SummitFrom the audience, author Vikram Seth posed a question related to Supreme Court's verdict on acticle 377.
"The Congress has come out very strongly on article 377, much to my surprise, saying the Supreme Court's judgment is wrong. The AAP has made it's stand clear. Piyush Goyal and Derek O'Brien have made their personal views clear. But there is no word from leaders like Narendra Modi. Why has the BJP not taken a stand," he asked. -
Brainstorming at the NDTV Solutions SummitOn a lighter note, Derek O'Brien quipped that he feels like a pauper between two billionaires. He said, Trinamool Congress ask corporates to buy Mamata Banerjee's paintings and that's how they raise money.
Ahead - Session 4: Art, Music & Culture: How do we harness India's soft power as a globally strategic asset? -
Brainstorming at the NDTV Solutions SummitRenowned author Vikram Seth, sculptor Anish Kapoor, conductor Zubin Mehta, photographer Dayanita Singh and director of the Humanities Centre at Harvard University Homi K Bhabha discuss about how to harness India's soft power as a globally strategic asset? -
Brainstorming at the NDTV Solutions SummitAnish Kapoor began the discussion saying it is not 'Indianness' that defines an artist's work.
"As a young artist, didn't like my work being labelled Indian. I fought against it hard because I don't think that being viewed as from an exotic background helps the creative process," he said. -
Brainstorming at the NDTV Solutions SummitConductor Zubin Mehta said that it is a disgrace that there is no concert hall in Delhi for Indian music.
He also pointed out that unfortunately, the music he interprets has been written by Europeans and there's little Indianness he can inject into it apart from the yoga that helps him do breathing exercises! -
Brainstorming at the NDTV Solutions SummitHarvard University's Homi Bhabha said that if we want soft power, then we have to have the infrastructure for it.
He also pointed out that there is a need of proper liberal arts and humanities education globally. -
Brainstorming at the NDTV Solutions SummitAs part of the audience, Prithvi theatre's Sanjana Kapoor said that of all artists, theatre-wallahs are the lowest of the low. But the country needs to demand that systems also work for them and media supports the fraternity. -
Brainstorming at the NDTV Solutions SummitZubin Mehta ended the discussion in a positive note, saying, this country has an infinite number of talented people, who cannot read and write but produce crafts that are admired all over the world.
Ahead - Session 3: The Essence of India : What makes India different and special and how do we protect the essence of India? -
Brainstorming at the NDTV Solutions SummitThe Essence of India : What makes India different and special and how do we protect the essence of India?
Former additional solicitor-general Fali S Nariman in conversation with Infosys founder and Executive Chairman N R Narayana Murthy, Cipla chief YK Hamied, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, distinguished Indian Constitutional jurist Fali S Nariman and former union minister anf BJP leader Arun Shourie brainstorm at the NDTV Solutions Summit. -
Brainstorming at the NDTV Solutions SummitTalking on the subject, Amartya Sen said that there is no point in blaming the institutions as India continues to have some people who are privileged and some who are not and criminalization of homosexuality is a violation of minority rights. -
Brainstorming at the NDTV Solutions SummitThrowing light on the Supreme Court verdict on Section 377, constitutional jurist Fali S Nariman said that everyone assumes that verdict of two judges represents the Supreme Court. Constitutional bench of at least five should handle important matters. -
Brainstorming at the NDTV Solutions SummitConductor Zubin Mehta joined the panel from the audience and asked the question, How are we going to convince the farmer to send his son and daughter to school? He says if every Indian can read and write and think in rational terms, then we will achieve greatness. -
Brainstorming at the NDTV Solutions SummitArtist Anjolie Ela Menon did not agree with Zubin Mehta's focus on education point and says, "If you have education without even the glimmer of a hope of job at the end of it then you are sitting on a time bomb." -
Brainstorming at the NDTV Solutions SummitPolitician and columnist Sudheendra Kulkarni's question to the panelists was - "The essence of India should be discussed in the context of ageless India, not India since 1947. At what age did Muslims in India become a minority? Why are we not able to go beyond this 'minority-isation' of our communities?"
Ahead - Session 2: The Internet: How can it strengthen democracy? -
Brainstorming at the NDTV Solutions SummitHowever, Shekhar Gupta feels that anonymity has brought out the worst in human beings. Because of Internet, many "scoundrels" have tried to out victims' identity as in the Tarun Tejpal case.Internet, according to him, Internet is an instrument of democracy but it is also one of trouble. -
Brainstorming at the NDTV Solutions SummitInternet delivers our democratic rights, an important one and she disagrees that it should be regulated too much. She feels over regulation can lead to losing what is good.
Ahead - Session 1: Innovation, Science & Technology: How can software, technology and science help solve many of India's key problems? -
Brainstorming at the NDTV Solutions SummitCan science and technology help solve India's problems? Scientists brainstorm at the NDTV Solutions Sumit.
Nobel laureate and biologist Venkatraman Ramakrishnan believes it is important for India to invest in molecular biology.
