Speaking at Jio Hotstar South Unband Event by Mr. Kamal Haasan..
Greetings,
I am honored to share this stage with our Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Udhayanidhi Stalin and Minister Mr. M. P. Saminathan. Also, Mr. Kevin Vaas, CEO, Entertainment, Jio Star, Mr. Krishnan Kutty, Head, Entertainment (South), Jio Star, Mr. Sushant Sriram, Head, Marketing and SVOD, Jio Star, Mr. R. Balachandran, Executive Vice President, Jio Star Tamil and the eminent members of the industry, including my friends Mohanlal – Nagarjuna – Vijay Sethupathi.
India’s media and entertainment industry has not grown normally. We are gathered here at a crucial moment when it is witnessing a transformation. For the first time, this transformation has not been driven by a device or a design. Rather, this transformation has been created by the audience.
Today, stories – truly screen – are becoming agnostic. They travel with the audience. And so the audience has become the platform. When this happens, the relationship between media and news changes forever. Stories do not belong to any screen. They always travel with the listener. And they belong to the people. The screens follow them.
This shift, referred to as tectonic in English – makes Geo Star’s prototype initiative very useful for Tamil Nadu. It is not only for its ambition… but also for the opportunity and the structure. In this new world, every Tamil creator – producer and storyteller… can reach every Indian… on every screen… every day….
Regional is today becoming the new national… and ethnic is the new international. Stories born in Madurai – Malappuram – Mandya or Masilipatnam are no longer regional cinema. They are national cultural events.
A film rooted in the folk tales of coastal Karnataka like ‘Gandhara’ – manages to capture the entire country.
A Malayalam mystery like Drishyam – about an ordinary man overcoming extraordinary power – crosses all borders with ease.
A Telugu story like ‘Baahubali’ or ‘Pushpa’ – becomes a daily conversation piece from Mumbai to Malaysia.
And from Tamil Nadu, Vikram’s relentless manhunt or Amaran’s gentle courage – show that what really travels is not the budget. But the stories that resonate with the hearts of the people with sincerity and roots.
These successes confirm a simple truth. Authenticity is a currency that can never be devalued.
Tamil Nadu has lived this reality for centuries through the continuity of Iyal, music, drama and the Koothambalam of the Chera nation. Where literature, music and drama merge into the heartbeat of a single culture. Today’s creators can use new tools. But the instinct is there. You have to be brave in telling your story.
This is not an ordinary Indian phenomenon. A Korean series in a regional dialect spoken by eighty million people like Squid Game – reached billions across the world. The fact that over 275 million viewers speak in a South Indian language is much bigger than the power of its content.
But storytelling cannot thrive on talent alone. The creative economy can only thrive and grow when its ecosystems – creators, technologists, platforms and policymakers – move together in alignment.
That is why leadership is important. Mr. Kevin Vas has clearly laid out the vision for ‘South Unbound’ here. Leading the way for the South not as a market but as a creative hub. Mr. Sushant Sri Ram and Mr. Krishnan Kutty have helped establish this vision of a platform-based strategy. This will expand real opportunities for regional creators.
In principle, our esteemed Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Udhayanidhi Stalin, with the vision of our esteemed Chief Minister Mr. M.K. Stalin, supports talent development – training and long-term creative infrastructure to deliver a shared future for the sector.
Under this leadership, the MoU signed today between the Government of Tamil Nadu and Jio Star for the ‘South Unbound’ project is not a slogan, but a concrete agreement worth Rs. 12,000 crore for the storytelling of the South. With this, over Rs. 4,000 crore has been allocated for Tamil Nadu alone in the next five years.
As we build this future plan, I humbly request Jio to partner with us in pioneering media studies projects in colleges across India. Writing – Cinematography – Sound
If we can instill structured training in editing, animation and VFX, we will not only create content but also career paths. Our youth deserve paths that match their talents. We need to upgrade it every five years. This is truly what functional skill development is all about.
So ladies! Ladies! Where is India’s media and entertainment sector today..?
- A young audience with boundless curiosity….
- A digital universe expanding at an unprecedented pace…
- A regional movement shaping national tastes.
” These are also sure to lead a great deal of talent in a state like Tamil Nadu.
- India’s move towards a global market with new ideas
With all these elements in place, there has never been a better time to be a storyteller.
And if we don’t seize this moment… we may never see another time like it. So let us boldly pledge to take the Indian media and entertainment industry into a hundred billion dollar market – into the future. By doing so, we will strengthen Tamil Nadu’s visionary journey to become a trillion dollar economy. What we dreamed of then… is now our time to make it happen.
I would like to say this to every creator-producer and dreamer gathered here today. There are no barriers. The tools are in your hands. Permission is irrelevant. Courage is what makes the difference. Let Tamil Nadu lead the way with creative boldness. Let us unite language, sound and performance to create stories that stand tall on the world stage.
A new industry Let’s create. Where collaboration will replace fear.
Experimentation will replace formula.
Imagination will replace limitations.
The world is watching us. The stage is set. The audience is waiting.
For Tamil Nadu… for India… for the world… Let’s create boldly – honestly – fearlessly.
Thank you.
