At the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025, superstar Nagarjuna, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, announced postage stamps honouring legendary filmmakers Guru Dutt, Ritwik Ghatak, Raj Khosla, composer-singer-poet Salil Chowdhury, and legendary actor P Bhanumathi. Nagarjuna flew from Hyderabad to attend the event in Mumbai on Thursday.
In his introductory speech, he said, “During the 55th IFFI, stamps were released to commemorate four legends of Indian cinema—Shri Raj Kapoor ji, Shri Mohammed Rafi ji, Tapan Sinha ji, and my father, Akkineni Nageswara Rao. Now at this grand global platform, we are here to commemorate another historic moment. As India marks 100 years since the birth of five extraordinary visionaries, whose creativity defined the golden age of our films, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) pays tribute to their enduring legacy.”
He added, “The Government of India Department of Post will release a commemorative miniature sheet of postage stamps honouring Guru Dutt ji, Ritwik Ghatak ji, Salil Chowdhury ji, Raj Khosla ji and P. Bhanumathi ji. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the I&B ministry and our Honourable Prime Minister of India for their tireless efforts in preserving and honouring the legacy of Indian cinema through this incredible initiative.”
He then invited PM Modi on stage, who, along with Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw and Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting Dr L Murugan, launched the commemorative stamps.
The four-day star-studded summit, inaugurated by PM Modi on May 1, aims to showcase India's vibrant creative industries to a global audience. It unites a diverse array of talent, featuring Indian film and music legends, contemporary icons, and global entertainment leaders, under one platform.
On the first day of the event, several celebrities graced the occasion, including Rajinikanth, Mohanlal, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Naga Chaitanya, Sobhita Dhulipala, Sara Ali Khan, and Vicky Kaushal, among others.
