On the second day of the ongoing WAVES 2025 summit in Mumbai, Bollywood star Kareena Kapoor Khan stole the spotlight with a heartwarming anecdote that left the audience both surprised and delighted. In a candid conversation with filmmaker Karan Johar during a panel discussion, Bebo recalled a once-in-a-lifetime moment when she was recognised by none other than legendary Hollywood director Steven Spielberg.

This ANI report captures Kareena’s narration of the incident, which occurred shortly after the release of 3 Idiots, the iconic Indian film that starred Aamir Khan, R. Madhavan, and Sharman Joshi alongside her. “I was actually in a restaurant, travelling somewhere, and Spielberg happened to be at the same place,” she recalled. “This was many moons ago, around the time ‘3 Idiots’ was released. He actually came up to me and asked, ‘Are you the girl in that very famous Indian film about three students?’ I said, ‘Yes, it’s me!’ He said, ‘My God, I loved that movie!’”

Her revelation drew cheers from the audience, with many appreciating the global reach and emotional impact of Indian cinema. When Karan Johar asked about her Hollywood ambitions, Kareena responded with humility and honesty. “I think it’s just organically not happened,” she said. “Having said that, films are my passion—they run in my veins. I was born into this family. Times are changing, and you never know. Chasing something has never been a part of my personality, but if it’s meant to happen, maybe a Hindi-English film will come along. After all, even Spielberg is watching our movies!”

Kareena’s story was part of a larger conversation on the global influence of Indian cinema and the evolving landscape of film consumption. The panel, one of the key attractions on Day 2 of WAVES 2025, offered a mix of nostalgia, inspiration, and forward-looking ideas.

The WAVES summit, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 1, is a first-of-its-kind international gathering for the audiovisual and entertainment industries. With more than 10,000 delegates, 1,000 creators, over 300 companies and 350 startups from over 90 countries, the four-day event is turning Mumbai into the global epicentre of media, content, and technology convergence.