Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan on Friday said that while India is a country full of cinema lovers, its film industry needs to look beyond domestic shores and build a robust international distribution network to truly expand its reach. He was speaking during a panel discussion at the ongoing WAVES Summit 2025 in Mumbai.

The actor joined prominent industry voices including producer Dinesh Vijan, Excel Entertainment’s Ritesh Sidhwani, PVR INOX chief Ajay Bijli, veteran Hollywood producer Charles Roven, and Namit Malhotra, CEO of global VFX giant DNEG. The session, titled “Studios of the Future: Putting India on the World Studio Map”, explored the challenges and opportunities for Indian cinema in the global entertainment landscape.

According to a PTI report, Aamir said that India, despite its deep love for movies, suffers from a lack of screens and underdeveloped infrastructure to support cinematic experiences — an issue he has raised multiple times. He added that expanding international distribution was crucial for Indian content creators to tap into global markets.

“We need to develop strong distribution channels not only in India but across different countries. Indian films can travel much further if we create proper pipelines abroad,” Aamir stressed during the discussion, receiving nods from fellow panellists.

Producer Dinesh Vijan echoed Aamir’s sentiment, pointing out that Indian stories have universal appeal and are ripe for international consumption, provided the ecosystem supports it. Ritesh Sidhwani also spoke about the need to view Indian cinema through a more expansive lens and explore international collaborations more aggressively.

The session highlighted the growing appetite for Indian content globally, especially on OTT platforms, and the need for systemic backing to sustain that momentum. Charles Roven, known for producing Hollywood blockbusters like The Dark Knight and Wonder Woman, said the technical quality of Indian productions had vastly improved and it was only natural for the country to aim at becoming a global content hub.

The WAVES Summit, now in its inaugural edition, has brought together some of the most influential voices in the film, broadcast, and digital entertainment industry to discuss the way forward for India’s media landscape.