The 25th edition of FICCI Frames, Asia’s leading media and entertainment summit, kicked off in Mumbai with a compelling conversation between Bollywood star Akshay Kumar and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The two engaged in a candid chat about cinema’s influence on leadership, during which Fadnavis revealed that the 2001 political drama Nayak, starring Anil Kapoor, left a lasting impression on him and not without consequences.
Fadnavis talks about Nayak’s effect
When asked by Akshay if any Hindi film had inspired his political journey or leadership style, Fadnavis shared with a smile, “Films don’t necessarily shape us as leaders, but they influence our emotions and empathy, our human side. There are several films that have impacted me deeply.”
He then pointed to Nayak as a standout, “When it comes to politics, there’s one film I have to mention, Nayak. It inspired me, yes, but it also brought me a fair share of trouble!”
In Nayak, Anil Kapoor plays a journalist who becomes the Chief Minister of Maharashtra for a day and miraculously turns the entire system around within 24 hours. Fadnavis joked about the unrealistic expectations the film created, “Everywhere I go, people say, ‘Be like Nayak! Look how much he did in a single day. He changed the world in 24 hours!’”
Sharing an amusing anecdote, Fadnavis said he once told Anil Kapoor, “Why did you make Nayak, bhai? Now people think you’re the Nayak (hero) and we’re the nalayak (incompetents). How did you manage all that in just one day?”
Despite the challenges the film’s benchmark created for real-life politicians, Fadnavis admitted that Nayak set a standard for leadership. He also spoke about how films help leaders reconnect with their emotional side, “When someone works in one field for years, emotions can dull, and things become mechanical. But films have a way of awakening those human feelings again. After watching a film, I feel like I become a regular person again — the one I’ve always been, despite the office I hold.”
About Nayak
Nayak (2001), directed by S. Shankar and starring Anil Kapoor, is a political action-drama that has achieved cult status over the years for its bold storytelling and social commentary. The film follows Shivaji Rao, a television journalist who is challenged by the Chief Minister to take over his role for just one day. To everyone’s surprise, Shivaji accepts, and within 24 hours, he tackles corruption, inefficiency, and injustice with remarkable effectiveness. The film earned approximately ₹20.56 crore at the box office.
