Rajinikanth. File.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Veteran star Rajinikanth on Thursday (May 1, 2025) termed the Pahalgam terror attack “barbaric and merciless” and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a fighter who would bring peace to Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing the inaugural WAVES Summit, the pan-India actor said many people had told him the government might postpone the four-day event because of “unnecessary criticism” as it focused on entertainment.

Follow Pahalgam attack updates on May 1

“But I was confident that this event will definitely happen because of my confidence in Prime Minister Narendra Modiji,” he said.

The World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES) brings together top Bollywood and southern stars as well as industry leaders and political personalities.

“PM Modi is a fighter. He will meet any challenge. He has proven it and we have been seeing it in the last one decade,” Rajinikanth said.

The 74-year-old actor added that the Prime Minister will handle the Kashmir situation “bravely and gracefully”.

“[He will] bring peace in Kashmir and glory to our country. I’m extremely happy to be here and it is my privilege to be a part of WAVES moment. and my heartiest congratulations to central government,” Rajinikanth said.

Follow WAVES Summit inauguration in Mumbai on May 1 here

WAVES will integrate films, OTT, gaming, comics, digital media, AI, AVGC-XR, broadcasting, and emerging tech, and seek to present itself as a comprehensive showcase of India’s media and entertainment prowess.

The summit, which aims to unlock a $50 billion market by 2029, expanding India’s footprint in the global entertainment economy, comes shortly after a terror attack in the upper reaches of Pahalgam in Kashmir killed 26 people, mostly tourists.