US President Donald Trump speaks at Motera in Ahmedabad on his first official India visit
US President Donald Trump today praised the entertainment sector in India as an example of the contributions in creativity that India has made to the world.
"All over the planet, people take great joy in scenes of bhangra, music, dance, romance and drama... and classic Indian films like DDLJ and Sholay... You cheer on great cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli," President Trump told a packed stadium, said to be the world's largest, in Ahmedabad today.
"This is the country that produces nearly 2,000 movies a year from the hub of genius and creativity known as Bollywood," President Trump said.
President Trump's reference to "DDLJ" was for the wildly popular 1995 superhit film "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge".
In January 2015, during his visit to India, former US President Barack Obama had also borrowed a dialogue from "DDLJ". "Senorita, bade bade deshon mein... you know what I mean," Mr Obama had said, to deafening applause from the audience at an auditorium in Delhi. In the movie the line is spoken by Shah Rukh Khan to heroine Kajol.
In his speech at the "Namaste, Trump" event, he touched upon several policies of the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for putting Indian on a speedy development path.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi hugged him after he landed in Ahmedabad, along with First Lady Melania Trump and family members.
Then they went to Sabarmati Ashram, where President Trump spun the charkha. He and his wife also left a message on the visitors' log: "To my great friend, Prime Minister Modi, thank you for this wonderful visit."
The Trumps have gone to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. They will come to Delhi tonight and will start the operative part of the two-day visit tomorrow with trade talks.