'Movie time' to poem translation, here's what PM Modi was up to during the weekend

The event also included the release of four cultural videos marking the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

Among the big names from Bollywood who attended the event were Aamir Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Rajkumar Hirani, Kangana Ranaut, Anand L Rai, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Sonam Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, Sonu Nigam and Ekta Kapoor.

"I am happy to share that we have addressed them to ensure more people can see the brilliant work done by our film personalities," the prime minister's office tweeted later.

Modi also assured the film fraternity that the entertainment industry will get all the support from his government for its overall development.

The prime minister on Sunday said that attempts were being made to demonise technology, saying the effort should instead be to harness its potential to transform people's lives.

The PM said this while addressing a gathering at his official residence at the launch of a book, Bridgital Nation, co-authored by N Chandrasekaran, the chairman of Tata Sons, and Roopa Purushothaman, the chief economist at Tata Sons.

"Specially in the context of India, technology is being presented as a challenge to the country's demographic dividend," the prime minister said.

Modi said that instead of discussing the dangers of artificial intelligence, the debate should be on how to create a bridge between artificial intelligence and human intentions.

The prime minister stressed on the need to understand that technology is a bridge and not a divider. "Technology builds a bridge between aspirations and achievement, demand and delivery, government and governance in order to achieve 'sabka saath, sabka vikas' (with all, for everyone's development)," he said according to a statement issued by his office.

Talking about the need to convert challenges posed by technology into opportunities, the prime minister cited the example of the creation of India Post Payments Bank.

He said the disruption caused by technology to the entire postal organisation was converted into a technology-intensive banking system, benefitting millions through the postal bank which transformed "dakiya" (postman) into a "bank babu" (banker), the statement said.

Modi on Sunday released a Tamil translation of his poem on his conversation with the ocean at Mamallapuram during his recent visit for the informal summit with Chinese President Xi Jingping.

The Prime Minister, who donned a 'veshti,' (dhoti) and a shawl over his shoulder in sync with Tamil tradition while receiving Xi at the ancient coastal town near here, released its Tamil version which perfectly toes the tradition for rendition in verse format.

The Tamil rendition of Modi's poem comes against the background of a series of gestures in recent times which are seen as a bid to reach out to the Tamil people after the Centre was accused by political parties in the state of trying to impose Hindi.