Watch: Madhavan says when PM Modi started digital economy, all dubbed it as a disaster

New Delhi, May 20: Actor R Madhavan on Thursday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi while speaking about his directorial debut 'Rocketry: The Nambi Effect' at the Cannes Film Festival.

Union Minister, Anurag Thakur who joined the the festival this year shared a video of Madhavan speak about the digital economy. Madhavan says when PM Modi introduced it everyone thought it to be a disaster, but it was not. The farmers did not need to be educated to use a phone, the actor also said.

"When the Prime Minister of India, when he started his term, he introduced microeconomy and digital currency. There was a furore around the world, among the economic community which said, 'This is not going to work. This is a disaster' because how are you going to get the farmers and the people who are uneducated in the small villages to handle a small phone or a smartphone and handle the accounting," Madhavan said.

"In a couple of years that whole story changed and India became one of the largest users of microeconomy in the world and you know why it happened. It's because the farmers did not need to be educated to use a phone to know if they have got their money, who the money they have sent to..That is new India," he further added.

"From Aryabhatta to Sundar Pichai, we have such extraordinary stories as far as science and technology is concerned. We're not making movies about them, they're an inspiration for youngsters around the world. They've bigger fans than actors," Madhavan said while speaking about his movie.