Mumbai buzzed with excitement as French President Emmanuel Macron engaged with Bollywood luminaries on his India visit. Among those present were acclaimed names: Manoj Bajpayee, Anil Kapoor, Shabana Azmi, Richa Chadha, and director Zoya Akhtar.
Macron captured the moment on X, declaring, ‘With Indian cinema legends, culture unites us.’ The event spotlights burgeoning cultural synergies that enrich the strategic alliance between the two nations.
Parallel to this, Macron and PM Modi convened for in-depth talks at Raj Bhavan, with Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, NSA Ajit Doval, and senior aides in attendance. Their meeting commenced with warm handshakes.
On X, Modi shared, ‘Pleased to meet friend President Macron in Mumbai. He adores the city and relished a morning run.’ The tour’s opening act was a memorial visit to honor 26/11 victims, accompanied by the First Lady.
A major highlight: joint launch of India-France Year of Innovation 2026. This journey is poised to accelerate cooperation in defense, innovation, technology, and arts. Maharashtra’s CM Devendra Fadnavis and Governor Acharya Devvrat greeted Macron at the airport.
In his message, PM Modi described the visit as crucial for soaring India-France partnership heights and global contributions. Blending showbiz sparkle with statecraft, Macron’s itinerary reaffirms culture’s bridging power.