French President Emmanuel Macron Meets Anil Kapoor, Manoj Bajpayee And Zoya Akhtar In Mumbai

French President Emmanuel Macron began his India visit with a cultural stop in Mumbai on Tuesday, arriving alongside First Lady Brigitte Macron and immediately stepping into a high-profile interaction with the Hindi film industry.

The French leader's schedule mixed diplomacy with soft power outreach as he met leading actors, filmmakers and musicians during a special gathering near the city's historic waterfront.

Meeting 'legends of Indian cinema'

During the visit, the President posed for group photographs with several prominent film personalities including Anil Kapoor, Manoj Bajpayee and filmmaker Zoya Akhtar, along with Richa Chadha, Shabana Azmi and music composer Ricky Kej. Some images showed conversations with the delegation while another featured a group portrait at the Gateway of India.

Macron later shared the pictures on Instagram and wrote, "Aux côtés de légendes du cinéma indien. La culture nous rassemble," which translates to, "Alongside legends of Indian cinema. Culture unites us."

The interaction highlighted the cultural dimension of the France-India relationship, with cinema presented as a bridge between audiences and industries in both countries.

Tribute and next diplomatic stops

The French delegation landed in Mumbai in the early hours and paid homage to victims of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks shortly after arrival. The visit will continue until 19 February, after which the President will travel to Delhi to participate in the India AI Impact Summit 2026.

The Mumbai leg of the trip underlined how cultural diplomacy often complements formal talks, with cinema, music and creative collaboration positioned alongside technology and strategic cooperation as part of the evolving partnership between India and France.