Richa Chadha says President Macron listened ‘carefully’ to filmmakers and offered ‘solutions’ on cinema distribution

Richa Chadha was among many Bollywood stars who met the French President. He arrived along with First Lady Brigitte Macron on a 3 day official visit to India.

French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Mumbai on Tuesday along with First Lady Brigitte Macron on a three-day official visit to India. He held a special interaction with Bollywood celebrities on Tuesday. Actor and producer Richa Chadha met with the French President during the official engagement aimed at fostering dialogue between leaders and members of the creative and film fraternity of India.

Richa Chadha with French President Emmanuel Macron in Mumbai.

The meeting was part of a series of conversations and the gathering included Bollywood and film personalities such as Richa Chadha, filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan, Zoya Akhtar, and Shabana Azmi, among others. Images from the meeting were shared by Emmanuel Macron on X.

What Richa shared

Talking about the interaction, Richa shared, “I was thrilled to meet the French President, Mr Macron, along with his wife, Bridgette, as a part of the artistic community from the film fraternity. Together, we had a lively discussion on what could be done to make independent cinema more feasible in both our nations. I personally am very grateful for the French CNC's contribution in my career, both as an actor and a producer. Because Masaan and Girls Will Be Girls were both official Indo-French Co Productions."

She added, "Payal Kapadia's film (All We Imagine As Light), which won an honour at Cannes, is also an Indo-French Co-Production. So truly, France has been a leading contributor to enhancing the quality of cinema in our parts. I am moved by how carefully he listened to us filmmakers, and offered solutions to make synergies between both nations better, as far as cinema distribution is concerned”.

President Macron posted numerous pictures on his Instagram from his meeting with Bollywood celebrities, writing, “Aux côtés de légendes du cinéma indien. La culture nous rassemble,” which translates to “Alongside legends of Indian cinema. Culture unites us.”

More details

The first picture shows President Macron and Lady Bridgitte posing with Manoj, Anil, Zoya, Richa Chadha, Shabana Azmi, Ricky Kej, and others. Some pictures also show Anil and Richa interacting with the President and dignitaries, while another group picture shows them all posing at the Gateway of India.

French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron arrived in Mumbai in the early hours of Tuesday for their scheduled visit, which runs until February 19. Following the Mumbai engagements, the delegation will travel to Delhi for the India AI Impact Summit 2026. They also paid a solemn tribute to the victims of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks upon their arrival.