Actor Richa Chadha met with the French President Emmanuel Macron during an official engagement aimed at fostering dialogue between leaders and members of the creative and film fraternity of India. 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 Twitter.
Richa Chadha has previously been recognised by the Government of France with one of its top honours for contributions to the arts. In October 2023, she was conferred the title of Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) by the French government. This honour acknowledges her significant contribution to cinema and places her among other international artists recognised for enriching cultural relations. 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. Payal Kapadia's film, which won the top most 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”.