Marrakech Film Festival 2012: Amitabh Bachchan Attends Event Honouring Indian Cinema, Praises Morocco [PHOTOS]

Amitabh Bachchan recently led a delegation of Bollywood stars and filmmakers to the ongoing International Film Festival of Marrakech (FIFM) for a tribute ceremony of Indian cinema, which will celebrate its centenary year in 2013.

Though the veteran actor returned from the festival, Bachchan continued to express his feelings about Morocco, its people and the film festival on social media.

Bachchan, along with other delegates including yesteryear actress Sharmila Tagore and Bollywood's popular actor Shah Rukh Khan received the honour for the 100 years of Indian cinema from French actress Catherine Deneuve on 1 December. And the actor was quick to express his fondness for her since his childhood in his blog.

"The divine Mademoiselle Catherine Deneuve, the iconic French actress pays tribute to me, and a childhood dream comes true. I would never have imagined to be standing next to her, in the glow of the most beautiful woman of the world," the 70 year old actor wrote.

Later he also posted his photo along with Deneuve on Facebook saying, "With the most beautiful in the world the iconic Catherine Deneuve receiving the honor for the 100 years of Indian Cinema."

He continued: "A tribute is paid to me by the exquisitely beautiful and my dream favorite the French icon Mademoiselle Catherine Deneuve, the most beautiful woman in the world, now 69 but still stunning .. admirer of her from the time of College.

The actor seemed to be greatly touched by the warmth of Morocco too.

"Marrakech a wondrous city, a wondrous people and wondrous climate...Still living in the memory of Marrakech and the people of Morocco," he wrote, adding, "There is such a sense of wanting to serve, to endear themselves to the outsider, is surely an indicator of the impact made by our films to them."

The 2012 FIFM, currently in its twelfth edition, is one of the biggest events dedicated to Moroccan cinema but also honors film fraternity of rest of the world. This year, the film festival is paying a special tribute to Hindi cinema by screening a number of Bollywood films throughout the festival.

Amitabh Bachchan was overwhelmed to see the popularity of Indian cinema in Morocco and how films dissolve borders.

"The presence of Indian Cinema all over the globe is astonishing. The media from all over the world was there to witness our tribute of 100 years, and are equally astonished to find the enthusiasm that prevails ..But the people of Morroco are quite sensational, warm hearted, and most generous in their capacity as followers of film .. Thank you Morocco and Marrakech !!!"

Scroll down to view the photographs of Amitabh Bachchan at the 12th International Film Festival of Marrakech.