1/9
  • Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
    Aishwarya Rai Bachchan looks gracious in a simple-yet-elegant Sabyasachi sareeVarinder Chawla
  • Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Helen
    Aishwarya greets Salman Khan's step mom Helen.Varinder Chawla
  • Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Catherine Deneuve
    Aishwarya honours French actress Catherine Deneuve.Varinder Chawla
  • Deepika Padukone
    Deepika Padukone supported MAMI 2014Varinder Chawla
  • Deepika Padukone
    Deepika takes a selfie with her fans.Varinder Chawla
  • Ranbir Kapoor
    Ranbir Kapoor attends Mumbai Film Festival despite being unwell.Varinder Chawla
  • Akshay Kumar, Helen
    Akshay Kumar honours Helen with the Lifetime Achievement Award.Varinder Chawla
  • Kalki Koechlin, Kiran Rao
    Kalki and Kiran share a light moment.Varinder Chawla
  • Kalki Koechlin, Anurag Kashyap
    Separated couple pose for the cameras at the festival.Varinder Chawla

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who inaugurated the 16th Mumbai Film Festival, honoured French actress Catherine Deneuve.

The gorgeous actress, who looked stunning in an elegant Sabyasachi creation, was also courteous enough to greet her ex-flame Salman Khan's step mother, Helen, who was later felicitated with the Lifetime Achievement Award by Akshay Kumar.

Deepika Padukone, who has been on her toes for "Happy New Year" promotions, also lent her support for the festival. The actress said it was necessary for everyone in the film fraternity to come together to support such a festival, in the process reaching out to a wider audience.

"The fest is comparatively newer than other popular film festivals, so it will take time. As an individual, I'm doing whatever I can. And I know that a lot of other actors, directors and producers have also contributed to it, not just financially, but also in terms of awareness," Hindustan Times quoted the actress.

Ranbir Kapoor, who has been recovering from an adenoid surgery, also stepped in, looking dapper in a formal suit. He reportedly shared an easy and friendly rapport with superstar Aamir Khan's wife Kiran Rao.

Kalki Koechlin surprised everyone as she posed with ex-husband Anurag Kashyap at the red carpet. However, the festival was also attended by director Ayan Mukerji, Huma Qureshi, Rajkumar Hirani, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Subhash Ghai and Rahul Bose among others.

The Mumbai Film Festival is organized by MAMI – Mumbai Academy of Moving Image and was started in 1997 by master director Hrishikesh Mukherjee. The trust is now chaired by Shyam Benegal.