HONG KONG: French cinema queen Catherine Deneuve said she was ‘pleased and touched’ to accept a lifetime achievement award at the Mumbai Film Festival on Tuesday.

Deneuve, in celebration of her five decades of stardom, was presented the award by Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Indian industrialist Niraj Bajaj.

“It’s a very strong word, life achievement — it is a great honour. I am pleased and touched,” said the 70-year-old, wearing a red dress.

“It is nice to be here in India, which is so much the country for cinema as France is as well. “Deneuve, often described as the “ice queen” of French cinema, has appeared in more than 100 films, working with acclaimed directors such as Francois Truffaut and Luis Bunuel.

The actress came to prominence in the 1964 musical film “Les Parapluies de Cherbourg” (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg) and went on to win two Cesar Awards for Best Actress and one Academy Award nomination for her role in “Indochine” in 2000.

She is in the Indian entertainment capital heading a French delegation to the festival, which is holding a “Rendez-vous with French cinema”.

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2014