Ranveer Singh bags the Etoile d'Or award

On the opening night of the Marrakech International Film Festival, Bollywood star Ranveer Singh took centrestage when he performed an impromptu rap number from Gully Boy, as he received the Etoile d’Or award.

As the actor was presented with Marrakech’s Etoile d’Or trophy, he said, “This is the darkest period. When I look at the world around me, I see all sorts of pain and suffering. I feel that in my capacity as an entertainer, the best thing I can do is lighten people’s burden.” Following the opening ceremony performance, he moved to Marrakech’s famous Jemaa El Fna Square where Sanjay Leela Bhansali-directorial film Bajirao Mastani was screened, where Ranveer played the lead.

He treated the crowd to a rendition of a rap number from Gully Boy and once again danced. “You put me on a stage and give me a mike, and I feel compelled to sing you a song, or dance for you, or show you a movie, or tell you a story,” he said.

The Marrakech International Film Festival has previously honoured Indian stars, including Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan and in 2012, it ran a special sidebar to mark 100 years of Indian cinema.