Veteran Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah was honoured with the lifetime achievement award at the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF). French actress Catherine Deneuve also received the award. The stars shared the podium with the likes of Egyptian actor Ezzat Al Alayli, award-winning French-Tunisian actor Sami Bouajila.

The 12th edition of the festival opened with the screening of Lenny Abrahamson’s suspenseful and heartrending drama ‘Room’ based on Emma Donoghue’s 2010 best-selling novel of the same name. Actor Michael B. Jordan, Deepa Mehta and Anu Menon, Jacob Tremblay, the young star of ‘Room’ walked the red carpet. ‘Room’ starring Brie Larson, tells the extraordinary tale of a young mother and her five year-old son living out their lives in the confines of a tiny windowless room.

Naseeruddin Shah

• Naseeruddin Shah is an Indian film and stage actor and director, and a prominent figure in Indian parallel cinema.
• Shah has won numerous awards in his career, including three National Film Awards, three Filmfare Awards and an award at the Venice Film Festival.
• The government of India has honoured him with the Padma Shri and the Padma Bhushan awards for his contributions to Indian cinema.