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Ranveer Singh attends the opening ceremony of the 19th Marrakech International Film Festival, in Marrakech, Morocco, Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. Image Credit: AP

On the opening night of the Marrakech International Film Festival, Bollywood star Ranveer Singh took centre stage to dance and perform an impromptu rap number from ‘Gully Boy’ as he received the Etoile d’Or award.

According to Variety, during the festival’s opening ceremony, Singh performed one of his characteristic energetic dances.

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 Singh’s film ‘Bajirao Mastani’ was screened.

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Singh receives a tribute trophy from French actress Melita Toscan du Plantier during the opening ceremony of the 19th Marrakech International Film Festival. Image Credit: AFP

There 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 mic, and I feel compelled to sing you a song, or do you a dance, 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.

This year the festival marks its first edition since 2019 and will run through November 11 to 19. It was revealed by ceremony host Nabila Kilani that owing to “difficult circumstances” jury members Danish director Susanne Bier and Guatemalan-born US actor-producer Oscar Isaac could not attend.