Megastar Amitabh Bachchan inaugurated the third edition of 'India by the Nile' festival in a glittering ceremony in Cairo that was attended by several dignitaries from Egypt's diplomatic, social and business circles.

The 72-year-old actor was visibly excited about his three-day trip to the Egyptian capital and commended the Embassy of India and Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Egypt for their efforts in organising the festival.

"It is my fourth visit to this wonderful country. Every time I come to Egypt, I feel as though I come home. Every time I have been here it has been such an experience. And that is the feeling I am going to carry home when I go back to India," Bachchan said.

The actor attended a special reception hosted by the Indian Ambassador to Egypt Navdeep Suri at the India House to mark the formal opening of the annual cultural event that runs until April 17, last evening.


"This is a very important festival as it is encouraging the cooperation and friendship that are exiting between the two cultures of both the countries," Bachchan said. "The festival will see music, dance, cuisine, conversations, handicrafts, yoga, ayurveda and more," Suri said. Bachchan is set to visit the Pyramids today and also be a part of a special session with noted film journalist and author Sidharth Bhatia at the Cairo Opera House.