The octogenarian Bollywood legend Dev Anand has been invited to the highly-esteemed Cannes Film Festival, which is going to be held in May.

The evergreen actor was much excited to be invited to the upcoming festival as it will screen his movie "Guide" under the 'Classic' film category.

“I have never attended any Cannes fest earlier. So, I am very happy to receive an invitation to attend it. I am indeed more pleased because my Guide is being shown in the 'Classics' section, which I understand is a sideshow of the main festival,” Dev said.

“I am excited because I will have a chance to interact with film luminaries of the world there,” the actor said.

According to the festival catalogue, the Cannes Classics sidebar section, introduced in 2004, focuses on screening several new or restored prints of classic movies, tributes to foreign cinema, documentaries on cinematography, and occasionally rare or rediscovered recording from the past.

The list of the films to be presented in this segment will be declared officially only a week before the opening of the festival.

Legendary Indian actor Dev Anand has also approached Hyderabad's Goldstone Technologies Ltd to recolourise and restore the prints of his ‘1965’ classic before it is screened at Cannes.

Incidentally, Guide had also been selected as India’s official entry to the Oscars in 1965.

Dev Anand also told that he will be launching his next movie 'Chargesheet,’ a murder mystery exposing corruption in the police force, after returning from the festival.

"I am in the process of finalising my cast which will be a mix of experienced actors and new faces," he added.