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Top French award for Big B
Tripti Nath
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 27
The French Government today conferred the Legion d’Honneur (Legion of Honour), its highest national distinction, on Amitabh Bachchan, at a glittering function at the French Embassy here.

Napoleon Bonaparte instituted the Legion of Honour in 1802. Its previous recipients have been Steven Spielberg, Gerarad Depardieu. In India, late filmmaker Satyajit Ray and Sitar maestro Ravi Shankar have been conferred with this honour.

Receiving the award from French Ambassador to India Dominque Girard, the superstar said he does not consider it as a personal honour but a recognition of the manifold achievements of the Indian cinema that he was a part of. “I’m truly humbled by it,” he said.

Bachchan said cynicism towards Indian cinema had at long last given way to appreciation and emulation. “It is just a proof of the fact that Indian cinema has arrived forcefully on the global stage.” He said Indian cinema had evolved in consonance with the nation’s progress,” observed the 63-year-old actor. Amitabh’s wife, Jaya, their son Abhishek, his fiancee Aishwarya Rai, his daughter Shweta and friend Amar Singh were also present.