The Times of India
Bachchan gets French gift on b'day Meena Iyer [ 12 Oct, 2006 0134hrs IST TIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
MUMBAI: He couldn't have asked for a better birthday gift. Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan, who turned 64 on Wednesday, has been bestowed with the Officier de la Legion d'Honneur (Officer of the Legion of Honour) by the Republic of France.
Created to reward eminent military and civil merits in the service of France, Legion d'Honneur is the highest distinction that can be conferred in France on a French citizen or foreigner.
Among the noted Indian film personalities to have received the honour are Satyajit Ray in 1987, and later Lata Mangeshkar, who was awarded the Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur.
French president Jacques Chirac, by a decree dated September 15, 2006, bestowed the honour on Bachchan as a tribute to his exceptional career in the world of cinema and beyond.
The French embassy in New Delhi confirmed the news that the Government of France had decided to pay tribute to Bachchan for his efforts to bring together Indian and international cultural life.
"According to protocol, Dominique Gerard, the French ambassador to India, will speak to Amitabh Bachchan and seek a date from him for the official ceremony during which he will be given the honour personally," Mohamed Bendjebbour, the audio-visual attache of the French embassy who carried the official letter to Bachchan, told TOI.
"The ceremony could either be held in Mumbai or New Delhi." There is also a mention about his gesture of lending his voice for the Oscar-winning documentary The March Of the Penguins (2005) directed by Frenchman Luc Jacquet.