Bollywood star to receive France's Legion d'honneur

Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan is to be awarded France's Legion d'honneur for his contribution to Indian and international culture.

The French government announced Thursday that it would be giving its highest civilian honour to the TV and film star.

Bachchan, 64, became a star in the 1970s and 1980s as a film action hero and has gone on to make more than 140 movies.

He is also India's biggest television star, presenting a popular hour-long game show similar to Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

At a recent appearance in Toronto to promote the film Never Say Goodbye, he was mobbed by hundreds of fans seeking a glimpse of one of Bollywood's leading actors.

The deep-voiced actor has a comic role in the film, which deals with the controversial subject of a marriage that isn't working as it should.

He also does the voiceover inIndia's version of theOscar-winning documentary The March Of the Penguins, directed by Frenchman Luc Jacquet.

No date has been set for the award ceremony, according to a spokesman for the French embassy in India.

"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," said Mohamed Bendjebbour, a French diplomat.

Several eminent Indian personalities have received the Legion d'honneur, including filmmaker Satyajit Ray in 1987 and environmentalist RK Pachauri in July this year.