January 29, 2008	Tuesday	Muharram 19, 1429

MUMBAI, Jan 28: France has awarded Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan its highest cultural decoration at a ceremony in India’s entertainment hub of Mumbai.

Mr Khan, currently India’s highest paid and most popular star, was given “L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres” at a function late on Sunday.

France’s ambassador to India Jerome Bonnafont said Khan was given the award for taking “the charm of Indian cinema the world over”. Other past recipients include Indian Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy, singers Bob Dylan and David Bowie and Hollywood stars George Clooney, Leonardo Di Caprio, Clint Eastwood, Robert Redford, Meryl Streep and Bruce Willis.

In his acceptance speech, Mr Khan said he was “humbled by the recognition”.—AFP