Lata Mangeshkar To Be Honoured With ‘Officier de la Légion d’Honneur’  Lata Mangeshkar |
The French government will honour singer Lata Mangeshkar with ‘Officier de la Légion d’Honneur’.The ‘Nightingale of India’ will receive the honour from French Ambassador to India, His Excellency Mr Jérôme Bonnafonton during the opening ceremony of the 2nd Rendezvous with French Cinema in India on 2nd Dec 2009.
The felicitation will take place during the official ceremony of the French cultural Festival ‘Bonjour India’.
Jérôme Bonnafont said, “France has a tradition of supporting artists from all over the world. Bestowing the insignia of Officer of the Legion of Honour on Lata Mangeshkar, is a recognition of her incomparable singing career, and to a personality who has stayed at the top rang in her field for over 60 years.”
The “Légion d`Honneur” (Legion of Honour) instituted by Napoléon Bonaparte in 1802 is the highest distinction that can be conferred by the French Republic on a French citizen as well as on a foreigner.
Steven Spielberg and Gérard Depardieu are some of the other famous personalities who have been conferred this award. The other Indians who have received the honour include Amitabh Bachchan and the late Satyajit Ray.
