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Soumitra Chatterjee To Get French Honour During Kolkata Book Fair
Legendary Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee would be handed over France's highest civilian award Legion of Honour during the 42nd edition of the International Kolkata Book Fair in January next year.
France, which would also be the focal theme of this edition of the world's most attended book fair, is planning to present the award to the octogenarian actor on the inaugural day of the event in the presence of its Minister of Culture Francoise Nyssen, a senior French official said on Tuesday.
"Soumitra Chatterjee is not just an actor, he is a legend. The award was announced in June. But we waited for the perfect occasion to hand him the award. The book fair seems to be a perfect backdrop as our Minister of Culture would also be present in the city at that time," Damien Syed, Consul General of France in Kolkata, said during the announcement and logo unveiling event of the book fair here.
"It is a befitting occasion to hand him the award as a French minister would be visiting the city after seven years. We felt it would be more prestigious and impactful if he is handed over the award by the minister, who herself is a writer and a noted publisher in France," he pointed out.
